| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:Herbert Megson 374
Herbert Megson was born the 10 Aug 1899 in Beverley, the son of William Henry Megson, a bricklayer, and of Mary H Hewson, housekeeper and servant. She had two other children with William Henry, William born 1895 and Dorothy born 1904. Their father is described as a “widower” in the 1901 census but no record appears to exist of any marriage or death of his wife. Dorothy was baptised at St Nicholas Church in Beverley in 1904 and is recorded as “Dorothy Megson Hewson” with no father’s name entered on the documents; it is quite possible the same designation was given to Herbert and his brother and indeed they are so described on their birth registrations. The boys used the Megson as their surname. Their father had a further child, Florence born 1909, to Mary Ann Brumpton, the housekeeper in 1911. She later married William Henry in 1931. The family in 1911 were living at 29 Newbiggin, Beverley and later at 56 Swinemoor Lane, Beverley.
Herbert attended the Walkergate and Wesleyan Schools in Beverley and then became a farm worker. He enlisted in Jun 1915 at Hull in the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, a territorial force. They were sent to France in the spring of 1916, Herbert went with them, despite being technically underage. He served as a Driver in France, He was in Kildare, Ireland in Feb 1919 when demobilised. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals. He joined the regular army in the field artillery for three years and served in India.
In 1922 Herbert returned to Beverley working as a labourer. On 6 Jul 1922 he married Doris May Firth of Beckside, Beverley at St Nicholas’ Church. Initially the couple lived with her parents but later in the year emigrated to Canada on an assisted passage scheme. They left Hull on 15 Sep 1922 on the SS Montclare for Quebec and then on to Saskatchewan to become farmers. Their daughter Dorothy was born 1927. Mother and daughter were to die at Fort William, Ontario, in 1973 and 1967 respectively but the precise date and place of Herbert’s death is not known.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |