Name
Thomas Michael Horgan
1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/08/1914
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
8255
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ESNES COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Grave 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Holy Rood Catholic Church Memorial, Watford, St Edmunds College Memorial, Old Hall Green
Pre War
Son of Michael and Margaret Mary Agnes (nee McFADEN) HORGAN.
His parents married 1882 in the Holborn, London, district. Margaret died 1900 in Watford aged 43, and was buried 3 February in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Michael died 16 April 1921 in Watford aged 75, and was buried 21 April, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Thomas was born 1883 in Gosport, Hants, and resided in Watford.
The following text was transcribed from The Edmundian (1814-1819) - The contemporary magazine of St Edmund's College:
Thomas Michael Horgan, the brother of the Rev. William Morgan, was the first Edmundian to give his life for the country in this war. He was a student at St. Edmund's for two or three years, leaving the College when in 'Grammar' about Easter 1899, at the age of seventeen years.
He went to the front as a non-commissioned officer in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers early in the war, arriving in France on Aug. 23. He was killed in action there days later, when the regiment came in contact with the enemy for the first time. The death was reported from the base on Sept. 12, but, as far as can be ascertained, he was killed on Aug. 20, at Estnes, near Mons.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 8 he lived in St Giles in the Fields, London, with his parents and three siblings. Believed to have attended the St Edmunds College Memorial, Old Hall Green.
On the 1901 Census, there is a Thomas aged 18, a Sapper Royal Engineers, stationed in Gillingham, Kent. On the 1911 Census, a Corporal in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers aged 27, he was stationed in Peking, North China.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in London 11 February 1901 a clerk; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 23 August 1914; and was killed in action.
Additional Information
There are articles about Thomas in the Watford Illustrated dated 19 September 1914, and in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 5 December 1914. Unfortunately, Thomas’ Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
