Stanley Edmonds Colton
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Stanley Edmonds was the son of Michael Herbert Colton and Minnie Jane Colton (née Hutchinson).His father Michael Herbert, a solicitor, was born in 1865, the son of Michael and Esther Eleanor Colton (née Hutchinson, m. South Scarle St Helena 1862) of South Scarle Hall. Michael Herbert's father died in 1873 (buried Collingham All Saints churchyard). The family continued to live at the Hall.His mother Minnie Jane was born in Newark in 1864 and was the daughter of John and Emma Hutchinson (née Hutchinson, m. Newark St Mary Magdalene 1854). Her father was a master draper and milliner and in 1871 he, his wife and their seven children, including Minnie (6), were living in the Market Place, Newark. Also in the household were four assistants and six apprentices (either milliners or drapers) and four domestic servants; a cook, housemaid and two nurses, presumably caring for the children. AI 1881, at the age of 16, Minnie was a draper's apprentice in Leicester.Michael Herbert married Minnie Jane at St Mary Magdalene in June 1893. They had four children: Michael Herbert Edmonds b. 1894, Dorothy Edmonds b. 1895, Stanley Edmonds b. 1898 and Harold b. 1904. Michael, Dorothy and Stanley were baptised at North Collingham All Saints, Michael on 21 June 1894.In 1901 Michael, Minnie and their three children were living at 'Brooklands,' Low Street, North Collingham; they employed a cook and housemaid. Harold was born three years later.The family had moved to 71 Harcourt Street, Newark, by 1911 although Michael snr. was not in the home on the night of the census and Minnie was described as married but registered as the head of household. As well as Minnie's four children, her widowed mother, Emma, and unmarried younger sister, Flora, both of private means, were also living with her. Minnie employed a general domestic servant. Minnie's husband has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, but may already have been in hospital. Michael Herbert snr. died on 20 December 1914 at the Coppice Hospital, Nottingham, three days after the death of his mother Esther Eleanor on 17 December. Both were buried at North Collingham All Saints.Esther's second son, Thomas, continued to live at South Scarle Hall after the death of his mother and died the following year on 22 September 1915, a month after his nephew Michael Colton was killed in action on 22 August.It seems likely from a newspaper report of Michael's death in 1915 that his mother and siblings were still living at 17 Harcourt Street but some time later Minnie and her surviving children moved to South Scarle Hall where she died in 1936.Stanley's older brother, Michael, served in the war and was killed in action in 1915. (See 'Extra information'). Their sister Dorothy married George E Pennington, who was in the Sudan Civil Service, in 1924, and had two sons, Michael Edward (1925) and John Stanley (b. 1927). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Dorothy and her husband, now retired from the Sudan Civil Service, were living at South Scarle Hall. Their brother Harold, an estate agent, lived in London and married in 1939 (Elfrida M Pendarves).
1st Bn Northumberland FusiliersStanley entered Sandhurst in August 1916 and was commissioned in the Northumberland Fusiliers in May 1917. He served in France from 30 November 1917 and won the Military Cross at Bullecourt. Stanley was shot by a sniper and killed on 28 March 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France (Bay 2 and 3).Gazette Number 30801, p.8455 16th July 1918, Military Cross: with reference to the awards conferred as announced in the London Gazette dated 18th February, 1918, the following are the statement of service for which the decoration was conferred 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During hostile attacks he succeeded in taking a bombing patrol along the whole of the support trench occupied by the enemy and later conducted bomb parties against the enemy blocks, engaging them with vigour and determination. On the following day he succeeded in clearing a trench for a distance of 400 yards, and in establishing a strong bombing post. His courage and leadership were of the highest order.'CWGC - History of the Arras Memorial (extract): The Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras. 'The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. The Commonwealth section of the Faubourg D'Amiends Cemetery was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918 ... The adjacent Arras Memorial commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918.' (www.cwgc.org)
His brother, 1715 Private Michael Herbert Edmonds Colton, 1st/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry, was killed in action 22nd August 1915 aged 21 and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. (See record on this Roll of Honour)Newark Herald, 26 December 1914: ‘Death of Mr MH Colton. The death of Mr MH Colton, solicitor, occurred at Nottingham on Sunday morning last. The deceased gentleman was formerly in practice as a solicitor at Newark being in partnership successively with Mr WH Morledge and afterwards with Mr AJ Franks. He also held the appointment as Clerk to the Newark Union … Amongst other offices he held at one time or another were the secretaryship of Collingham Public Hall and Churchwarden at North Collingham Church. Ten years ago he had a serious breakdown in health, and has been a complete invalide ever since. The deceased was a son of Mr and Mrs Colton, South Scarle Hall. His father died many years ago, but his mother [Esther Eleanor Colton] passed away only two days before her son, at the ripe age of 83 years. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow and family, one son, Mr MH [Michael Herbert Edmonds] Colton, at present serving with his regiment, the Sherwood Rangers.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)The Magnus School in the Great War:'Monday 8 April 1918: Widow Minnie Jane Colton at South Scarle Hall, and formerly of 10 Harcourt Street, Newark, discovered a second son had been killed in action. She was assured that Second Lieutenant Stanley Edmond Colton, only 19 and already the proud owner of the Military Cross, died a hero; but that was scant consolation to a lady who lost her other son, stretcher-bearer Michael Herbert Edmond (Bert) of the Sherwood Rangers, in the great charge by the Yeomanry on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Stanley was a Magnus Old Boy of fine physique; a good athlete who played in the cricket XI and rugger XV. He went to Sandhurst in August 1916, was granted a commission as soon as he was old enough and posted to the Northumberland Fusiliers in May 1917. From his arrival in France on 30 November 1917, his prowess as an athlete stood him in good stead as bombing officer; and he won the MC within weeks. His award, announced in the London Gazette as recently as 18 February 1918 (page 2159), revealed that at Bullecourt during hostile attacks he succeeded in taking a bombing patrol along the whole of the support trench occupied by the enemy. Later he conducted bombing parties against the enemy blocks. On the following day cleared a trench for a distance of 400 yards. Reporting Stanley’s death, his Commanding Officer, Colonel D F de C Buckle, wrote to Mrs Colton: ‘Please accept my sincerest sympathy in your great loss. Ever since your son joined the Battalion, he has shown himself a thorough soldier and a most capable leader. The bombing attack at Bullecourt, which won him the Military Cross, was a fine feat. On the 28th, the day on which he was killed by a sniper, he did splendidly and was the leader in a bombing enterprise which drove off the Germans at a very critical moment. In his death the Regiment has lost a fine officer who, I am sure, would have risen rapidly. He will be greatly missed by all.’ Newark Herald, 6 April 1918: ‘Our Honoured Dead. 2nd Lieut Stanley E Colton MC. Killed in Action. It is with the deepest regret that we have to record the death in action of 2nd-Lieut. Stanley Edmonds Colton MC, of the Northumberland Fusiliers, who was only 19 years of age. The fallen young officer was the second son of the late Mr MH Colton, and Mrs Colton, of South Scarle Hall, and formerly of Harcourt-street, Newark. He was an old Magnus boy of fine physique, a good athlete, being in the XI, and XV and took a prominent place the School sports. He went to Sandhurst in the spring of last year and was gazetted about six weeks later and proceeded to France in November. He specialised in bombing and after being only five weeks at the front he gained the Military Cross for bombing work at a critical moment but, unfortunately has not been home to receive his decoration. The sad news of his death was conveyed to Mrs Colton in a letter from his Major, received yesterday morning, which stated that he was killed inaction, it is presumed by a sniper, on Good Friday morning. The greatest sympathy will be extended to Mrs Colton in this the loss of her second son, her eldest, Pte ME Colton, of the Sherwood Rangers, having ladi down his life in the great charge by the Yeomanry on the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 21st, 1915.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Newark Herald, ‘Deaths,’ 6 April 1918: ‘Colton. Killed in action in France on March 28th, 2nd-Lieutenant Stanley Edmonds Colton MC, Northumberland Fusiliers, aged 19, son of the late Michael Herbert Colton and Mrs Colton of South Scarle Hall, Newark.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Newark Herald, 21 March 1936: ‘Obituary. Mrs Colton, South Scarle Hall. It is with regret that we announce the death of Minnie Jane Colton, aged 72, of South Scarle Hall, which took place yesterday afternoon. Mrs Colton, whose husband, Mr Michael Herbert Colton (of the first of Colton and Franks Solicitors), died many years ago was the daughter of the late Mr and Mrs John Hutchinson. Her eldest son, Mr Michael Herbert Edmonds Colton was killed at Gallipoli in 1915 whilst serving as a Trooper in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. Another son, Lieut. Stanley Edmonds Colton MC, of the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, met his death in France during the closing stages of the war. There are two surviving children, Mr Harold Edmunds Colton, now residing in London, and Mrs George Pennington, who has just returned to South Scarle from the Sudan where her husband has been engaged in work in connection with the irrigation scheme. The funeral takes place at South Scarle Church on Tuesday at 11 o.clock.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.uk)
