Pte 63435 Samuel Bracegirdle Clarke

Samuel Bracegirdle Clarke (known as Sam) was born in Weston Point, Runcorn in September quarter of 1881, the son of Thomas Clarke and his wife Susan (née Bracegirdle). Thomas was born in Kendal, and Susan in Cheadle, Cheshire; they married in Stockport in 1877.  Sam had an older sister Mary, and younger brothers Thomas and Alfred. Sam was baptised in Weston Point on 7th August 1881.

 

In 1891 the family is living at 24 York Street, Runcorn. His father is a steam engine worker/fitter, his mother is 39, Mary is 12, Sam is 9, Thomas is 7, and Alfred is 4.  His mother Susan died in 1898, aged 46, when Sam was 17 years old.

 

In 1901 they are at 6 Queens Road, Runcorn. His father, is 49, and widowed, he is an engine fitter, Mary, 22, is the housekeeper, Sam is 19, an engine fitter’s apprentice, Thomas, 17, is a reporter’s assistant, Alfred, 14, is an office boy.

 

When he was 28, Sam married Cecily Maud Dirkin in Kendal in 1910. Before her marriage Cecily had been an elementary school teacher. There is no record of any children born to the marriage.

 

In 1911 the newly wed couple are living at 22 Queens Road, Runcorn.  

Sam, now aged 29, is an iron turner in an alkali works. Cecily is also 29, birthplace Kendal, Westmorland.  Also in the household is her sister Agnes Dirkin, 27, an assistant teacher for the County Council.

 

Unfortunately, his military record has not survived, but we do know, thanks to a report in a local newspaper after his death, that before the war, Sam was a member of the National Reserve.  Sam enlisted as Private 24209, 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment on 18th December 1914, and after a course of training, was sent as a fitter to Armstrong and Whitworth, Newcastle in October 1915.  Armstrong Whitworth was a heavy engineering and armaments company, involved in ship building and the manufacture of munitions and aircraft during the war. 

 

He was recalled to the Regiment on 12th June 1918, sent to Cork, at some point was transferred to 16th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, and shipped to the front on 8th August 1918. Soon after arriving, Sam was wounded, and died of his wounds on 23rd August 1918. 

 

Runcorn Weekly News on 23rd September 1918 

DIED FROM WOUNDS.  

Mrs. Clarke, of 22, Queen's road, Runcorn, received intimation on Saturday of the death of her husband, Private Samuel Bracegirdle Clarke, from wounds received in action in France. Private Sam Clarke had a life long association with Runcorn, and was very well known. He was an old volunteer of the local corps, and as a member of the National Reserve placed his services at the disposal of his country immediately war broke out. He joined the 3rd King's Liverpool ("Pals") Battalion on December 18th, 1914, and, after a course of training was sent to follow his trade as a fitter at Messrs. Armstrong and Whitworth's works at Newcastle in October, 1915. On June 12th of this year he was recalled to his regiment, and sent to Cork. He went to France on active service as recently as August 8th of this year. He was 36 years of age. Private S. B. Clarke was the eldest son of the late Mr. Thomas Clarke. of Runcorn, and was educated at the National School, Church street. In his boyhood he was a chorister at the Parish Church, and a member of the Church Sunday School. He served his apprenticeship as a fitter with Messrs. Lea and Son of High street, and for fifteen years prior to the war, had been employed at the Castner Kellner Works, Weston Point. For a considerable period he had acted as local secretary to the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. In his youth he was excellent cricketer and footballer. Private Clarke's younger brother, James Clarke, is serving at the front at present. Four of his brothers-in-law are in the army. One lies in a critical condition at a base hospital. Another, an officer, is wounded and in hospital at Leith, and the other two are fighting in France. Private Clarke was a member of the Runcorn Conservative Club, and associated with the Conservative party as a worker. 

 

Sam was buried in place or in a small burial ground near to where he died and, after the war when graves were concentrated, his body was exhumed and reburied in Heath Cemetery, Harbonnières, where he now rests.

 

Harbonnieres was captured by French troops in the summer of 1916. It was retaken by the Germans on 27 April 1918, and regained by the Australian Corps on 8 August 1918. Heath Cemetery, so called from the wide expanse of open country on which it stands, was made after the Armistice, next to a French Military Cemetery, now removed. Graves were brought into it from the battlefields between Bray and Harbonnieres and from other burial grounds in the area.

 

The earliest date of death is September 1915, the latest October 1918, but the majority died in March or August 1918. There are now 1,860 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 369 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 26 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 21 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

 

Cecily was notified of his death on 5th September. 

 

In the Runcorn Guardian on 20th September 1918:

“As announced in last week’s ‘Guardian’, Mrs. Clarke, of 22 Queen’s Road, Runcorn, has received intimation of the death of her husband, Private Samuel Bracegirdle Clarke, from wounds. Private “Sam” Clarke had a life-long association with Runcorn, and was very well known.  He was an old Volunteer of the local corps and as a member of the National Reserve, placed his services at the disposal of his country immediately war broke out and joined the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) on December 18th, 1914, and after a course of training was sent to follow his trade as a fitter at Messrs. Armstrong and Whitworth’s works at Newcastle in October, 1915. On June 12th this year he was recalled to his regiment and sent to Cork. He went to the front so recently as August 8th of this year. He was 36 years of age.” [Based on his baptism record, Sam had turned 37 earlier in August.]

 

Probate, giving Sam’s address as 22 Queens Road, Runcorn, was granted to his widow Cicely, effects £455-4s.  Cicely also received his Soldiers effects, including a War Gratuity of £18-6s-7d, and a pension of £1-11s-9d a week.

 

In 1924, when she was 42, Cecily travelled to visit her married sister in Winnipeg, Manitoba, arriving in Quebec from Liverpool. She apparently ended up staying, as there is a Winnipeg marriage record under her name, in 1927. Further details are not known. 

 

Samuel is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Runcorn Civic Memorial

Runcorn Conservative Club

All saints Chapel, Runcorn

 

We currently have no further information on Samuel Bracegirdle Clarke, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.