Arthur Thearle
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
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Arthur Thearle was the son of William and Elizabeth Thearle. Their children included: John (b.circa1867), Sarah Ann (b.1872), Lily (b.1876), Elizabeth [Thurle] (b.1874), William (b.1879), George (b.1880/d.1908), Albert (b.1882) and Arthur (b.1884). The Thearle family lived at: 2 Taylors Place, Radford [C.1871]; 21 Court Street, Hyson Green [C.1881]; 19 Lea Street, Radford [C.1891]. The Thearle family as such does not appear to be listed in the 1901 census. When you move to the subsequent census in 1911 William Thearle is now a widower living with his married daughter, Lily Heawood, at 25 Duke Street, Radford. Quite when he was widowed is unclear. We do have an address for William Thearle in his son’s Army papers so probably about 1914 he was living at 8 Holland Road, Ilkeston Road, Radford. William Thearle who had worked as shoemaker eventually died at Nottingham, aged 81, in 1919. In 1911 Arthur Thearle, who was working as a gardener, was a boarder at 56 Trafalgar Street, Radford. In 1916 he married Sarah Ann York at Nottingham. They had one child: Walter Raymond (b.1917). Their son was christened at Radford St Peter’s Church in September 1917. At that time the Thearles were living at 1 Landseer Street, Radford and Arthur was working once more as a gardener. He died at 16 St Peter’s Street, Radford (the home of his wife’s family) on 7 February 1918. His death had come ‘after much suffering patiently borne’ according to his death notice in the local newspaper [n.e.p.7.2.1918]. He was buried at the Church Cemetery, Nottingham. What subsequently happened to his widow is unclear.
He had previously served four years with the Robin Hood Rifles; enlisted at Blackburn, Lancashire on 27 September 1914 (calling himself Albert Thearle) and initially assigned to the 3rd Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on 28 September 1914; subsequently posted to the 1st Bn. 29 November 1914; suffering from myalgia was in the Rawalpindi British General Hospital at Wimereux from 14 January until 25 January 1915; then transferred back home to the Southern General Hospital at Oxford and stayed there until 2 February 1915; while he was ill he was reassigned to the Bn. Depot on 26 January 1915; rejoined the 3rd Bn. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on 2 July 1915; however subsequently discharged as unfit to serve on 14 November 1915 as he was now suffering from tuberculosis of the lungs; awarded an Army pension.
When enlisting with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment he claimed he was Albert Thearle, aged 25 years and 4 months. It would appear that Arthur had assumed the identity of his older brother. He may already have been turned down on health grounds at Nottingham and so he tried again somewhere else where he wouldn’t be known. All his Army papers [Pension Records] refer to him as Albert although the medal roll does give his first name as Arthur.
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