Thomas Woolley
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Thomas Woolley was born in 1877 the son of John a provisions hawker and Jane Woolley née Wilson. They had 5 other children and lived at 38 Bromley Street Nottingham. Thomas married Elizabeth Boultby at St Paul's Church Nottingham on 19th December 1894 and they lived at 40 Bromley Street and later at 12 Nile Street (both Nottingham). He was the father of Jane Elizabeth (b. 1895) Thomas Henry (b. 1898) Eliza (b. 23/10/1899) Mary Ann (b. 02/08/1901) Albert John (b. 08/04/1904) Samuel (b. 28/04/1906) Charles (b. 12/10/1907) Ernest (b. 18/09/1909) John Robert (b.06/06/1911) Edith (b. 20/02/1913) and Henry (b. 15/12/1914). In 1911 they lived at 40 Bromley Street Nottingham. Elizabeth worked as a blouse clipper.
Thomas Woolley had seen previous military service prior to his enlistment having served in the Sherwood Foresters in the 1st Derbyshire Regiment but purchased his discharge in 1896. He enlisted at Nottingham on 20th August 1914 aged 37. Training between 20th August 1914 and 23rd March 1915, he went to France on 24th March 1915, serving with 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters. He was killed in action on 16th September 1916 and is buried in Serre Road Cemetery No 2 at Beaumont Hamel, France Grave Reference XXXIII C 11.
Obituary published in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 28th October 1916 :- ‘Woolley’ killed in action Sept 13th 1916 (sic) Private Thomas Woolley, Sherwood Foresters, No 12 Nile Street, also son killed in action 1914 (sic) in a far and lonely battlefield, where the tress their branches bend, lies my loving husband and son, gone to their untimely end, sleep on, dear husband and son in a hero’s grave, a grave we may never see, but as long as life and memory last we remember thee. From his sorrowing wife and children. Obituary courtesy of Jim Grundy and his Facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918. He was awarded the 1915 Star, Victory and British War medals His eldest son Thomas Henry Woolley also served during the Great War in the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters and was killed in action on 13th May 1915. He is buried in Le Touquet Railway Crossing Cemetery. Peter Gillings
No Photos