Samuel Oldham
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
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Samuel was born in 1888 in Nottingham and was the son of William a coal dealer and carter and Annie Oldham née Dale of 7 St. Michael Street Union Road, Nottingham. His father was born in 1851 in Nottingham and his mother was born in 1857 in Coventry, Warwickshire, they were married in 1876 in Leigh in Lancashire , they went on to have 8 children , however 1 died in infancy prior to 1911, their children were Elizabeth b1876, Sarah b1879, Winifred b1880, William b1885, Samuel b1888 and Mable born 1892; all the children were born in Nottingham. In the 1911 census the family are living at 7 St Michael Street, Nottingham. William is 64 yrs and is living with his wife Annie 55 yrs and their youngest daughter Mable 19 yrs, all their other children have left the family home, also at the address at this time are two lodgers. Samuel himself had moved out of the family home in 1906 when he had enlisted in the Army and was a serving soldier in the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and in the 1911 census is shown as being 23 yrs of age a private, serving with his battalion in Ceylon.
Samuel was on Old Contemptible and had joined the Army in 1906 and served with the 1st battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment; he had served with the regiment in Ceylon and India. Following the outbreak of the war he and his battalion formed part of the British Expeditionary Force and arrived in France on 22nd August 1914. He was killed in a road traffic accident at Epsom on 10th September 1915. Wounded while serving on the Western Front, the Old Contemptible was recuperating in hospital in Epsom when he was struck by a bus that was heading towards the railway station to collect a group of wounded soldiers. He is buried in the Nottingham General Cemetery and his name is commemorated on the Screen wall 03379
Nottingham Evening Post obituary (abridged) 29 October 1915: 'Private S Oldham, 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 7 St Michael Street, Nottingham, accidentally killed September 10th by (-) at Epsom.' Following is a newspaper entry from 'Surrey Advertiser', 15th September 1915. Pte. Samuel Oldham, 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was killed in a road traffic accident at Epsom on 10th September 1915. Wounded while serving on the Western Front, the Old Contemptible was recuperating in hospital in Epsom when he was struck by a bus that was heading towards the railway station to collect a group of wounded soldiers. “KNOCKED DOWN BY MOTOR CHAR-A-BANC. “ Soldier's Shocking Death at Epsom. “How a convalescent soldier from the Woodcote Park Camp met his death through being knocked down by a motor char-a-banc, which was going to the railway station for wounded soldiers, was inquired into by Mr. Gilbert White (Coroner for West Surrey) at the Court House on Monday [13th September 1915]. The deceased was Pte. Samuel Oldham (27), of the 1st Royal Warwickshire Regt., and the accident occurred in the Epsom High-street, about 9.30 p.m. on the previous Friday evening [10th September 1915]. — Mr. H. Skilton was foreman of the jury. “Mrs. Annie Oldham, 7, Michael-street, Union-road, Nottingham, said deceased was her son, and had been in the regular Army nearly nine years. “Pte. Watts, North Somerset Yeomanry, at present at the Woodcote Convalescent Camp, said he came there with deceased from Cambridge, about five weeks ago. After tea on Friday last he walked down to the town from camp with deceased, who went to the pictures. About nine o'clock, when he came out, he saw him again, but only stayed with him for about five minutes. Deceased was quite sober then. “Pte. Uzzell, 3rd Dragoon Guards, said that about 9.30 Friday evening he saw deceased cross the road by the Post-office. He was about ten yards from the Clock Tower when the motor char-a-banc came along. The driver sounded his horn and shouted. Deceased seemed uncertain what to do, and walked right in front of the char-a-banc, which was going about six or eight miles an hour. As near as he could see, the front of the char-a-banc struck deceased, knocking him down, and the near side front wheel pasted over his body. The char-a-banc pulled up immediately, and waited for the police ambulance, when the driver assisted in getting deceased on it. “Lance-Corpl. Splevins and Pte. Gardner, Army Service Corps M.T., having given similar evidence, Pte. Paumer, A.S.C. M.T., said on Friday evening he was driving from the County of London War Hospital to the L. and S.W, Railway Station, to pick up some wounded soldiers. As he got about 15 yards from the Clock Tower deceased was crossing the road from the Post-office side. Witness sounded his hooter and shouted, when deceased looked round, hesitated, and made another dart across the road. Thinking deceased was going to stand still when he hesitated, witness turned the car a trifle to the right, when the centre of the radiator struck him. Had deceased stood still witness thought he could have passed him all right. He had a clear road with the exception of deceased. “P.C. Weeding, who proceeded to the spot, said there were several people about at the time, and they said it was a pure accident. The driver of the char-a-banc was perfectly sober. There were two very good lights on the char-a-banc, besides lights at the Post-office and on the Clock Tower. “Dr. W. W. Coltart said he saw deceased in a private room the Police-station. He was in a state of collapse, and practically dying, and passed away as he was examining him. Witness could find no signs of external injury or of the wheel of the car having gone over him. The cause of death was shock. “A verdict of accidental death was returned, the jury exonerating the driver of the char-a-banc from all blame. They also gave their fees the mother of deceased.” The above extracts are courtesy of Jim Grundy and the Small Town, Great War Hucknall 1914- 1918 Face Book pages
