Monday 8 August 2011

Horace Claude Saddington (1884 - 1946) - Update No. 1

This is a short update on a post that I wrote back in March 2008 - link here.

Since then of course more resources have become available to the family history researcher, including the 1911 census.

Access to the Leicester Schools Register Index tells me that Horace was born on 16 July 1884 and that he left education in the Leicester area on 18 March 1898, shortly before his 14th birthday.

In the 1911 census, Horace is living at 4 Wilson Street, Leicester, aged 27, with his wife, Florence Emily, aged 25, and their two children, Beatrice aged 4 and Joseph Henry aged 1.  He describes himself as being a clerk employed by "Lester" Corporation - this means that he worked for what is (since 1974) now Leicester City Council.  Horace also states that he was born in Glenfield, Leicester, has been married for 6 years, that there have been two children of the marriage and that both are still alive at the time of the census.

Horace and Florence also went on to have three further children beyond those mentioned in his military pension papers.  Horace was born in the March quarter of 1920, Kenneth R was born in the September quarter of 1921 and Doris E was born in the June quarter of 1923, all in the Leicester Registration District.

Unfortunately not all of Horace and Florence's children lived to adulthood.  Thanks to the excellent index of burials at the Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester compiled by members of the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society, I can tell you that Horace was buried on 25 October 1924 aged 4 and Violet Ada was buried on 6 May 1931 aged 19, having been living at 14 Marston Avenue, South Wigston, Leicestershire at the time of her death.  Horace Claude himself was buried at Welford Road Cemetery on 23 March 1946 aged 61.  His abode at the time of his death was 7 Bartholomew Street, Leicester.  All three of them are buried in the same grave.

If this Saddington family is related to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thursday 23 June 2011

William Leonard Saddington 1919 - 2011



Rest In Peace


Monday 13 June 2011

Arthur Saddington 1909-1931



Arthur Saddington was born in Middlesbrough in the June quarter of 1909 (volume 9d, page 552), the eldest child of Penrith Saddington Taylor, commonly known as Penrith Saddington, and his wife, Emily May Roxby. Arthur was the eldest of thirteen children born over a period between 1909 and 1934.

In the 1911 census, Arthur, then nearly 2, and his parents were living at 17 Harewood Street, Middlesbrough, the home of Penrith’s parents, Arthur Charles Saddington and his wife, Hannah (nee Robinson). Also sharing the house were five of Penrith’s brothers and sisters ranging in age from 17 years to 1 year. Penrith was employed as a bricklayer while his father, Arthur, worked as a blast furnace man and the next eldest son at home, Nathan, aged 17, was a butcher.

As we must wait to see the 1921 census, I can only surmise what happened to Arthur over the next twenty years. He grew up in a large family, probably leaving school in his early teens in order to find a job and earn money to support the rest of the family. At some point he decided to become a sailor, a decision which eventually led to his tragic death.

I first learnt about Arthur’s death courtesy of the Gravestone Photographic Resource Project, an on-line international grave monument directory. When I was sent a photo of Arthur’s gravestone, I was intrigued by the inscription written on it. It said that the gravestone was:

“In Loving Memory of
Our Dear Son
Arthur Saddington
Who was accidentally killed
On the SS Dalwhinnie
Dec. 2nd 1931 aged 22 years
Someday we’ll understand.”


I googled the SS Dalwhinnie and discovered that it was a steamship built in Holland in 1919 to carry cargo up and down coastlines. It was originally called the SS Begonia, and was owned by a Norwegian. In 1922 it passed into the hands of T C Steven & Co of Leith and was renamed the SS Dalwhinnie. In 1938 it was sold to Comben Longstaff & Co – Williamstown Shipping of London, and renamed the SS Whintown. Unfortunately it was then sunk in a collision off Great Yarmouth on 7 December 1939.

Having got this far, I emailed my contact in this branch of the Saddington family, who knew about the gravestone but not what had happened to Arthur, and who agreed to do some further research for me.

A search of the local paper, the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette, produced the following sad story reported on 3 December 1931.

Tragedy of the Tees
Boro’ Man Falls Into River

An unfortunate drowning tragedy occurred in the River Tees, off Messrs Gjers, Mills and Company’s wharf, about nine o’clock last night. The victim is Arthur Saddington, aged 22, of Palmer-street, Middlesbrough, an able seaman of the crew of the s.s. Dalwhinnie, which was berthed at the wharf.

It appears that Saddington was fixing the gangway from the vessel to the wharf when he overbalanced and fell into the river in the short space between the ship and the wharf. One of his mates on the crew immediately dived to his rescue, but Saddington had completely disappeared from view.

Grappling operations were carried on by members of the crew with the assistance of River Police officers, and after about 20 minutes, his body was recovered. Artificial respiration was tried for some time, but Dr. Hepplethwaite, who had been called to the scene, pronounced life extinct.

The body was conveyed by ambulance to the mortuary.

The member of the crew who showed so much gallantry in diving to his comrade’s rescue was Bo’sun Gatenby. After his futile efforts to trace Saddington he was hauled aboard by other members of the crew.

It is thought that Saddington may have struck his head on the boat or the wharf in his fall, and was rendered unconscious.

The Dalwhinnie have moved from Dent’s Wharf to Gjers’ Wharf at the time of the tragedy.


A tragic accident and a young life lost – no wonder Arthur’s parents had inscribed on his gravestone the words “Someday we’ll understand.”

If you are related to the Middlesbrough branch of the Saddingtons, or have any further information about the SS Dalwhinnie, please do not hesitate to contact me.