ARTHUR UPTON 

EARLY LIFE

Arthur Upton was baptised on 7th July 1880 at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield, the son of Caroline and Edwin Upton, a tackler, of Macclesfield.

In 1881, ten month old Arthur was living at 6 Goodwin Green, Macclesfield (at the bottom of Cuckstoolpit Hill), with his parents, siblings William (13), Edwin (11), Joseph (9), George (7), Herbert (5) and Laura (3), and his paternal grandmother. Ten years later the family was living at 8 Black Lane and now also included Ethel (8) and Ada (4).

By 1901 Arthur had left the family home and was a boarder at 34 Victoria Street, Openshaw, Manchester while working as a locomotive engine cleaner. Arthur married Selina Meakin at Chorlton, Manchester in early 1905; in 1911 they were living at 11 Albert Edward Street, Harpurhey, Manchester, and had two children: Wilfred Arthur (5) and Ida (2). Arthur was employed as a labourer in a tram shed. Another son, Sidney, was born later that year.

Sadly, Selina died and was buried in Philips Park Cemetery, Manchester on 30th November 1914, just over two months after Arthur was drafted overseas. It is not known who cared for the children after the death of their mother, although on 5 October 1915 the Manchester Courier reported that the eldest, Wilfred Arthur, had been awarded a place at Chetham's Hospital (a boys' charity school in Manchester, now Chetham's School of Music).

By 1921, Wilfred had left school, found employment as a stockbroker's clerk, and was living with his uncle, Edwin Upton, and his family at  41 Walter Street, Abbey Hey, Gorton, Manchester.  Ida was a boarder at the Jubilee School for Girls, Bury Old Road, Manchester, a charity school for girls whose new premises opened just nine years previously. Sidney, like Wilfred before him, was at Chetham's Hospital.

 

WW1 SERVICE

Arthur must have served with the Army before WWI, and was mobilised with the the 8th (Ardwick) Manchester Regt on the outbreak of war in August 1914. He was immediately drafted with his regiment to Egypt, landing there on 25 September 1914. The regiment subsequently landed at Gallipoli on 6 May 1915. L/Cpl Upton was killed in action on 30 May 1915, aged 35 years; his death was reported in the official War Office Casualty List on 6 August 1915, and also in the Manchester Evening News on the same date:

LOCAL CASUALTIES - IN GALLIPOLI
KILLED
... UPTON (1544) A., Albert Edward-street, Harpurhey

 

COMMEMORATION

L/Cpl Arthur Upton has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel ref. 159 to 171 of the Helles Memorial in Turkey. 

In Macclesfield, L/Cpl Arthur Upton is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall and St Michael's Church, Beech Lane Wesleyan Church and Fence Sunday School war memorials.

Elsewhere, he may be the A Upton named on the Manchester Corporation Tramways employees war memorial, now located in Hyde Road Bus Depot, Ardwick, Manchester.


Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.