| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
William Appleton was born in Etton the 20 Jan 1884, the son of Robert Spence Appleton, a coal merchant, and Emma (nee Dinsdale), who married in 1881. William became a farm worker, in 1901 working as a horseman at Top House Farm, Etton. By 1911 he was working as a farm labourer in Walkington where he married Kate Dinsdale on 8 May 1904. They had three children, Eric born 1906, Leslie born 1911, and Cissie born 1913. By the start of the war the family had moved to Beverley, living at 5 Norton Street, Grayburn Lane.
William served in the Royal Engineers as a sapper, his photograph appeared in the Beverley Guardian in Jul 1918, stating he was serving in India. He was discharged from the Army on 22 Aug 1919 with a pension suffering from a "disability". He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
William returned to Beverley and in 1939 he was working as an omnibus driver, as was his son Eric. William died on 3 Feb 1960 aged 76. He was buried in Queensgate Cemetery, Beverley on 6 Feb 1960. Kate died in 1939. His brother-in-law Fred Dinsdale served in the Yorkshire Regiment and was killed in action in Mar 1918.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |