Horace Henry Turner
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
In 1891, a family in Sutton cum Lound consisted of Edward and Mary Turner, Head and wife, Horace and Sylvester W Turner, grandsons, and Elizabeth Turner, daughter, probably the mother of the 2 grandsons. In 1892, Elizabeth Turner married George Barrowcliffe and settled in Worksop. In August 1915, an obituary report in the Worksop Guardian states that Horace Henry Turner is the son of Mrs Barrowcliffe of 42 Sandhill Street, confirming that Eliza-beth Turner of Lound, in the 1891 census, was indeed Horace’s mother. In 1911, the Barrowcliffe’s of 42 Sandhill Street had had a family of 7 children and Horace (and his brother, Sylvester) had been bought up by their grandparents, Edward and Mary. Edward had died in 1910 aged 84 and Sylvester had married in Retford in 1907. Also in 1911, Horace Turner and his grandmother had made a move and were now living at 117 Thrumpton Lane, Retford, but his grandmother died later that year aged 75. Horace came to Worksop to enlisted in the army, and went to France on 2 March 1915. No records are to hand as to whether Horace ever resided in Worksop, his memorials possibly being instigated by his mother.
Pte Horace Henry Turner Worksop Guardian 20 August 1915 The sad news was received yesterday that Pte Horace Henry Turner had died of wounds received on August 1st. Pte Turner was the son of Mrs Barrowcliffe of 42 Sand Hill Street, Worksop, was 30 years old. He joined the 1st-8th Sherwood Foresters soon after the outbreak of war and went out last November, since which time he has seen a good deal of fighting. News was received from a friend the day after the action, that he had been wounded and he died in the Casualty Clearing Station. He was a single man and previous to enlisting was employed at Shireoaks. Pte Horace E Turner Retford Times 27 August 1915 The sad news has come to hand that Pte Horace E Turner has died of wounds received on 1st August. He was son of Mrs Barrowcliffe of 42 Sand Hill Street, Worksop, and a few years ago worked at the Northern Rubber Works, Retford. He was 29 years of age and engaged to Miss Ethel Markham of 24 Savile Street, Retford. Soon after the outbreak of war he joined the Worksop Territorials and went out to France with the 1st/8th Sherwood Forsters last March. He has seen a great deal of fighting and had been most fortunate until he had received the fatal wound by shrapnel. He died somewhere in France at the 2nd Casualty Clearing Hospital. Previous to enlisting he was employed at Shireoaks. Much sympathy is felt for his sorrowing parents and his fiancée in their bereavement. Miss Markham this week has received a letter from Private J H Smith, 1st/2nd Sherwood Foresters, son of Mr John Smith, Lime Tree Ave, Retford, in which he says:- “It is with the greatest possible sorrow that I write to tell you that poor Horace has died in hospital. I would have written you before but I could not get to know anything about him until we came out of the trenches after a nine day stretch. Poor Horace! It is really impossible for me to tell you how sorry I am. He has been a great friend of mine out here and I am sure no one could possibly have had a truer friend. He often spoke to me about you and after he had been wounded he asked a corporal to hand his pocket book to me to be forwarded to you. Our officer left here on Thursday for England, and he is writing to you, and has promised to forward you the pocket book. His personal belongings will be forwarded to you from Lichfield. I spoke to him after he had been wounded and he was quite conscious and very cheery. In fact it has come as a great blow to us all to hear that he is dead. We shall all miss him very much as he always looked on the bright side, and cheered us up when we were downhearted. He was a splendid soldier also. I seem absolutely lost this time out of the trenches with Horace not being here, and it really is impossible for me to say how much I miss him. I do hope you will bear up as well as you possibly can under the circumstances, and all the men in this and the Worksop and Retford companies with whom Horace was very popular, join with me in sending you their greatest sympathy in your loss. P.S. – Would you kindly remember me to your brother, whom I trust has completely recovered from his wound”.
CWGC - Son of George and Elizabeth Barrowcliffe, of 42, Sandhill St., Worksop. Buried at the Lijssentheok Military Cemetery, Belgium. Research by Colin Dannatt
