William Plant
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
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William was the son of Ephraim and Mary Jane Plant (née Dewsbury). His father Ephraim was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, in about 1853 and his mother Mary Jane in Bilston, Staffordshire, in about 1856. They were married on 9 November 1874 at Burslem St Paul and had 12 children, seven of whom died young. Their seven surviving children were: Ann b. 1875, John birth registered 1877 (J/F/M) and Ephraim Thomas b. 1879 who were born in Wimblebury Staffordshire, and Mary Jane b. 1883, William birth registered 1886 (J/F/M), Ivy b. 1888 and Samuel b. 1891 who were born in either Wimblebury or Hednesford. The two youngest children were baptised in Hednesford St Peter in 1888 and 1891 respectively. Two of the five children who died in infancy were Dorothy b. 1892 bap. Hednesford d. 1892 and Thomas b. 1893 (reg Chesterfield) bap. Langwith & Doe Valley Circuit d. 1893. Ephraim, a coal miner, and Mary Jane were living in Cannock at the time of the 1881 Census and were still living in the town ten years later in 1891. The couple had moved to Hillstown, Hamlet, Scarcliff, Notts/Derbyshire border by 1901. Only four of their children were in the home on the night of the census: Ephraim a coal miner hewer, Mary, William a coal miner driver and Samuel. Also in the household was their granddaughter, Lucy Rogers. Their daughter Ann had married John William Rogers/Rodgers in 1891 (reg. Cannock) and they were living in Shirebrook; also in the household was Ann's sister, Ivy, who was listed as a visitor. The eldest son, John, may have been working at Whitemoor Farm near Leek, Staffordshire. Ephraim snr. died in 1910 (reg. Mansfield). In 1911 his widow was living at 88 Market Place, Shirebrook, with three of her children, Ephraim and Samuel, who were both coal miners, and Ivy, who later that year married Harry Marsh. Also in the household was Mary's granddaughter, Mary Jane Plant (b. Shirebrook 1906). Of her four other children, John was probably still a farm worker at Whitemoor Farm and William had joined the army and was serving with the 4th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in India. Ann was married as was her sister Mary Jane who had married Samuel Dodsley in 1905. Mary Jane snr. died in 1918 (reg. Mansfield).
'A' Coy 4th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps William was recorded on the 1911 Census serving with the 4th Battalion in Chakrata United Provinces India. This indicates that he attested in the Corps on a 12 year engagement (7 years with the Colours, 5 years Army Reserve). It is not known whether William served continuously or transferred to the Army Reserve and was mobilised on the outbreak of war, but the former seems most likely. The Battalion returned to England with the Corps' 3rd Battalion on 19 November 1914 and came under order of 80th Brigade 27th Division. The Division embarked for BEF France in December the same year and the 4th Battalion landed at Le Havre on 21 December. The Battalion fought in the Battle of St Eloi in March/April 1915 followed by the Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April-25 May 1915 when the allies fought for control of the tactically important high ground east and south of Ieper. William was reported missing or wounded on 10 May 1915, which was during the Battle of Frezenberg (8-13 May), and his death was later presumed to have occurred on that date. He is buried in Hagle Dump Cemetery, Belgium (grave ref. III.B.2). The history of the cemetery indicates that William's grave was brought in after the Armistice. British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List (Missing & Wounded): Wm Plant 7920 A Coy 4th Bn KRRC. Reported m/w 10 May 1915, enquiry 30 August 1915 CWGC - History of Hagle Dump Cemetery (extract): The cemetery is 7.5km from the town of Ieper (Ypres) and near the village of Elverdinge. 'Elverdinge was behind the Allied front line throughout the war, and Hospital Farm and Ferme-Olivier Cemeteries, both in the commune, were used in the earlier years for Commonwealth burials. The cemetery, which was begun in April 1918, during the Battles of Lys, was named after a nearby stores dump. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances until the following October and was enlarged after the Armistice when more than 200 graves were brought into Plots III and IV from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and the Brielen Military Cemetery which was close to the south side of Brielen village, contained the graves of 31 French soldiers, 16 from the United Kingdom and four Canadian, and was used from April 1915 to September 1917.' (www.cwgc.org)
Ephraim Plant attested in the Royal Artillery on 20 October 1896 (16886 Gunner). He named his parents of Hill Town, Bolsover, Derbyshire, as his next of kin. Ephraim joined at Scarborough on 23 October but was discharged on 5 November 1896 (no record of reason for discharge). There is no record that he served in the war; he would have been about 35 years old in 1914 and as a coal miner may not have been conscripted. CWGC additional information: 'Son of the late Ephraim and Mary Jane Plant, of 88, Market St., Shirebrook, Derbyshire.' Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his legatees were his mother, Mary Jane, his brothers John, Ephraim and Samuel and married sisters Ann Rogers, Mary Jane Dodsley and Ivy Marsh.
