Blencowe Joseph 1896

Joseph Blencowe [4525]

1896-1977

Father Nm: Henry [Harry] Blencow [3624] born 1850 Spratton (Brixworth) J.Q. died 1937 South Shields; Oldest known ancestor Benjamin Ward Blencowe 1776 Long Buckby.

Mother Nm: Eliza Collings [6439] was born 13.7.1859 Lichfield Staffs, .she died 1934 in South Shields, Durham

Marriage Dt:1924 to Ellen Capewell. South Shields, Durham, Volume Number: 10a Page Number: 1657.

K comments: Brother (Henry) Harry served with the 246th Bde RFA in France.

Spouse Comments: Ellen Capewell 1902-1968.

Children: George Kenneth 1932.

(Research):KB Prob. GR[B] Easington March 1896, GR[D] Stevenage vol 10 p 0870 Sept 1977.

1901 Census Bearpark, Durham

1. Henry Blencowe 45
2. Elizabeth Blencowe 43
3. Henry Blencowe 13
4. Elizabeth Blencowe 7
5. Joseph Blencowe 5
6. Elizabeth Blencowe 1

1911 CENSUS GREY HORSE COTTAGE WHITBURN

1. Blencowe Eliza Wife F 1858 53
2. Blencowe Eliza Dau F 1894 17
3. Blencowe Elizabeth Dau F 1900 11
4. Blencowe Henry Head M 1850 61
5. Blencowe Henry son M 1888 23 Barman Public House
6. Blencowe Joseph Son M 1896 15

1914 Occupation Coal Miner

Somerset Light Infantry	Devonshire Regiment

WW1

Blencowe Joseph, 1896, Whitburn, Private, 18797, 44076, 8^th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry, 2^nd Garrison Bn. Devonshire Regiment

1915

• 27^th Apr. Enlisted at Sunderland at age 19 years and 3 months for the duration of the war, Occupation a Coalminer. Address Hedgeworth House, Whitburn.
• 4^th Oct. Embarked for France with the Somerset Light Infantry. The Medal Roll tells us that Joseph was with the 8^th Bn. Somerset LI is part of the 63^rd Brigade of the 21^st Division.

1916

• 1^st Jul. The Somme. Gunshot wound right forearm.

  

  The 8^th Bn Somerset Light Infantry on the right of the two KOYLI battalions came under very heavy machine-gun fire from the moment they left their trenches. They battled on through the German front line system but could not advance as far as the Yorkshiremen.
  21^st Division’s General Plan

  On the first day, the Allied line ran from north to south until just crossing the Albert to Bapaume Road at La Boisselle. Here at the small village of Fricourt the line turned east running under the village and on towards Mametz

  It would be the responsibility of the 7^th Division on the right to capture Mametz. On the left, the 34^th Division would assault La Boisselle. The plan was similar and coordinated with that at Mametz. A direct assault would not be launched on the village of Fricourt, which was known to have been fortified. An initial attack would sweep around the village, cutting the defenders off. This would be mounted at Zero: 0730 hrs

  Once Fricourt and Mametz had been surrounded a second combined assault would then be mounted at about 1430 hours to penetrate the two villages.“The 8^th Bn. (XV Corps left), also came under heavy fire when its front companies crept into No Man’s Land before zero hour, but the assault was never the less delivered. The losses were severe, all but three of the officers hit before the German front trench was reached. The battalion, however, preceded by a shower of grenades, succeeded in entering the trench, and thence parties of bombers led the way along the communication trenches to the support trench and beyond.”³ They battled on through the German front line system but could not advance as far as the Yorkshire men.¹

  

  As a general result of the day’s fighting, XV Corps had made considerable headway on both its flanks, the right-wing having advanced 2,500yds and captured Mametz, and the left 2,000yds across the top of the Fricourt spur to beyond the Sunken Road. It had taken prisoner in all twenty-nine officers and 1,596 other ranks. In the centre, however, the attack had failed and, in spite of envelopment on three sides, there were still Germans in Fricourt.³

• 7^th Jul. Invalided home to UK. Although the injury to Joseph (right arm) it was obviously a serious injury as he quickly sent home and doesn’t serve again on the front line.
• 11^th Aug. Newspaper report Western Daily Press 11 August 1916 Announces wounding and gives regiment as Somerset LI.
• 29^th Dec. 1916 transferred to Devonshire 2^nd Home Services Garrison Brigade in the UK after injury.²

1917

• 19^th Jan. Transferred Class Preserve on 19^th Jan 1917.
• 19^th Apr. Discharged physically unfit to serve. Awarded a gratuity payment for injury of 19 pounds 5 shillings.

Sources

1. Fricourt 1st July 1916
2. Order of Battle-British Infantry Units.
3. Slaughter on the Somme by John Grehan, Martin Mace.
4. Medical evacuation in WW1

Notes

1. Devon. 2nd HS Garrison Bde. Formed in Exeter in July 1916. Moved to Plymouth and Falmouth. Converted and became 5th Battalion of the Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.
2. Class P Reserve and Class P(T) were introduced by the same Army Order 355/16. These classes consisted of men ‘whose services are deemed to be temporary of more value to the country in civil life rather than in the Army’ and who were not lower than medical-grade C iii and as a result of having served in the Army or TF would, if discharged, be eligible for a pension on the grounds of disability or length of service.

Medals

Awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British, Victory and Silver War Badge.

Joseph entitled to wear one wound stripe on his dress uniform.

After the War

1921 Census

Joseph returned to South Shields and was living as a lodger at  23 Mozart St. with future wife Ellen Capewell and her family. Despite the mine history showing 3500 miners employed in the census tear of the great depression Joseph and several of the household out of work.

George Adam	Capewell	Head	Male	1875	45	Durham, Durham, England	Labourer Bank Hand	Harton Coal Coy (Out Of Work)
Elizabeth	Capewell	Wife	Female	1875	45	Durham, Durham, England	Housewife	–
Albert	Capewell	Son	Male	1898	22	Durham, England	Coal Miner (Putter)	Harton Coal Coy (Out Of Work)
George A	Capewell	Son	Male	1900	21	Durham, England	Coal Miner (Putter)	Harton Coal Coy (Out Of Work)
Ellen	Capewell	Daughter	Female	1902	18	Durham, England	Home Duties	–
Sarah Ann	Capewell	Daughter	Female	1904	16	Durham, England	Home Duties	–
Sydney	Capewell	Son	Male	1908	12	Durham, England	–	–
Joseph	Blencowe	Boarder	Male	1896	25	Durham, England	Coal Miner (Hewer)	Harton Coal Coy (Out Of Work)

1924

• In this year Joseph and Ellen married in South Shields ages 28 and 21, but it seems they went south and by the 1939 Census he and Ellen lived at 3 Cromwell Road, Letchworth, Herts.

1939 Census

• 

	FIRST NAME(S)	LAST NAME(S)	DOB	SEX	OCCUPATION	MARITAL STATUS
	Joseph	Blencowe	15 Dec 1895	Male	Store Keeper British Tabulator Engineering Work	Married		1
3 more people who are officially closed
	Ellen	Blencowe	30 Jul 1902	Female	Unpaid Domestic Duties	Married

1968 Widower

Wife Ellen dies in Hitchin district. Hertfordshire.

Death 1977 Age 81 years

Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1977.

GALLERY

Note: there are 9 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.