Died
11 August 1917 - Gunner William Pennington
Born
c1888
Sources
Place
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The Pennington Family
Gunner William Pennington (79644) Royal Garrison Artillery, 23rd Battery, (age 28 – sic) appears on the CWGC website as W. Pennington, son of William and Ellen Pennington, of Barrow-in-Furness; husband of Maggie Pennington, of Beach Mount, Roosebeck, Ulverston, Lancs. He is buried at Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Baulleul, France.
IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
WILLIAM PENNINGTON
LATE OF BARROW IN FURNESS
DEARLY LOVED HUSBAND OF
ELEANOR PENNINGTON
DIED JUNE 11TH 1920 AGED 75 YEARS
ALSO THE ABOVE
ELEANOR PENNINGTON
DIED OCT 9TH 1931 AGED 83 YEARS
ALSO OF CHARLES HENRY
SON OF THE ABOVE
DIED MAY 5TH 1879 AGED 5 YEARS?
INTERRED AT BARROW-IN-FURNESS
ALSO OF WILLIAM PENNINGTON
GUNNER R. G. A.
YOUNGEST SON OF THE ABOVE
WHO WAS KILLED BY GAS POISONING
AUGUST 11TH 1917 AGED 29 YEARS
INTERRED AT OUTERSTEENE, BAILLEUL
ALSO OF GEORGE, MARGARET, ALFRED
DIED IN INFANCY
MORE AT FOOT
Picture from Barrow News 11 August 1917
William Pennington (Jnr) is listed as a clerk in the Superintendent’s Dept of the Furness Railway in Barrow in a document compiled by the Cumbrian Railways Association. His date of entering service is given as 1st January 1903, and his date of birth as 12 September 1887. William Pennington Snr. MAY be the William Pennington named on the same list as a Shunter in the Barrow Yard. His date of entry into service is 23 January 1900, but he may have transferred from another company.
His name is recorded on the Furness Railway War Memorial in Barrow Station foyer.
The Barrow News 01 September 1917 had the following:
KIRKBY MAN’S DEATH FROM GAS POISONING
News has come to hand that Gunner Pennington, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pennington, of Kirkby, has died of wounds at an A.S.C.S. (Advanced xxx Clearing Station – possibly should be Advanced Casualty Clearing Station) in France, on 11th August, after having been gassed. He was only ill three days, and at the time of his mishap was on duty at an observation post. His major writes very highly of the deceased’s work as a soldier, and says “His work will not be forgotten in this battery. I feel his death very much. He had been in a good many unpleasant places, and met his death in the execution of his duty.” The deceased was 29 years of age. He was trained at the Higher Grade School, and prior to joining up he was in the superintendent’s department of the Furness Railway Company. He had been in France about eleven months and joined up in April of last year.
Ancestry records:
1891 Census
1891 Census living at 49 Smeaton Street, Barrow, were William Pennington (46) Railway Engine Driver, born Warton, Lancs; Eleanor Pennington (43), born Barrow, Lancs, Edith E. Pennington (10) Scholar, born Barrow; Albert R. Pennington (8), Scholar, born Barrow; William Pennington (3), born Barrow. The first three named had been at this address in the 1881 Census. William Pennington is an Engine Driver.
1901 Census
Ten years later, in the 1901 Census, they are still at the same address. Edith (20) is a Pupil-Teacher in a school; Albert (18) is a Sorting Clerk/Telegraphist with the G.P.O.; and William (13) has no recorded occupation, though presumably he could have been a scholar.
1911 Census
By the 1911 Census the family have moved to 73 Ramsden Street. William Snr (66), is a Loco Shed Foreman; Eleanor (63) has no recorded occupation; Edith Eleanor Pennington (30) is an Elementary School Headteacher (County Council); Albert Roger Pennington (28) is a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist (Civil Service), and William Pennington (23) is a Railway Clerk. They have a Boarder, William James Shuttleworth (21), born Egton-cum-Newland, who is also a Railway Clerk.
William (Junr) Pennington
William (Junr) Pennington’s military Attestation papers dated 18 November 1915 has his father as next-of-kin initially, living at 145 Greengate Street, but this has been crossed out, and replaced by Maggie Benson, of “Point of Comfort”, Roosebeck, Ulverston. They married at Dendron Church 26 June 1916. He was mobilised 9 May 1916. William passed his Signalling 1st Class course in August 1916, and went to France 17 September 1916. He was killed by a gas shell, according to his records. On the sheet listing his next of kin in 1919, his widow Maggie is still at the Roosebeck address, his brother Albert R. Pennington is at 73 Ramsden Street, but sister Edith and both his parents are at “Laburnum”, Kirkby in Furness. A further document says that he was injured on 8 August, and died on the 11th
Eleanor Pennington
Eleanor Pennington was living with her son Albert back at 73 Ramsden Street when she died in 1931.
Edith Eleanor Pennington
Edith Eleanor Pennington of “South View” Kirkby-in-Furness died in 16 September 1925 at The Nursing Home, Church-street, Barrow, (though the death notice below gives a different address) leaving her effects to her mother. A Google search identified her teaching career. She had trained at North Wales Training College, Bangor; in 1903 was at Chatsworth Street Infants School; 1903-4 Holy Trinity, Walton Beck, Liverpool; and from 1904 was Headmistress at Burlington School, Kirkby in Furness.
The Barrow News 26 February 1925 had a brief piece in its local news column.
KIRKBY
SCHOOL TEACHER’S DEATH, - After undergoing an operation, the death has occurred at 73, Ramsden-street, Barrow, of Miss Edith Eleanor Pennington, who for the past 21 years has been head mistress of the infants’ department of the Burlington School, Kirkby. The deceased, who was 44 years of age, will be much missed in the Kirkby district.
Elsewhere in the same edition, the vicar’s Sunday sermon was mentioned:
A REVERED LADY
THE LATE MISS PENNINGTON OF KIRKBY
In his sermon on Sunday morning, the Vicar of Kirkby, the Rev. G. W. Sykes, referred to the severe loss which the church and parish had sustained through the death of Miss Edith Pennington, who for many years had been an ardent and zealous church worker.
“During the time that her work had fallen under my observation,” said the preacher, “I have noticed three admirable qualities which it displayed, namely, efficiency, reliability, and humility.
“Her work was well and thoroughly done. What her hand found to do she did with all her might, working as in the sight of God, and looking for His approval rather than the approval of man. Moreover, she was perfectly reliable. Furthermore, there was displayed in all she did the foundation grace of the Christian life – humility. What she did was not done to obtain the praise of men. It was not herself of whom she was ever thinking. She was able to work with others.”
To all the meetings and social gatherings connected with our church, her familiar face and figure will be sorely missed. But we must not think of her as having passed out of existence and ceased to be. We must remember that she has been called to a higher s[here.
That day their hearts went out in sympathy to the bereaved mother, upon whom affliction has fallen heavily in recent years. In the war she lost a son, a few years after her husband was taken from her, and now she has been deprived of the comfort and stay of her declining years.
