This soldier was named on the St. Ethelwold’s Church Memorial Screen (Roll of Honour), but not on any War Memorial at Hawarden or Connah’s Quay /Shotton.
In the Mold, Deeside & Buckley Leader dated 3rd October 1924, a list of the men honoured on the St. Ethelwold’s Church War Memorial was published, and George was named in that, as George E. McCaddon.
George Ernest’s name was last on this list, he died, I believe, after the war in the March quarter of 1923 ((Mold) HAW/14A/81). It transpires that he died of Heart Failure due to Septicaemia in consequence of injuries to his ear caused by a gunshot wound while on Active Service in the Great War. This explains why George was not on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database, as the cut off date for that was 1921. He had died from the effects of his War Service and was included on the St. Ethelwold’s Church Roll of Honour. The John Summers & Sons family contributed for the panels in the Lady Chapel, I believe He must, I presume have been a member of the congregation for his name to have been put forward.
George Ernest McCaddon was born on the 3rd March 1886 son to James & Eliza McCaddon (nee Wright) who had married in St. Deniol’s Church, Hawarden on the 20th May 1878. ((Mold) C106/02/E169).
The 1891 census sees the family living at Barn Row, (Next door but one to the Plough Inn.) Aston, Hawarden, Flintshire. Head of the household was James McCaddon, 38 and a Joiner, all the family had been born in Hawarden, Flintshire. His wife was Eliza, now 38. Their children were James, 10, Margaret, 6, Ernest, 5, John, 4 and William, 2, all scholars.
Young William may have died, as Eliza stated on the 1911 census she had lost some children. I found a death certificate for a William in 1895. ((Mold) HAW/25/59).
I also believe that George Ernest’s father James, died in the intervening years, possibly in 1896 (Mold) HAW/26/21) as 1901 sees the family living in Plough Cottages, Aston, Hawarden, Flintshire, which may be the same cottages as the 1891 census, but renamed, as they are next to the Plough Inn. Eliza was now a widow, age 44 born in Ewloe, Flintshire, sons James, 21, single and a Steam Crane Driver in the Ironworks, had been born in Bury Lancashire, Ernest, 15, was a Bar Labourer also in the Ironworks, and born in Ewloe, as had John, 13. Her daughters were Maggie, 17, Mary 7 and Jessie, all born in Aston, Flintshire.
The 1911 census tells us that they were still in the Plough Cottages, No. 6. Plough Terrace. Eliza, 57, tells us that she had been married 18 years and she had given birth to 10 children, of whom 4 had died, this information was crossed out by the Enumerator as Eliza was a widow. This time she states she had been born in Rickery(sic) Cottage, Ewloe. Her children on this census were given their full names, with James Allan*, 29, single and unemployed, at home, the eldest. He had been born in Elton, Lancashire on this census. George Ernest, 25, was single, a Bar Shearer in the Galvanized Sheet Iron Works, Norman John, 23, single and a Labourer in J. Summers, they had been born in Ewloe as had daughter Magge (sic) Owens, 26, married but she writes – Partd. 7 years, no children – if I have transcribed it correctly, so any help with Maggie would be appreciated. Daughters Mary Ann, 17 single and Jessie Clare, 15 state they had been born in Aston. There was a Lodger, William Taylor Brotherton, 23 Steelworker born in Edinburgh.
* There is a death of a James McCaddon in Hawarden in 1911, so I will look to see if this is George Ernest’s brother.( (Mold) HAW/06A/85). James unemployed on the census, so he could have been ill.
There are Flintshire WW1 Index Cards for George Ernest and his brother Norman John, but in the “Living” cards, so they were in the Services, but survived the war, however, it seems that George Ernest didn’t survive long after he signed his card on the 10th January 1921. On his card (Shotton L168) he writes that he had been wounded with a “Gunshot wound through left side of face & ear causing deafness.” His period of service was 2 years, but doesn’t give us his date of enlistment. He confirms his regimental regiment and number. He gives his address as Aston, Nr. Queensferry, Chester.
His brother Norman John’s Flintshire WW1 Index card (Shotton L167) gives his address as 6, Plough Terr. Aston. His Army number was 204916, 4th Res. Batt. R.W.F. Private Period of Service 1 year 8 months. Card signed on the 7th January 1920 by J. McCaddon.
George E McCaddon in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 does not tell us anything about his service, except to confirm his regimental details and his medals, but also has “SWB List H/808” written. Nothing else was written on the card.
I cannot find any more Service Records for George, so I don’t know where he was serving, but obviously in a war zone as he was wounded and as he died someone thought to add him to the St. Ethelwold’s Church Roll of Honour, but not on any War Memorial. However he should be remembered as he gave his life for us all.
I found that there is a story about George Ernest’s marriage to Rebecca Guest (formerly Hughes), who had lost her husband William Guest, and who is also on this list of men forgotten. I believe that Rebecca had remarried on Boxing Day, 26th December 1917 at the same church, Holy Trinity, in Gwersyllt, as she had married William Guest in 1911, please click on the link to read his story. Her bridegroom was George Ernest McCaddon, 31, and Ironworker, who lived in Hawarden, his father was James McCaddon, a Joiner who was deceased. Rebecca was then 31, a widow and her address was given as Gwersyllt, her father had now died.
So poor Rebecca may have the distinction of losing 2 husbands who had fought in the Great War, and have their names missed but on the same list as being forgotten. The fact that Rebecca moved back to Gwesyllt after the war may explain why they were forgotten.
There is a gravestone in Hawarden which explains more of Rebecca’s life after George died. It shows that a child was born to Rebecca and George a year before he died, a daughter Violet, who was to marry a John Barlow in 1940 – in Barton, which spans the boundaries of the counties of Greater Manchester and Lancashire. (Barton Vol. 8c Page 1657)
Monumental Inscriptions Hawarden Vol11 Page 28 (Lovelock) :- M8 Modern Small black Granite headstone –
“Treasured memories George McCADDON 1886 – 1923. Rebecca McCADDON Wife of above, 1889 – 1938 John HUGHES, brother of Rebecca 1895 – 1965 Vi BARLOW 1922 – 1998 daughter of George & Rebecca Wife of Jack.”