Fred's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Fred Inskip was born in 1882, and baptised on 5 October 1884 at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield, the son of Harriet Ellen (nee Bamford) and Robert Inskip, a silk dresser. Harriet died in 1887 and in 1891 eight-year-old Fred was living at 54 Pinfold Street with his father and siblings Mary (10) and Charles (7). Ten years later Fred and his brother were sharing a house at 6 Turnock Street; both were employed as silk spinners.
WW1 SERVICE
Fred joined the 3rd Cheshire Regiment with service number 4986 at Chester in December 1898 and served in the South African wars. He was discharged at Winberg on 17 August 1902 so he could take up civil employment in South Africa.
Fred enlisted at Goole in 1915 with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, at first receiving service number 4480, and was drafted overseas in March 1916.
Fred's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 18 January 1918:
KILLED IN ACTION - FORMER LOCAL SWIMMER
News has been received by Mr Inskip, Heapy St, that his brother, Pte Fred Inskip, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was killed in action in France on December 3rd. Pte Inskip was 35 years of age and was the son of the late Mr and Mrs Robert Inskip, of Macclesfield. He was educated at Duke Street School, and on leaving school was employed in the silk throwing department of Messrs T Brocklehurst Ltd. Subsequently he went to work at Goole in Yorkshire. He took part in the South African campaign. In 1915 he enlisted in the Yorkshire Light Infantry and was drafted out to France in March, 1916. He spent a short furlough in Macclesfield in October last. While in Macclesfield Pte Inskip was a prominent member of the Swimming Club, and won several prizes at the galas.
COMMEMORATION
Private Fred Inskip is buried in Grave Ref. III. I. 20. of the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.
In Macclesfield, Fred Inskip is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall and St Michael's Church war memorials.
SOURCES
GRO Indexes: Births, Marriages and Deaths
England and Wales Census: 1891, 1901
British Army Service Records (Find My Past)
WWI British Army Medal Rolls Index Cards
Soldiers Died in the Great War (Find My Past)
Lives of the First World War website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 18 January 1918, 23 Sept 1921 (photo supplement)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.