Mather

Samuel & William

Samuel and William Mather were born in Edgworth, the sons of William Mather and Sarah Jane Briggs. The full family details are:1,3,5 Father: William Mather b. 1853, Turton Mother: Sarah Jane Briggs b. 1853, d. 1904 (William and Sarah were married at St. Peter, in 1875)

Children: Joseph b. 1875, Edgworth died 1924 Alice b. 1876, Edgworth Andrew b. 1877, Edgworth died aged 0 George b. 1879, Edgworth William b. 1880, Edgworth died 1918 John James b. 1882, Edgworth Amos b. 1884, Edgworth died aged 0 Fred b. 1885, Edgworth died aged 0 Annie b. 1886, Edgworth Samuel b. 1889, Edgworth died 1918

In 1891 the family were living at 457 Road, Edgworth and father William was a ‘Singer in Calico Printworks’. In 1901 the address is 463 Blackburn Road, Edgworth. Father is a ‘Coal Labourer at Calico Print Works’ and William is working as an ‘Indigo Blue Dipper’ in the local Calico Print Works. Samuel is at school. In 1911 they are still at 463, but Mother Sarah has died. Father is still a ‘Coal Heaver’, and the other members of the household are: son George (a Railway Signalman with the & Yorkshire Railway Co.) and his wife Annie (the housekeeper), and Sam who is a ‘Packer’ in the Printworks. William has move to Luton, Bedfordshire where he is living with his wife Emily Lizzie – see further details below.

Sadly, the two brothers were both killed in The Great War (details below).

William Mather senior died in 1934 and the related probate record reads:4,32

Note 1: that William’s address is now Sandy Bank. Note 2: that at the date of death, Joseph and John James are the only surviving male descendants. The gravestone for this Mather family is at St Anne’s, Turton and is shown below:

The text reads: IN LOVING MEMORY Of WILLIAM MATHER who Died February 23th 1934 Aged 80 Years. Also SARAH JANE, Wife of, WILLIAM MATHER, of Hob Lane who Died February 29th 1904 Aged 53 Years ALSO THEIR YOUNGEST SON BOMBADIER SAMUEL MATHER, R.F.A. KILLED IN ACTION FRANCE JULY 24th 1918 IN HIS 29th YEAR ALSO THEIR SON PTE WILLIAM THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF EMILY L MATHER 1ST HERTS REGT PRESUMED KILLED IN FRANCE, BETWEEN MARCH 21ST AND 30TH 1918, IN HIS 38TH YEAR ALSO ANDREW, FRED & AMOS WHO DIED IN INFANCY Also at St Anne’s is the grave of Sam’ brother George:

George married Annie Holden at St Anne’s in 1911. A son William was born the same year and Harry was born in 1914. A daughter Jennie was probably born in 1918. The probate record following George’s death reads:4,32

A Herbert Mather lived with his parents and siblings at 455 Blackburn Road, Edgworth in 1911, but it is not clear what relation he was to George.

Samuel Mather (1889-1918)

The collection of photos of WW1 servicemen held in The Barlow, Edgworth, contains these 2 photos: PHOTO 1

30 This photo is labelled ‘Sam Mather’ and shows a man in the uniform of the Royal Artillery (unfortunately the shoulder badge is not sufficiently clear to distinguish between the RFA –

Royal Field Artillery and the RGA – Royal Garrison Artillery, but the spurs on his boots might favour the RFA.) PHOTO 2

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This photo is labelled ‘Jim Mather-Sandybank’ and the shoulder-flash is probably RFA – the Royal Field Artillery, rather than the RGA. The Sam in question served with the RFA. No record has been found for a Jim Mather living at Sandybank, Edgworth. Bolton Central Library holds a collection of photos entitled ‘Family Photographs related to Miss Howard’. The collection includes the second photo with the attachment ‘Sam Mather who lived in Hob Lane, Edgworth. Maggie Collinson was going out with Sam but he was killed in the First World War’. Are they 2 photos of the same man or has one or both photos been labelled incorrectly? (One or two other cases of mislabelling have been found.) Is photo 1 of Sam’s brother William?

No Service Record has been found for Sam, but the CWGC Certificate15 states that he served as a Bombadier with “C” Battery of the 155th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery. According to the Certificate, Sam died in France on 24 July 1918 at the age of 28. Sam’s Medal Rolls index Card2 gives a slightly later date of death, viz. 27 July 1918 and gives his Royal Field Artillery Regiment No. as L/16116. Samuel Mather was awarded The British War and Victory Medals2.

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William Mather

(1880-1918)

William married Emily Lizzie Kirkby in Worksop in the last quarter of 19106, and in 1911 they are living and working in the Union Workhouse, Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. William is working as a ‘Labour Master and Emily is a cook. Sometime later William is a Superintendent at Beech Hill Homes, Luton (which is probably the same place) The CWGC Certificate address for William’s father is 1 School View, Edgworth. In the 1911 Census, this house is occupied by a William Briggs and his sister Mary. They are siblings of William’s mother. William Briggs’ service record gives his address on attestation as 1 School View, but later he is living at 124 Olive Lane, with his next-of-kin given around 1917 as sister M Briggs of 1 School View. Mary Briggs married a Thomas Ward at St Anne’s, Turton in 1920. So presumably William senior moved into 1 School View at around this time. No Service Record has been found for William, but the CWGC Certificate15 states that he served as a Private with the Hertfordshire Regiment. (His Medal Rolls index Card2 gives his Hertfordshire Regiment No. as 202793.) According to the Certificate, William died in France on 30 March 1918 at the age of 28. (It states that his father’s address at that time was 1 School View, Edgworth and his wife’s was 9, Priory Crescent, Gedling, Nottingham. William

is ‘Remembered with Honour’ at the Pozieres Memorial, and on the family gravestone at St Anne’s, Turton. He was awarded The British War and Victory Medals2.

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Researcher: Alan Woodward

Standard References: 1,2,3,4,5,15,30,32