| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Peter Brown was born on 8 Feb 1878 at Scagglethorpe near Malton, and was baptised at Settrington on 25 Aug 1878. He became a farm worker like his father John Brown. His parents were originally from Swinton in N Yorks.The 1901 census records Peter as a shepherd at Lissett, near Driffield, later he moved to the Beverley area and worked as an attendant at the East Riding Asylum, Walkington. He was living in Cartwright Lane, Beverley when he married Edith Laura Anderson of Hull at Beverley Minster on 30 Aug 1909. They had one child. The 1911 census records Peter as a licensed victualler and publican, running the Royal Oak, Cartwright Lane. He later moved to Hull and continued as a publican. He lived at Roxburgh Street, Hull, off Chanterlands Avenue.
Peter enlisted in Jan 1915 and joined the Royal Field Artillery, serving in “B” Battery of 83rd Brigade. He arrived in France on 26 Jul 1915. The Hull Daily Mail, 2 Sep 1916 noted he had been wounded. Peter was killed in action on 30 Jul 1917 while serving in Belgium. The Beverley Guardian, 15 Sep 1917 contained a letter to his wife from C Farmer stating that, “his death was instantaneous. He was killed in the midst of his duties.” It also makes clear that Peter served as an officers’ batman (personal servant): each brigade had eight gunners fulfilling this role in addition to their military duties.
“…he has been my servant for quite a long time now, and he was the best I ever had, but what is far more important, he was such a charming man himself, and I was so fond of him. All my officers were really fond of him, and we all feel his loss enormously.
Peter’s body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory medals. He is also remembered on Hull’s Cenotaph, Ferensway but not on the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |