James Hilton Brownlow
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
1887 was the year when Hannah Hurst of Shireoaks married Alfred Brownlow. Alfred was a coal miner, which he remained throughout his working life. The couple made their home at 18 Shireoakes. They had six children, five boys and one girl, William born in 1889, James Hilton Brownlow in 1894 , Hubert in 1897, Ernest Cuthbert in 1898, Alfred in 1902 and Ivy May born in 1907 all at Shireoakes. It was their second child, James Hilton Brownlow who enlisted at Longton, Staffs and became a fatality of the war.
Worksop Guardian 25 May 1917 “The sad news of the death in action of their son, Gunner James Hilton Brownlow, RFA, reached Mr and Mrs Alfred Brownlow, Shireoaks, on Saturday morning, in the following letter from the Chaplain:- “Dear Madam – You will have heard from his C O of the death of Gunner Brownlow (111756). I buried him with the five others killed at the same time. His grave is marked with a cross. Please accept my sympathy in your sorrow. May you be comforted by the sure and certain hope of our religion. – Yours truly, Philip Holden, CF.” The official notification from the War Office gave the date of death as the 5th May, place not stated. Gun. Brownlow had been previously wounded in 1916 and on recovery was over in Ireland for a time, being afterwards drafted to France where he had been in the thick of the fighting with his battery. The letter mentioned by the Chaplain, from his C O, had not reached the parents. Gun. Brownlow, before enlisting had been ‘out’ as golf professional in Staffordshire, having previous to that time been engaged at Lindrick. The sympathy of all their neighbours go out to the bereaved parents and family. The deceased Gunner’s younger brother, Hubert, is at present, wounded in the Canadian Hospital, Taplow, Bucks. On writing to his mother on the 19th inst., he says he is as well as can be expected and that his hip is not very bad and is going on alright but they are leaving the bullet in the thigh”. Worksop Guardian 8 June 1917 “Confirmation has been received in a letter from the Chaplain of the death of Pte. Tom Taylor, of Shireoaks, whose photograph we reproduced. The memories of both Pte. Taylor and Pte. J.H. Brownlowe were commemorated at Holy Communion at St, Lukes Church , on Whit-Sunday morning, the service closing with an appropriate requiem hymn, the National Anthem, and the Last Post, the latter being blown from St, Cuthbert’s College”.
CWG additional information:- Son of Alfred and Hannah Brownlow, of Brancliffe Villas, Shireoaks, Worksop, Notts. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France. Research by Colin Dannatt
