Lieut Ernest Ashcroft

• Age: 31
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: DEVON REGT 18th Btn
• Died on Saturday 25th September 1915
• Commemorated at: Loos Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 35 to 37

Ernest Ashcroft was born 18th February 1884 in Liverpool and was baptised 11th April 1884 at Laurel Road Methodist Church, Liverpool. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Evans Ashcroft. He was educated at St Margaret's Church of England School, Aigburth, Liverpool from 1892 and from 1896 was at the Liverpool Collegiate.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Denman Drive, West Derby, Liverpool.

The father William aged 44 is employed as a cashier to a timber broker and his wife Elizabeth Evans is aged 42, and has no occupation listed. At the taking of the Census they have eleven children living with them, Emily aged 19, born 1872, employed as a steam ship owners apprentice, Henry aged 18, born 1873 has no occupation listed, Percy aged 16, is a bankers apprentice, Alfred aged 15, Mabel aged 13, Elizabeth aged 11, Gertrude aged 10 and Ernest aged 7 are all scholars, Eveline is aged 4, Ethel Muriel aged 2 and Olive was born 1901. They also have two servants living with them Maud Geoghegan, aged 19, born 1872 and employed as a domestic servant (nurse) and Sarah Gleaves aged 15, born 1876 in Liverpool who is a domestic housemaid.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 11, Denman Drive, West Derby, Liverpool.

The father William aged 54, born 1847 is a timber broker’s accountant and was born in Liverpool. His wife Elizabeth Evans is aged 52, born 1849 and has no occupation listed and was born in Liverpool as were their children. At the time of the Census they have seven children living with them, Percy aged 26, born 1875 is a branch bank manager, Alfred aged 25, born 1876 is a dry goods salesman, Elizabeth aged 21, born 1880 and Gertrude aged 20, born 1881 have no occupation, Ernest aged 17, born 1884 is a Broker’s apprentice, and Eveline aged 14, born 1887 and Ethel Muriel aged 12, born 1889. They also have two servants living with them Delia Farrell aged 21, born 1880 in Widnes and employed as a general servant (domestic) and Grace Owen aged 19, born 1882 in Anglesey who is a domestic housemaid. 

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 11, Denman Drive, West Derby, Liverpool.

The father William aged 64, is an accountant and cashier. His wife Elizabeth Evans is now aged 52, and has no occupation listed. They have been married for forty one years and have had twelve children of which two died. The Census shows they have three children still living with them, Alfred aged 35 is employed as a traveller (drapery), Ernest aged 27, is employed as a timber measurer and Ethel Muriel aged 22 has no occupation. They also have a visitor Lilian Marguerite Shawl aged 17, born 1894 in Liverpool and Ellen Williams aged 24, born 1887 and employed as a general servant (domestic) who was born in Llanfairfechan, North Wales.   

Ernest originally joined the 18th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16631. He was commissioned and transferred to the 8th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment and attained the rank of Lieutenant. He  was killed in action on 25th September 1915 aged 31.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is now commemorated on the Loos Memorial.

The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay, from the first day of the Battle of Loos to the end of the war. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts, open to the sky, in which the lines of tablets are continued, and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.

The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Charles Wheeler. It was unveiled by Sir Nevil Macready on 4 August 1930.

Liverpool Daily Post dated 7th October 1915.

"Prenton Officer Killed": SPLENDID EXAMPLE OF COURAGE. Lieutenant E. Ashcroft, who was killed while leading his men to victory on September 25, was the fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ashcroft, 24, Curzon-road, Prenton, Cheshire, and was thirty-one years of age. He received his commission in the 8th Battalion Devon Regiment in November last. He was educated at the old Liverpool College, and was formerly in the employ of Messrs. Farnworth and Jardine, timber brokers, Liverpool (photograph). The following tribute is paid to Lieutenant Ashcroft's courage an heroism in a letter written by Captain C. D. Roberts to Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft: - "This is to express the deepest sympathy of the officers and men of the 8th Devons which they feel for you in your son's death. It may be some slight consolation for you to know that your son died leading his men to victory over the enemy early on September 25. He was shot when a few feet from the German trenches setting a splendid example of fearlessness

His death was announced in the Chester Chronicle on 9th October 1915: 

“Lieutenant Ernest Ashcroft, 8th Devon Regiment, killed on September 25, was the fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft, of Prenton, Cheshire, and was 31 years of age.  He was gazetted Lieutenant in November last.”

And in The Cornishman on 14th October 1915: 

“News that will cause much regret in Penzance was received on Friday morning to the effect that Lieut. Ernest Ashcroft, of the 8th Devons, has been killed in France while bravely leading his men.  Lieut. Ashcroft, who was well-known in Penzance, was a brother of Mrs. F. C. Simpson, of Alexandra Road. He was unmarried and lived at Liverpool.”

An incredible aside to Ernest's story appeared in the Coventry Evening Telegraph of 29th December 1916:

Described as a munition worker ,Mabel Violet Bell,a smartly dressed young woman, was sent for trial at Bow Street, London,on Thursday, charged with committing bigamy and perjury and with obtaining a widow's pension and gratuity from the War Office by false pretences. It was stated that in November,1915,she obtained a gratuity of £140 and a pension of £8 a month as the widow of Lieutenant Ernest Ashcroft, who died at Loos. She had gone through a form of marriage with him, but her husband,Mr.Edward N. Bell,of the Indian Civil Service, was then alive,and he had since obtained a divorce. When arrested Mrs. Bell said: "I wrote to my husband in India time after time and got no reply. I thought he was dead. I have done wrong."  

Soldiers Effects of £55 to mother Elizabeth Evans, it states he was 8 Devons killed between 25-27th Sept 1915.

Ernest is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool Collegiate Scool, Shaw Street, Liverpool

St Stephens' Church, Prenton

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 16 Left.

We currently have no further information on Ernest Ashcroft, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.