Soldiers who Survived
Henry WHARTON
|
Regiment
Rank / Number
Regiment
Rank / Number
Date of Birth
Date of Death
Residence
|
Royal Marine Light Infantry (Chatham Btn)
Private / CH6850
Royal Fleet Reserve
Not known / B709
10th December 1872
29th December 1915
1 Stoney Lane, Rainhill
|
Henry Wharton was born on 10th December 1872. According to the 1881 Census, Henry was living at 40 Pythian Street, St Helens with father William (a carpenter and joiner), mother Ellen and siblings Ann, John, Mary and Elizabeth.
He enlisted in the RMLI on 10th August 1892, but for some reason used the alias Henry Bate. He was discharged on 12th August 1904 with a discharge address of 72 Claughton Street, St Helens. The following day, Henry enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR) at Chatham and saw service at Ostend, Dunkirk and Antwerp. He received the China Medal (1900) without clasp (HMS Dido) issued 8th June 1904. Henry was discharged on 27th January 1915 as "medically unfit for further service". His discharge address was 1 Stoney Lane, Rainhill.
Henry gained employment as a railway signalman, but on Christmas Eve 1915, he became embroiled in an argument with a local man named Thomas Foster, was subsequently assaulted and received a fractured skull. Henry died five days later on 29th December 1915, leaving a widow Mrs M. J. Wharton.
Below is a copy of the Liverpool Echo dated 4th January 1916 which under the heading "The Rainhill Tragedy" gives further details of the attack and subsequent court case. For ease of reading a transcription follows the article.
He enlisted in the RMLI on 10th August 1892, but for some reason used the alias Henry Bate. He was discharged on 12th August 1904 with a discharge address of 72 Claughton Street, St Helens. The following day, Henry enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR) at Chatham and saw service at Ostend, Dunkirk and Antwerp. He received the China Medal (1900) without clasp (HMS Dido) issued 8th June 1904. Henry was discharged on 27th January 1915 as "medically unfit for further service". His discharge address was 1 Stoney Lane, Rainhill.
Henry gained employment as a railway signalman, but on Christmas Eve 1915, he became embroiled in an argument with a local man named Thomas Foster, was subsequently assaulted and received a fractured skull. Henry died five days later on 29th December 1915, leaving a widow Mrs M. J. Wharton.
Below is a copy of the Liverpool Echo dated 4th January 1916 which under the heading "The Rainhill Tragedy" gives further details of the attack and subsequent court case. For ease of reading a transcription follows the article.
THE RAINHILL TRAGEDY
A PRESCOT MAN CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER
The Rainhill tragedy was the subject of Investigation at Prescot Sessions to-day, when Thomas Foster (24), a wire worker, of Houghton street, Prescot, was charged with manslaughter. Mr. Knowles, of Widnes, defended.
Superintendent Garvey said he would call witnesses to prove that Foster met a man named Henry Wharton on Christmas Eve at the house of William Houghton, Parkers-row, Rainhill. Wharton lived at Stoney-lane, and was a signalman for the London and North Western Railway Co. He was an ex-naval man, having been discharged on account of illness after the retreat from Antwerp. He was a highly respected man, and secretary of a club which met at the Black Horse Hotel, Warrington-road, not far from Houghton's house.
When in Houghton's Foster became furious for some reason or other and assaulted Wharton severely. Outside Houghton's house Mrs. Houghton was heard to appeal to Foster not to strike Wharton, but Foster threatened and struck out, and acted like a maniac.
An elderly man named Monks came up and called Foster a coward for striking a man like he was doing, and Foster said he would do the same to him. Foster was taken into Houghton's house, but Mrs. Houghton would not have Wharton taken in and the door was bolted. Wharton was later carried home and was in such a state that he could never make a statement to his wife. He died at Whiston Infirmary early on the morning of December 29 from a fracture of the skull which, it is alleged, was caused by Foster's violence.
Dr. Green, medical officer of the Whiston Infirmary, gave evidence as to the death being caused by fracture of the skull, and said it would require exceptional violence to cause the fracture.
Superintendent Garvey - Supposing he had an injury to the head twelve months ago, would that have anything to do with the death?
Witness - No.
Mr. Knowles - Would a blow from the stick belonging to witness Monks have produced an injury to the skull without causing a scalp wound?
Witness replied he did not think so. He found no scalp wound.
Mr. Knowles said he had not heard, until it was stated that day by Superintendent Garvey, that Wharton had fallen in his bedroom. If a man fell on his skull on wood, could that cause a fracture?
Witness - Yes. It was a very recent fracture.
Mrs. Wharton said her husband was brought home unconscious at midnight on Christmas Eve. He appeared to sleep all day on Christmas Day and on Sunday. She called in Dr. Hill Brown, who told her to let him sleep. Soon after the doctor's visit she heard a noise in the bedroom, as if someone had fallen out of bed. She ran upstairs and found her husband trying to get into bed again. He never spoke.
She had never seen her husband the worse for drink. He made no statement at all. He only muttered and put his hand to his head.
On the Sunday afternoon prisoner and Henry Houghton, his prospective father-in-law, came to see her husband. Foster wanted to shake hands with witness, but she refused.
Foster said all he had done was to try and help her husband home. The two men then said he was not in drink on Christmas Eve, and that he had had no drink at all.
A boy named Albert Geichen said that Foster violently assaulted deceased in Houghton Garden, that prisoner was shouting and swearing, and waving a stick about which he took from an old man named Monks.
Mrs. Lathom, a next door neighbour, corroborated as to the assault by Foster.
Acknowledgement to Jack Marshall and Stephen Nulty
A PRESCOT MAN CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER
The Rainhill tragedy was the subject of Investigation at Prescot Sessions to-day, when Thomas Foster (24), a wire worker, of Houghton street, Prescot, was charged with manslaughter. Mr. Knowles, of Widnes, defended.
Superintendent Garvey said he would call witnesses to prove that Foster met a man named Henry Wharton on Christmas Eve at the house of William Houghton, Parkers-row, Rainhill. Wharton lived at Stoney-lane, and was a signalman for the London and North Western Railway Co. He was an ex-naval man, having been discharged on account of illness after the retreat from Antwerp. He was a highly respected man, and secretary of a club which met at the Black Horse Hotel, Warrington-road, not far from Houghton's house.
When in Houghton's Foster became furious for some reason or other and assaulted Wharton severely. Outside Houghton's house Mrs. Houghton was heard to appeal to Foster not to strike Wharton, but Foster threatened and struck out, and acted like a maniac.
An elderly man named Monks came up and called Foster a coward for striking a man like he was doing, and Foster said he would do the same to him. Foster was taken into Houghton's house, but Mrs. Houghton would not have Wharton taken in and the door was bolted. Wharton was later carried home and was in such a state that he could never make a statement to his wife. He died at Whiston Infirmary early on the morning of December 29 from a fracture of the skull which, it is alleged, was caused by Foster's violence.
Dr. Green, medical officer of the Whiston Infirmary, gave evidence as to the death being caused by fracture of the skull, and said it would require exceptional violence to cause the fracture.
Superintendent Garvey - Supposing he had an injury to the head twelve months ago, would that have anything to do with the death?
Witness - No.
Mr. Knowles - Would a blow from the stick belonging to witness Monks have produced an injury to the skull without causing a scalp wound?
Witness replied he did not think so. He found no scalp wound.
Mr. Knowles said he had not heard, until it was stated that day by Superintendent Garvey, that Wharton had fallen in his bedroom. If a man fell on his skull on wood, could that cause a fracture?
Witness - Yes. It was a very recent fracture.
Mrs. Wharton said her husband was brought home unconscious at midnight on Christmas Eve. He appeared to sleep all day on Christmas Day and on Sunday. She called in Dr. Hill Brown, who told her to let him sleep. Soon after the doctor's visit she heard a noise in the bedroom, as if someone had fallen out of bed. She ran upstairs and found her husband trying to get into bed again. He never spoke.
She had never seen her husband the worse for drink. He made no statement at all. He only muttered and put his hand to his head.
On the Sunday afternoon prisoner and Henry Houghton, his prospective father-in-law, came to see her husband. Foster wanted to shake hands with witness, but she refused.
Foster said all he had done was to try and help her husband home. The two men then said he was not in drink on Christmas Eve, and that he had had no drink at all.
A boy named Albert Geichen said that Foster violently assaulted deceased in Houghton Garden, that prisoner was shouting and swearing, and waving a stick about which he took from an old man named Monks.
Mrs. Lathom, a next door neighbour, corroborated as to the assault by Foster.
Acknowledgement to Jack Marshall and Stephen Nulty