Frederick Mathew's Story.
Birkenhead News 16 October 1915Tranmere R.A.M.C. Hero.
LEAVES WIDOW AND FOUR CHILDREN.
Comrades Sympathy with Widow.
We deeply regret to record the death of Pte. Fk. Matthew Court, of the R.A.M.C., who died in France from wounds received whilst bravely performing his work of mercy. He was 28 years of age, and prior to joining the Army shortly after the outbreak of war, lived with his wife and four children at 18, Farm Road, Tranmere. He was educated at St. Catherine’s School, Tranmere, and was for a considerable number of years employed at the Corporation Ferries. A young man of bright and cheery disposition, he was held in great esteem by his fellow workers, who will be much grieved by the news of his death.
That Pte. Court was also very popular with his comrades is proved by the letter which Mrs. Court has received from five of them at the British General Hospital, Calais, with which was enclosed a sovereign as a practical mark of their sympathy. We give the letter in full:-
“Dear Mrs. Court -
It is with regret and sorrow we inform you of the death of your husband, Fred. He passed away here on Thursday, the 23rd Sept., in hospital. His end was peaceful; his thoughts were of you and the children always. We, his tent mates, mourn our loss, as his laugh and smile was always with us. We sincerely hope that God will bear your sorrow in this your hour of trouble. You have assurance that he played his part and did his duty faithfully. We pray that as time rolls on it will lessen your grief. The rolling stream of time must bear us all away, for in the midst of life we are in death, and no one knoweth the hour. We send you £1, a little collection from his personal friends as a token of our esteem, and 2s 6d, his own possession. You have all our sympathy.
W. STEVENSON
A. JARVIS
S. OXFORD
H. CONROY
R. H. CURRIE
Whilst the newspaper article reports that Private Frederick Court died of wounds, military records state he died from typhoid fever.
Research, newspaper article by Chris Booth.