Tom Burton Sampson
- Family History
- Military History
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Tom Burton was the only son of Thomas and Mary Lees Sampson (née Godfrey). His parents were married at Nottingham St Matthew in 1885 and had two children, Ethel Mary b. 1886 and Tom Burton b. 1889. The family lived at High Bank House, Park Road, Lenton. Thomas snr., a lace manufacturer (T & W Sampson), died in October 1908 by which time he had retired from the business. At the time of the 1911 Census only Ethel and two servants were in the home at Bank House, her mother and brother being recorded as visitors at a boarding house in Matlock, Derbyshire. Mary Lees Sampson died in January 1912 (buried Lenton Priory) but her two children continued to live at Bank House.Tom married Edith Silvester Briant (b. 1894), the daughter of Henry Moore Briant, at Wistaston parish church, Cheshire, on 4 December 1916. They lived at Berkeley Towers, Wistaston, his wife's family home. Edith married secondly Duncan Walford-Drucquer in 1919 (reg. J/F/M Bucklow Cheshire) but died of pneumonia on 29 May 1920 aged 26. Her husband remarried in 1923.Tom's sister, Ethel Mary, married Major General Sir Frederick William Bainbridge Landon (b. 1860), a widower, at St Peter, Great Windmill Street, London, on 6 April 1934. Sir Frederick was the Director of Transport and Movements at the War Office during the war. He died in 1937. Ethel was living in Kensington in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. She did not remarry and died in 1981.
5th Bn King's Shropshire Light InfantryTom Burton Sampson enlisted in the ranks (714772 Private/Lance Corporal KSLI). He served in France from 22 May 1915 (lance corporal) and was 'discharged to commission in SLI' on 17 September 1915. He was killed in action on 20 November 1917 and is buried in Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, Villers-Plonich, Nord, France (grave ref. VI.C.8). The history of the cemetery indicates that his grave was brought in after the Armistice.Qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The 1915 Star was issued on 14 March 1922, returned 27 March 1922 and reissued 2 February 1923. Tom's legatee, his wife, had died in May 1920 and it is possible that his sister Ethel, the only surviving member of his immediate family, received his medals.CWGC - History of Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery (extract): The village of Villers-Plouich is about 13km from the town of Cambrai. '"Fifteen Ravine" was the name given by the Army to the shallow ravine, once bordered by fifteen trees, which ran at right angles to the railway about 800 metres south of the village of Villers-Plouich, but the cemetery is in fact in "Farm Ravine," on the east side of the railway line, nearer to the village. The cemetery, sometimes called Farm Ravine Cemetery, was begun by the 17th Welsh Regiment in April 1917, a few days after the capture of the ravine by the 12th South Wales Borderers. It continued in use during the Battle of Cambrai (November 1917) and until March 1918, when the ravine formed the boundary between the Third and Fifth Armies. On 22 March, the second day of the great German offensive, the ground passed into their hands after severe fighting, and it was not regained until the end of the following September. In March 1918, the cemetery contained 107 graves (now Plot I), but it was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields south-west of Cambrai and other cemeteries [listed].'
Nottingham Evening Post, 21 October 1908: ‘A Nottm. Manufacturer. Death of Mr T Sampson. The death took place to-day in his 70th year, of Mr Thomas Sampson, lace manufacturer, of High Bank House, Park-road, Nottingham … He was a native of Nottingham and was formerly a partner in the firm of Messrs T and W Sampson, lace manufacturers, of Lenton-boulevard, the victims of the lamentable fire which took place six years ago [13 January 1902]. The partnership was dissolved after the catastrophe, and Mr Sampson then retired from business, his brother starting again at Ruddington. The firm of T and W Sampson was one of the oldest established in the city. It had been in existence about 50 years, and prior to that the business was carried on by Mr Sampson’s father. The interment will take place on Friday at Lenton Church.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Probate: Sampson Thomas High Bank House Park-road Lenton d. 21 October 1908. Probate Mary Lees Sampston widow, Ethel May Sampson spinster and John Ball lace manufacturer. £30056 15s. 11d.Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Marriages,’ 5 December 1916: ‘Sampson-Briant. On December 4th at Wistaston Parish Church, by the Rev. WH Mayne BA, Tom Burton, Lieut KSLI, only son of the late Thomas Sampson, High Bank House, Lenton-road, Nottingham, to Edith Silvester, only daughter of Henry Moore Briant Esq., Berkeley Towers, Wistaston, near Crewe.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 29 November 1917: 'Sampson. Killed in action November 20th, Second Lieutenant Tom Burton Sampson, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, only son of the late Thomas Sampson, High Bank House, Lenton Road.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Probate: Sampson Tom Burton of High Bank House Park-road Nottingham lieutenant in HM Army died 20 November 1917 in France Probate 6 December to Edith Silvester Sampson widow and Howard English MD. Effects £21574 19s. 4d.Nottingham Evening Post, 'Deaths,' 31 May 1920: 'Walford-Drucquer. On the 29t inst., at 99 Cromwell-road, London, SW, of pneumonia, Edith Sylvester, wife of Duncan Walford-Drucquer, and widow of the late Tom Burton Sampson Lieut. KSLI.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Daily Mirror, 6 April 1934: ‘Chief events in today’s diary … Wedding. Major-General Sir F Landon and Miss Ethel Sampson, St Peter’s, Windmill-street, 2.30pm).' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). The edition of the Nottingham Journal on 7 April 1934 carried a detailed report of the wedding.
