The Guardian December 28th 1915
Father of Ten Serving His Country
A notable instance of patriotism is that of Private Joseph Richard Warburton, of 122 Algernon Street, Warrington, who, notwithstanding the fact that he is the father of ten children, is nobly serving his King and country. He joined the Warrington Territorial Battalion soon after the outbreak of war, and has been on active service in France for over six months. In addition two of his sons are serving, Thomas Henry as a private in the 10th South Lancashire Regiment, and Joseph Richard as a private in the A.S.C.
Private Warburton, sen., has been in the service of Messrs. Peter Walker and Son, Ltd., of Warrington, for over a quarter of a century, while Joseph Richard has been employed by the same firm for the past eight years. The other son worked at Messrs. Rylands, Bros’. Private Warburton, sen., is well known and much respected by a wide circle of friends, and his patriotism in actively serving his country is a striking object lesson to many of the younger men in the town.
The large photograph is of the Warburton family, Mrs Warburton being at the centre of the group. On the extreme right of the group (sitting) is Private Joseph Richard Warburton, jun. while the inset picture is of Private Thomas Henry Warburton.
The above photo was sent to me by Tracey Malyan. Unfortunately it is not of the best quality so I have transcribed the text in the picture’s caption.
Joseph Richard, senior, is my second cousin, twice removed, so he is part of the Hale Barns clan. His wife was Ellen Jane nee Bourne. The 10 children, in order of birth, were Elizabeth Ellen (Lizzie), Joseph Richard (Joe), Thomas Henry (Harry), William Samuel (Billy), John, Ellen, Ernest, Gilbert, Martha, and Beatrice. Two other children died in infancy. one born and deceased after the date of the photo. Peter Walker and Sons was a Brewery, and it seems from the 1911 census that Harry was also employed in the same trade so maybe Rylands Bros.was in the same business.
I have not studied the family for many years and much of the information I have is from Anne Frobisher who is descended from Joe’s brother-in-law Joseph Bibby.
All three soldiers survived the was, though Joseph Richard, senior was in poor health, having been gassed in France. He died in 1929 in Hefferston Grange Sanatorium. The two sons, Joe and Harry, both married and had a family, Harry dying in 1950, and Joe in . I don’t know if any of the younger sons joined up, but Billie and John, the only two who would have been old enough by the end of the war, both lived to marry. Billy lived to 1964, but I haven’t explored John further.
