| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Harry Botham enlisted in the East Riding Yeomanry in Nov 1916. Harry’s older brother Percy, also served in the 1/1st and together they embarked for Egypt on 27 Mar 1917. They were on board the liner SS Arcadian, converted into a transport ship, en route from Salonika, Greece to Alexandria, Egypt when on 15 Apr 1917, crossing the Aegean, she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. The fully-laden vessel sank within six minutes and 277 crew and military personnel drowned, 1058 men were saved. Harry joined the 41st Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Harry was born 8 Mar 1898, his mother Agnes Annie Botham nee Biglin was born 1861 near Withernsea, and married George Botham, born 1846 in Woodmansey, at Beverley Minster in 1880. George was a farm worker in Beverley Parks and the couple lived locally. They had six children, two girls dying in infancy. George died in 1893. Agnes had sons Walter bon 1896 and Harry born 1898. Agnes married Harry Clark in 1906. Agnes died in 1906 and the children were brought up by Harry at 3 School Lane. He was a fishmonger and Agnes’ sons would eventually take over the business.
Harry, described as a fish merchant, married at St Mary’s Church on 21 Jun 1923. His bride was Jennie Augusta Jones, born Ffestiniog, North Wales in 1898, daughter of a slate quarryman. They had two children Robert, later a painter born 1924, and Derrick born 1929. Harry died at Westwood Hospital on 23 Aug 1952 and is buried at Queensgate Cemetery. Jennie died in 1962.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |