Thomas (Tom) THACKRAY

26127, Private. b. 1894, Clayton d. Sat. 29th July 1916 (aged 22).

Thomas was born into a well to do family in Clayton. His parents, Andrew and Eliza Ann Thackray had 3 boys, Charles Oswald, Percy and Thomas.

Before joining the army Tom had worked in the family business, Thackray Bros. Manufacturers of Clayton and lived at Ferncliffe House, Clayton. Andrew appears to have died around 1910.

In his spare time Tom was a keen footballer and played as a regular member of Clayton Association Football Club as well as for Queensbury F.C.’s first eleven.

Tom’s military career was a remarkably short one in comparison to many of his other comrades. Having joined the Bradford Pals in January 1916 Tom was posted to France in late May and upon reaching there was transferred to the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. This decision probably saved Tom’s life at that point as if he had stayed with the Pals he would have had to go over the top on the 1st July and would most likely have been killed. However, this was only to be for a few extra weeks though, as Tom was killed in the fierce fighting for the area known as Caterpillar Valley, near Guillemont, four weeks into the Somme campaign.

He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery Longueval,France. His headstone is inscribed ‘In Gods Own Keeping’.

Toms brothers:

Percy Thackray. Toms brother Percy, the middle brother, also signed up, he attested on 3rd December 1915 and was posted on 18th October 1916. Percy joined Royal Army Service Corps Military Transport and at one stage was with a siege battery for Royal Garrison Artillery.

Percy survived the war and in 1928 married Alice Bellerby, he is shown living at 108 Brook Lane, Clayton, close to the family home of Oswald Villa and Ferncliffe House. The marriage entry shows Percy as a widower, so his marriage to Alice when he was 41 may have been a second marriage. Percy died in 1937.

Charles Oswald Thackray. Charles is the eldest brother was born in Clayton on 20th September 1884. Charles appears to be one of the ‘Brother’s, along with Thomas and Percy in ‘Thackray Brothers, Cotton and Worsted Manufacturers’, to which in 1911, Charles was listed as head, aged 26 and Thomas aged 16 was an apprentice.

I can find no military record for Charles. Charles is listed in electoral registers as living at Ferncliffe in Clayton until 1929. The 1939 register shows Charles, aged 55, as single and living in a boarding house on Easby Road in Bradford with his occupation listed as an insurance agent. The death of a Charles O. Thackray is registered in Fylde in summer 1946, he would have been aged 61.