Name
William Richard Hallworth
31 December 1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/07/1917
35
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31205
Northamptonshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RAMSCAPPELLE ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY
Plot V, Row B, Grave 15.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Watford, Not on the Hemel Hempstead Memorials
Pre War
William Richard Hallworth was born on 31 December 1881 In Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of Richard and Anne Hallworth (nee Green), and baptised on 25 July 1886 at St James’ Church, Bushey, Herts. His parents married on 28 May 1877 at St Mark’s, Tollington Park, London.
His father died in 1887 in Bushey aged 54, and was buried on 20 September at St James’ Church, Bushey. On the 1891 Census, the family were living at Back lane Cottages, Bushey, where his widowed mother was working as a laundress and he and his sister Mary were at school.
By 1901, 19 year old William had moved out of the family home and was listed as a servant at the home of Jane Middleton, sub postmistress, at the Post Office, High Street, Bushey (also grocer, newsagent stationer) and was working as a newsagent’s assistant. His mother and sister were living at 11 High Street, Bushey.
On the 1911 Census, William was back living with his mother and sister at a 6 Aldenham Road, Watford and working as a market gardener. The National Roll of the Great War records that he lived at 5 Banbury Street, Watford on enlistment.
His mother died in 1917 in Watford aged 72, and was buried 6 November in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford. (There is a Death announcement for Anne in the Observer dated 10 November 1917).
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Marylebone, Middlesex in April 1916, and initially joined the Middlesex Regiment as Private G/26027, later being transferred to the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment as Private 5879.
He saw action at Ypres and was killed in action near Nieuport, Belgium on 8 July 1917, aged 35. He was initially buried in Nieuport Bains Military Cemetery and 'concentrated' after the war to Ramscapelle Road Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
Mrs M Hare, (probably Mary, his sister) 155 The Harebreaks, Watford, Herts., ordered his headstone inscription: "THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT". His sister Mary Hare received a war gratuity of £5 and his mother received pay owing of £2 15s 5d. Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. There is a brief article about and a Death announcement for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 11 August 1917; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 13 July 1918.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
