Frank Dixon's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Frank Dixon Riddlesworth was born on 21st September 1888 and baptised at Christ Church, Macclesfield on 16th January 1889, the son of Mary and William Riddlesworth, a silk weaver of 29 Chester Road, Macclesfield. In 1891 the family was living at the same address and also included Frank's sisters Henrietta (10) and Florence (2).
By 1901 Frank's mother had died and the family had moved to 100 Pierce Street, Macclesfield, where 14-year-old Frank was living with his widowed father, older brother William Henry (22), and sisters Florence (12) and Ellen (8). By this time, Frank had left school and was working as a silk cleaning frame (minder).
On 10th April 1909 Frank married Lily Ramsden at St George's Church, Sutton, Macclesfield and in 1911 the couple lived at 3 Albion Street with two of Frank's sisters. Frank was then working as a silk weaver and Lily was a laundrymaid.
Lily and Frank had three children: Lily (born 1911), Harry (born 1914) and Marjorie (born 1917).
WW1 SERVICE
Frank enlisted in the local 7th Bn. Cheshire Regiment in September 1914, receiving service number 2330 (later changed to 290515). He was drafted to Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay on 8th August 1915. He was invalided home after an attack of dysentery and typhoid fever, but after recovery rejoined his battalion in Egypt on 13 July 1916.
Frank's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 23 November 1917:
A GAZA VICTIM - PAINFUL NEWS FOR LOCAL FAMILY
Mrs Riddlesworth, 3 Albion St, Macclesfield, received official news yesterday that her husband, Pte Frank Riddlesworth, Cheshire Regt, was killed on November 4th in Palestine. Pte Riddlesworth was 31 years of age and enlisted in the local Territorials shortly after the outbreak of war. He accompanied the Battalion to the Dardanelles, and was in the landing at Suvla Bay. Later he had an attack of dysentery and typhoid fever, and after a period in hospital in Cairo was invalided home. On recovering he again went out to Egypt on July 13th 1916, and was in action at the first battle of Gaza last March. Pte Riddlesworth was a native of Macclesfield and the son of the late Mr and Mrs W Riddlesworth, of Pierce St. Before enlistment he was in the employ of Messrs J and T Brocklehurst and Sons (1911) Ltd. He leaves a wife and three children.
A brother-in-law, Pte Chas Dixon, was killed in the battle of Mons, and a cousin, Corporal L Riddlesworth, fell in France a short time ago.
COMMEMORATION
Private Frank Riddlesworth is buried in Grave Ref. E. 4. of the Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. His wife asked for the following inscription to be added to his headstone:
GOD WILL CLASP
THE BROKEN CHAIN
CLOSER WHEN
WE MEET AGAIN
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private Frank Riddlesworth, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Frank Riddlesworth is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church and St George's Church war memorials.
NOTES
Brother-in-law of Pte Chas Dixon, who was killed in the battle of Mons; cousin of L/Cpl Leonard Riddlesworth, who served with the 9th Cheshire Regt and was killed in Belgium on 7 June 1917.
SOURCES
GRO Indexes of Births, Marriages
Cheshire Parish Registers Baptisms, Marriages (Find My Past)
England and Wales census 1891, 1901, 1911
Lives of the First World War website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 23 November 1917, 23 Sept 1921 (photo supplement)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.