Alice Harmes (Harry Broughton’s Mother) was born in the June Qtr of 1872 in King’s Norton, ( Vol 6c, Page 440). She married Michael Broughton in 1890. They had three children. Sarah Selina was born 1890, Alice Elizabeth was born 1892 and Harry Thomas was born in 1894 (in Moxley in the West Bromwich District in the March Qtr of 1894 (Vol 6b, Page 921)
Alice Broughton’s husband Michael died in 1896. She was remarried two years later to Enoch Woolley.
Harry first appears on a census in 1901. He was living in Queen Street Moxley, Wednesbury, Staffordshire. This was the home of his grandparents Philip and Selina Starkley. The household included their daughter Louisa Starkley (who was 18, single and worked as a domestic servant) and their two grandchildren Harry T Broughton 7 and Lizzie Broughton 9. There were two other adults recorded on the census. Alice Woolley 28 a married shirt machinist ( mother of Harry and Lizzie) and Thomas Bond 45 was listed as brother in law.
The 1911 census records that the family was living in 43 Brook Road Shotton. Alice Woolley headed the list of household members. She was recorded as a 39 year old married woman. Her listed children were Sarah Selina Broughton 20 and Harry 17 a ‘Scrap Cutter’. There were four lodgers John Curtis, Joanthan Harris and brothers Frederick and Neil Owen (These two brothers both died in the war).
The reason that Alice Woolley’s husband was not listed at home on the 1911 census was because he was in hospital. He was listed in Chester Infirmary as patient Enoch Wooley 49 a married man who was an ironworker. I believe he died that same year.
Uk Soldiers who died in The Great War 1914-19 accessible on www,ancestry.co.uk gives the regimental details as above and adds that Harry enlisted in Shotton, Flintshire. His medal card also on ‘Ancestry’ lists his three medals and also tells us that his first theatre of war was France and he entered it on the 9th July 1915. Written on the card was ‘Death acc 16.8.16′. Presumably he went missing in that day’s fighting on the Somme and was never found.
Harry’s name is quite high up on Pier & Face 4A, difficult to take a good photograph, I wish I could have done better.
Henry Broughton in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that the sole Legatee was his mother Alice Woolley, who was paid £2. 10s 9d on the 13th October 1917 and his War Gratuity was paid to Alice Woolley and S.S. (sister Sarah Selina Broughton?) the sum of £9. 0s 0d on the 16th October 1919.
Harry is also remembered on the Hawarden War Memorial.
Footnote.
I believe Harry’s sister Alice Elizabeth Broughton married James Peters who also died in the war (See marriage of a James Peters and an Elizabeth Broughton in a civil ceremony at Hawarden in 1911 (HAW/04/11). The marriage certificate would have to be purchased to confirm or deny.
He is also remembered on the Connah’s Quay/ Shotton Memorial. Follow the link to read his story.
I have further details of this family’s history. Please contact via the website if you want to know more.
