Samuel's Story.
Samuel Whittaker died of wounds on 16th April 1916. He was twenty four years old.
Samuel was born in the summer of 1891, in Alsager, Cheshire. He was the youngest child of Sarah Bartlam (1850 - 1928) and Samuel Whittaker (1835–1893) and brother to Elizabeth, Frank, George and Myra. His father died in November 1893, when Samuel was only two, and his mother brought up the family on her own at Grove Villas, Lawton Road, Alsager. In 1911, Samuel aged 19 was working as a clerk at a fruit company. He was living at home, but paying rent to his mother of 5 shillings (25p) a week.
Following the outbreak of war, Samuel enlisted in the 17th and later transferred to the 12th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (The London Regiment) He embarked to France on 16th October 1915 and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He died of wounds on 16th April 1916 at the First Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Flanders. His death was reported in the Daily Express (4th May 1916) Further details were provided in the local newspaper above.
Samuel was buried at the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension in France, 14 miles south of Belgium where he was wounded.
His grave plot is 11. D. 19.
In Alsager, a memorial was unveiled in June 1920 to remember those who had died in WW1. Samuel's name appears on the front of the memorial.
What do we know about his family?
His mother Sarah nee Bartlam (sometimes written Bartham) was born and baptised in 1850 but her birth year is often shown as 1854 / 56. She died aged (apparently) 72 in December 1928, and was buried in Church Lawton alongside her husband. Samuel's sister Elizabeth married Arthur William Lees in 1915. She died in 1978, aged 98. Myra married Richard Joseph Beswick in 1918. She spent all her life in Alsager, and died there in 1963 at the age of 74. Samuel's brothers Frank and George both emigrated to Canada.
Researched by Shena Lewington (July 2026)
Samuel was born in the summer of 1891, in Alsager, Cheshire. He was the youngest child of Sarah Bartlam (1850 - 1928) and Samuel Whittaker (1835–1893) and brother to Elizabeth, Frank, George and Myra. His father died in November 1893, when Samuel was only two, and his mother brought up the family on her own at Grove Villas, Lawton Road, Alsager. In 1911, Samuel aged 19 was working as a clerk at a fruit company. He was living at home, but paying rent to his mother of 5 shillings (25p) a week.
Following the outbreak of war, Samuel enlisted in the 17th and later transferred to the 12th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (The London Regiment) He embarked to France on 16th October 1915 and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He died of wounds on 16th April 1916 at the First Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Flanders. His death was reported in the Daily Express (4th May 1916) Further details were provided in the local newspaper above.
Samuel was buried at the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension in France, 14 miles south of Belgium where he was wounded.
His grave plot is 11. D. 19.
In Alsager, a memorial was unveiled in June 1920 to remember those who had died in WW1. Samuel's name appears on the front of the memorial.
What do we know about his family?
His mother Sarah nee Bartlam (sometimes written Bartham) was born and baptised in 1850 but her birth year is often shown as 1854 / 56. She died aged (apparently) 72 in December 1928, and was buried in Church Lawton alongside her husband. Samuel's sister Elizabeth married Arthur William Lees in 1915. She died in 1978, aged 98. Myra married Richard Joseph Beswick in 1918. She spent all her life in Alsager, and died there in 1963 at the age of 74. Samuel's brothers Frank and George both emigrated to Canada.
Researched by Shena Lewington (July 2026)