Fred's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Fred Dean was born in Accrington, Lancashire, in 1887, the son of Elizabeth and John Thomas Dean, a calico printer. In 1891, four year old Fred was living at 44 Manor Street, Accrington with his parents and siblings James (10), Thomas (8), May (6), Louis (2) and baby Stanley, just one month old.
Ten years later in 1901 the family had moved to 24 Booth Street in Accrington and Fred had another brother, Percy, aged 7.
In 1911 Fred married Annie Pomfret at St Peter's Church, Salesbury, near Blackburn. Annie had been born in Blackburn but moved with her family to Macclesfield as a young girl. Their son, John, was born in Blackburn the following year. At some time, Annie returned to Macclesfield and was living at 77 Commercial Road after Fred's death.
WW1 SERVICE
Fred enlisted in Blackburn, Lancashire, joining the 8th Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, which formed part of the 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.
The Battalion moved to various training camps in the south of England including Winchester in February 1915 and Chisledon Camp (Salisbury Plain) in April 1915. Fred landed at Boulogne with his battalion on 10 July 1915, and was killed in action on 25th September 1915, aged 27.
COMMEMORATION
Lance Corporal Fred Dean has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel Ref. 53 to 56 on the Loos Memorial at Pas-de-Calais, France. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Lance Corporal Fred Dean, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Lance Corporal Fred Dean is commemorated on the Trinity Wesleyan Church war memorial.
The floral tributes laid when the Macclesfield Park Green War Memorial was unveiled on 21st September 1921 included one with the words “In loving memory of my dear husband, Fred Dean.”
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.