| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Tom was born at Rosedale Abbey, near Pickering on 22 Jun 1874. He was one of four children born to Bailey Watson and his wife Sarah. Bailey was a railway worker but when the family moved to Middlesbrough, he became a general labourer as did Tom about whose upbringing nothing is known. Towards the end of 1896 Tom married Susannah Rivers in Middlesbrough. They had four children between 1895 and 1900 and Susannah died in early 1903.
In Sep 1895 Tom had joined the army as a private in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers at Richmond. He had a chequered army career as he deserted three times-at least once to get married. He had spells in prison and in Sep after a formal trial and imprisonment at York gaol, he was dismissed from the army. In 1901 he was recorded as being a dockyard labourer and it is possible that this was what eventually brought him to Beverley. He was married a second time at Middlesbrough on 20 Sep 1913, his new wife was Mary Jane Thorp. They had no children. By the time of WWI they were living at Minster Terrace, Minstermoorgate in Beverley.
Tom re-enlisted in the army on 20 Aug 1914. He joined the 3rd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment stationed at Hedon. He arrived in France on 15 Jan 1915 but in Feb/Mar 1915 he was wounded in the knee and was suffering badly from rheumatism. As a result he was invalided home on 9 Mar 1915. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory medals.
Whilst recovering at home on 14 Sep 1915, Tom died. Two days later he was buried at St Martin’s Cemetery, Queensgate in a full military ceremony: his body was conveyed there on a gun carriage, a band from Victoria Barracks played the Death March and wounded soldiers from the 3rd formed a firing party. His is now an official war grave. He is commemorated on Hengate War Memorial and on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |