Charles Richard Mercer (1889 - 1917)

Born 1889 in Beverley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Betsy Ann (Scarborough) Mercer — married 3 Mar 1915 in Hull Sculcoates Christ Church, ERY, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Horsley [send private message]

Biography

Born 1889 Beverley

Charles Richard Mercer was born in 1889 in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Charles was the son of John William Elvidge Mercer and his wife Charlotte Amy Freebury.

This is at present an outline profile based largely on publicly available sources and intended to provide a framework for future work by close relatives.

Child 1891 Mill La. Beverley

By 1891 Mill Lane ran close to the railway line to Bridlington. The railway goods yard allowed heavy goods to be brought to warehouses in this area including a vast grain warehouse and a brickyard, though the cast iron foundry was already closed. Charlotte had five children here. The eldest was Louisa Crossley 11, from her first marriage but the other four were the children of her current husband, John Mercer. Fred 4, and Charles Richard 2. are not yet at school John her husband was a maltster, working to sprout barley grain into sweet malt for a brewery. ^[1]

Schoolboy 1901 Hull

Although his middle initials remain the same, Charles' father John Mercer's name delivered in full is no longer John William Elvidge Mercer. His wife, Charlotte 42, is with him and seven of their children. Charles 11, Tom 10 and George 7 are presumably all schoolboys but we are not told this, perhaps because it s now obvious for everyone of their age. ^[2]

Marriage 1915 Hull

Charles Mercer married Betsy Scarborough 3 March 1915 in Hull Sculcoates Christchurch. He was probably on leave as a soldier bound for the trenches of Belgium and France. ^{[3] [4]}

Death 1917 Paschendaele

Private Charles R Mercer died 24 Aug 1917 at Paschendaele (Third Ypres) serving in Belgium with 13th Battalion the Middlesex Regiment This would seem to be part of the Battle of Paschendaele, a British advance through thick mud with horrific casualties. ^[5]

Research

According to a family member Charles Richard Mercer died in 1917 when he would be about 28. As there is no record for this date or any other in freebmd it would be good to check war dead,

Sources

1. ↑

   Census 1891 Brick Yard, Mill Lane, Beverley St Nicholas, Yorkshire

   GRO RG12 /3908 page 136

   Head John Mercer 37 maltster b Beverley

   Wife Charlotte Mercer 31 b Beverley

   Wife Daughter Louisa Crossley 11 scholar b Beverley

   Son John Mercer 8 scholar b Durham

   Son Harry Mercer 6 scholar b Beverley

   Son Fred Mercer 4 b Beverley

   Son Charles R Mercer 2 b Beverley

2. ↑

   1901 Census @@ 31 Cumberland St, Hull,

   GRO RG13 /4490 page 76

   Head John Walter Ernest Mercer 48 foreman Maltster b Beverley

   Wife Charlotte A Mercer 42 b Beverley

   Son John G Mercer 19 Maltster b Beverley

   Son Harry Mercer 17 Maltster b Beverley

   Son Fred Mercer 15 General Labourer b Beverley

   Son Tom Mercer 10 b Beverley

   Son George Mercer 7 b Beverley

   Daughter Charlotte Mercer 4 b Hull

   Son Charles R Mercer 11 b Hull

   Visitor William Wilson 60 Maltster b Halifax

3. ↑

   freebmd Marriages Mar 1915

   Mercer Charles R @@Sculcoates 9d 288 Scarborough Betsy A @@Sculcoates 9d 288
4. ↑

   Christchurch Marriage Register 3 March 1915

   Charles Richard Mercer

   Betsy Ann Scarborough

   Original Register in the East Riding Archives indexed in FamilySearch

5. ↑

   CWGC Commonwealth War Graves Commission

   PRIVATE CHARLES R. MERCER

   Service Number

   TF/235088

   Middlesex Regiment 13th Bn.

   Date of Death 24 August 1917

   Buried or commemorated at

   TYNE COT MEMORIAL

   The last but one of those names of the Middlesex Regiment on panel 114.4 on this memorial. As there is no other memorial it is likely that his body was never found