Arthur Burgess is named on a brass plaque in St Paul’s Church, Strines. (Thanks to Ann Marie Ryan for the information). Strines is a village, now in Greater Manchester, midway between Marple and New Mills. There are, however, connections with Hawarden in Flintshire.
Arthur is listed on the Bangor Civic Society Website. That is where I became aware of him. All Flintshire Servicemen are listed there in theory.
He is not on Hawarden War Memorial nor any other local one as far as I can see. There is an index card for him in the Flintshire Roll of Honour in the County Record office in Hawarden, (Index Card Hawarden F5). It was completed and signed by Arthur’s wife Mary Burgess.
Arthur Burgess was born in Marple, Cheshire circa 1882, the 4th son of George and Mary Burgess.The 1891 census recorded them living at Alma Terrace, Strines, Road, Marple, Cheshire. Head of the household was George, 51, a Block Cutter. His wife Mary, 49, had been born in Derbyshire. Their listed children were Mary Jane, 26, a Dressmaker. Caroline May was 6 and a scholar. Thomas was 22 and George William was 16. they were both Clerks for the County Council. Charles, 11 and Arthur 9 were scholars.
The 1901 census records an Arthur Burgess living as a Boarder at Bloomsbury Terrace, Timperley, Bucklow, Altringham, Cheshire. He was 19 and a Groom. This census says he was born in Wilmslow. The family he was living with was the Blinkhorn family. (There is a possibility that this might not be the right Arthur Burgess).
Arthur married Mary Davies on the 29th December 1908 in St. Deniol’s Church in Hawarden, the village Mary had been born in. Their child Walter was born on the 16th October 1909. The 1911 census records them living with his parents at Strines, Nr. Stockport, Cheshire. George Burgess was 70 and was a Block Cutter (Printing). His wife of 46 years, Mary was 68. She had given birth to 6 children, one of whom had died. Arthur their son was 28 and a Railway Clerk. This census says he was born in Strines, Cheshire. His wife of two years, Mary, was 26 and their son Walter was 1 year old.
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 accessible on www.ancestry.com includes an entry for Arthur Burgess. It confirms all the military information above left and adds that his residence was Hawarden (although this is contradicted in his Army Service Records) and he enlisted in Manchester. This source tells us that he ‘died of wounds’ in France/Flanders. His medal index card, also on Ancestry lists his two medals.
Arthur Burgess’s Army Service Records have survived and can be viewed on Ancestry. They are not easy to read as there are pages that have faded badly. His Attestation papers which were completed on the 2nd December 1915 on which, he gave he gave his address as Brookbottom, Strine, nr New Mills, Derbyshire. He was 33 years and 5 months old and was a Railway Clerk. He was a married man. His religion was C of E and his next of kin was his wife Mary Burgess who lived at the same address as him in Derbyshire. They had one son.
The records say that he served ‘at home’ from the 2nd December 1915 until he was posted on the 27th August 1917. He died of wounds received in Action on the 6th November 1918 at No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station. Sadly, Arthur died 5 days before the end of the war and the Armistice.
Arthur Burgess in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 in which the army calculated what moneys were owed to deceased soldiers includes an entry for Arthur. It tells us that his widow, Mary Burgess, the sole Legatee was paid £11 15s 11d on the 19th May 1919 which included his War Gratuity of £8.