Northumberland Archives

This Week in World War One, 2nd April 1915

08/03/201803/04/2015 by Northumberland Archives

2ND APRIL 1915

SAD AFFAIR AT BERWICK

Young Soldier Accidentally Shot

Lance Corporal in Court

Discharged without a stain on his character

Marshall Meadows Bay, close to where Private Douglas was shot. © Copyright Richard Webb and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

At Berwick Police Court on Thursday, David Oswald, Lance-Corporal in the 2/10th Royal Scots, was charged with the manslaughter of Andrew Douglas, Private in the 2/10th Royal Scots, by shooting him dead with a shot from a rifle at Berwick on Tuesday 30th March. Mr E. W. Stiles, solicitor, appeared for the accused. The Chief Constable said the men were on guard together and the accused had been giving the men musketry drill. The accused had forgot that the rifle was loaded and after shooting the bolt home the rifle went off and killed Douglas. It was in the interests of the regiment, officers, and accused that the case was brought there. He was of the opinion that it was a pure accident and he would ask the Magistrates to discharge the accused and enable him to leave the court clear in the eyes of the world.

Private John Bryce said he was on outpost duty with the deceased and Lance-Corporal Oswald. Oswald was giving them musketry drill. The rifle held by Oswald went off and Douglas fell shot. Oswald then ran forward to the deceased. Oswald was greatly distressed over the occurrence, because he was great friends with the deceased. The witness was quite sure it was an accident.

The Chief Constable said he was present at the inquest the previous day. Oswald gave evidence and after a most exhaustive enquiry the verdict of accidental death was brought in. The Police had made every enquiry and they were of opinion that it was an accident, and on those grounds he asked the accused be dismissed.

By Mr Stiles – I am quite satisfied that the whole affair was a pure accident.

Mr Stiles – I do not think it is necessary for me to add anything. The Police have followed the proper course in following the line they have taken. Everyone sympathises with the accused and the regiment of which he is a member.

The Mayor (addressing accused) – The Bench have considered the case and discharge you. They fully sympathise with the position you are placed in and hope you will not take this too much to heart sad as it is, but remember you have other duties to attend to. You are discharged without any stain on your character whatever.

WOOLER

Madame Marie Levante’s orchestra of ladies gave a performance before a crowded house in the Archbold Hall on Thursday evening last.

A dance is announced to take place next week in aid of Dr Barnardo’s Homes.

On Tuesday morning five young men from the country districts left Wooler station to join the colours. Good luck to them.

A company of the troops stationed at Alnwick were expected to visit Wooler at the beginning of the week on a route march, but at the time of writing they have not arrived. It would perhaps stir the place up if we had a visit from the boys in khaki, and might help recruiting. Wooler has certainly done well, but could still do better in the matter of recruits.

Simnel Cake advert — Advert for Simnel Cake taken from the Berwick Advertise 2nd April 1915

By the Way

Porridge Penny Per Plate

The Military Recreation Rooms are being greatly taken advantage of every night. Light refreshments are provided after eight o’clock at a merely nominal fee, and it is interesting to note that there has been a great demand for porridge by the Scotsmen. Porridge was duly provided, and judging by the way it disappears each evening, it is a very highly appreciated dish. A short, religious service has been started on the Sunday evenings. The various ministers of the Borough are to take their turn in presiding over the meeting. A number of songs and solos are given, followed by a passage from the Scriptures and a closing prayer. There is no sermon. ( ) This space is reserved for remarks of relief!

The Tale of a Dog

A Border Collie dog — A dog was offered as a raffle proze in aid of the Belgian Relief Fund. Image from Pixabay

Almost everyone at this time is anxious to do something to assist those, who through the war, have been placed in distressful circumstances. The ways of raising money for such a purpose are many and varied, but the one I heard of the other day takes some beating.

‘Tis the tale of a dog, and runs thus:- Some gentlemen in local “grain” centres decided to raffle a dog on behalf of the Belgian Relief Fund. A number of tickets were sold, and the Committee ultimately agreed, privately of course, not to draw for the winning man, but to award the dog to a gentleman who they knew would absolutely refuse to keep a dog. This gentleman was told he was the “lucky” man, but he told the Committee to raffle the dog again. This happened three times. But now comes the funny part of the business. A fourth man won the dog and decided to keep it. He applied to the Committee for the dog; the Committee applied to the gentleman who promised to give them the dog; the gentleman informed the Committee that the dog was poisoned one month before the raffle took place, and that they had been raffling for an imaginary dog. However, all’s well that ends well, and the fourth winner was sporting enough to take the matter in good spirit, more so when he heard that the Belgian Relief Fund would benefit to the extent of from £16 to £20.

Matron’s Medical Report Book-Part 4: A Bumpy Start

02/04/2015 by Stannington Sanatorium Project

Given the mostly glowing reports we’ve heard about life at the sanatorium from past patients from the 1930s & 1940s who recounted their experiences in a recent oral history project it is surprising to learn from some of the earlier written accounts that the sanatorium wasn’t always so perfect.

April 17^th 1909

“I found the sanatorium in an unexpected condition, distinctly neglected, especially the kitchen, back kitchens, store cupboards & meat safe. The food almost unfit to eat, badly cooked & cold. In the last few weeks things have improved somewhat, especially the food. The cases in the sanatorium at present would seem to be improving – 9 in bed against 19 a few weeks ago.”

This report is seemingly made by one of the early matrons and her subsequent reports over the next few years begin to tell of satisfactory conditions. However, following the appointment of a new matron in 1912, the story again seems far from satisfactory.

April 1912

“On Tuesday March 26^th I took up the duties of ‘matron’ in the sanatorium. Miss Linton, the acting matron, left the following morning. Acting on the advice of Dr Allison, I engaged a temporary sister & advertised for a permanent one. I secured the services of Nurse Batty from the Granville Nursing Home, who on April 6^th accepted the appointment of sister to the sanatorium, at the salary of £40 per year. Sister has trained at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and is helping me in my endeavours to bring the sanatorium to a recognized hospital standard…

There having been no permanent head in the sanatorium since January, there was some little excuse for the condition of the place.

The nursing staff, the maids and the children were decidedly out of hand.

I have employed two maids to clean the sanatorium & request that I may keep one when the cleaning is finished, as the work in the kitchens & attics cannot be done with the present staff…

As regard the children (there are 59 patients in the sanatorium). They need to be taught sanatorium methods; as a beginning I have kept all the children in bed for a week until they show signs of gaining weight & of going quietly in everyway.”

A nurse on one of the wards, HOSP/STAN/11/1/55

The new matron, S.M. Robson, continued to work at the sanatorium until 1914, during which time it seems that there were continued efforts to improve the conditions and the operation of the sanatorium. The following years saw a great many changes made to the sanatorium with several charitable donations leading to further extensions and a huge increase in the sanatorium’s capacity. With the expansion came the addition of new facilities such as the vita glass pavilion and the x-ray department. It seems that this along with the concerted efforts of the new matron meant that the sanatorium was able to grow into a successful and well-functioning hospital.

Netherton Reformatory & One Man’s First World War Story – David Eckstein

08/03/201830/03/2015 by Northumberland Archives

Amongst the many collections held by Northumberland Archives are the papers of the Netherton Reformatory. The Reformatory was situated north east of the village of Stannington, just off the A1, 10 miles north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and was built in 1853, as a reformatory for ‘delinquent’ boys. Within this collection you will find many records relating to the boys that spent time in the Reformatory. These include admission and discharge registers and information about the conduct of the boys during the time they spent there.
Northumberland Archives recently worked with Voices Making Choices [VMC], which is Northumberland’s Children in Care Council. They currently look after 325 children from birth up to 16 years old as well as approximately 150 young people aged between16 and 24, who are preparing to leave the care system.
Recently VMC created an exhibition to commemorate the great history of Netherton Park Children’s Homes, from its opening in 1853 up until its planned closure in 2014. VMC wanted to look back and see how looked after children in the early 1900’s lived and were cared for so they could compare this to their lives as a looked after child today.
To commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War the group decided to look closer into researching Netherton Park’s history around 1914 and during the research the group found that 570 young people from Netherton volunteered to defend our country in the First World War.
The young people involved have helped research the content at the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn and have worked with a photographer to create an exhibition and a photography book.
Using our records we are able to build up a picture about the life of one of the boys – David Eckstein.
David Eckstein was born in London around 1896 and was admitted to the Reformatory on 10th July 1909. He was 5ft tall with a small face and fresh complexion, dark hair and dark brown eyes, weighing 86lbs. He also had a tattoo on his forearm. [Ref NRO 820/B9]. He was convicted in London on 9th July 1909 for feloniously stealing a pair of shoes and a pair of opera glasses worth 5 shillings and 6 pence. For this he was sentenced to stay at the Reformatory until he was 19 years old.

David was a Jewish boy from one of the poorest parts of London. How did he end up so far from home? A letter held by London Metropolitan Archives, dated 7th July 1882 confirms that ‘Netherton Reformatory’ is the only school in England, which receives Jewish boys and educates them apart from Christian Worship.’ [Ref LMA/MJ/SP/1882/07/016].
A reformatory was an institution aimed at re-educating boys who had committed a criminal offence. Their parents were expected to make a contribution to the cost of their keep. These payments could have been as much as 5 shillings a week – equivalent to around £15 today. The age of entry and discharge changed over the years, but by 1893 the minimum age on entry was 12 whilst the age on release had gone from 21 to 19. Following the Children & Young Person’s Act of 1932, Reformatories and Industrial schools were amalgamated to form what was known as an “Approved School.”
The Headmaster at Netherton lived in the large Victorian house in the centre of the school. The staff lived in houses adjacent to the large dormitory building where the boys slept. The boy’s life’s involved working on the farms and workshops, where they were taught various skills. Many of the local farmers purchased carts, implements and gates from the Reformatory as well as employing the boys as casual labour. Netherton also had its own chapel and playing fields.
What must David had thought about this place. He was from Whitechapel and had been sent to the wild open countryside of Northumberland. This must have been a cultural shock to him. Fresh air and strange accents?
The admission register provides us with a wealth of interesting information about his family with additional information gleaned from viewing the census records. By 1909 his father had dead and his mother Eva Eckstein was working as a tailoress. David had a brother called Jack who was 8 years old and the family were living at 22 Collingwood Street, Bethnal Green. Further family members are listed as Uncle W. Solomon & Auntie Kitty Solomon of 44 Rectory Square, Stepney.
Whilst at the Reformatory David was involved in a number of incidents which resulted in the deduction of various merit points as revealed by entries in the Reformatory Conduct Book [ref NRO 820/C3]. Some of the offences listed were – deceitful conduct, inattention to prayers; bad/neglecting work, not brushing his hair; pinching turnips & talking whilst cleaning teeth to name but a few!
In 1901, David aged 7 was living with his grandparents at 22 Collingwood Street, Bethnal Green. His grandfather, David Eckstein was a 76 year old tailor who had been born in Austria. His grandmother was called Simeh aged 68. The couple had a son called Philip living with them. Philip was aged 34, a general dealer, born in Whitechapel. In the 1871 the family were living at 8 Paradise Place, Christ Church, Whitechapel. The family consisted of David born in Austria, Simeh his wife, born in Poland and their children – Isaac 17; Nathan 11; Sarah 9; Eve 7; Phillip 3 & Leah 1. By 1881 the family were living at 18 Cobbs Court, Spitalfields. Had they moved to London to escape persecution in Europe?
Following David’s discharge in November 1912 [ref NRO 820/B25] he was placed out to Mr Thompson at New Town, Rothbury, Northumberland. In May 1913, he had been hired by Mr Young, a dairy farmer, of Acklington, Northumberland, and by August 1913 David was employed as a fireman by the Ashington Coal Company and was residing at 63 Pont Street, Hirst, Ashington in the house of Mrs Hughes. It would seem at some stage he left the colliery and was advised by the Superintendent to return to work but then started work as an apprentice Cabinet Maker for a Simon Sadopsky.

By the end of August 1914 he had volunteered and joined the Army. We know this as the school received a letter from his mother, Eva, to say that he had joined the 2nd Devonshire Regiment and was based in Plymouth. Private No. 6943 ‘D’ Company of British Expeditionary Force.

A further letter was received by the school from his mother who wrote again on 12th January 1915 to advise the school that David had been ‘Killed in Action’ on 17th December 1914 at Wulverghim, France. Eva wrote again on 6th March sending the school a photograph of David. Unfortunately, this has not survived. Wouldn’t it be great if one day a picture of David is found and we can put a face to this interesting story?
David is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium, indicating that in a note on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website – Eckstein Pte. David 3/6943 of 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment was ‘Killed in Action’ 17th Dec. 1914 age 21. The son of Mrs Eva Moss (formerly Eckstein) of 13 Providence Place, Aldgate, London.
There are no service or pension papers on Ancestry, but we did find his Medal Index Card which confirms the information we know above. He only arrived in France on 3rd December 1914 and was killed 14 days later. He was awarded the War & Victory medals as well as the 1915 Star.
We were also able to find an article in the Morpeth Herald Newspaper relating to David in the edition of Friday 26th September 1913 –
Stolen potatoes – David Eckstein, Fireman of Pont Street & Fred Bell, Ash-Wheeler of Poplar Street were charged with having stolen potatoes to the value of 6d each the property of Thomas Stamp of Dene House Farm, Ellington on 9th Sept.
P.C. Jones said he was at Ellington Colliery when he saw both of them in a potato field and watched them for some time. They came over the railings and he stopped them. They had a hatful of potatoes each. He asked them what they were going to do with them and they replied ‘We are going to roast them for our supper’
They were fined 5/-each.
We know so much background information about the boys who attended the Reformatory; their lives before and during their stay, but we do not have any photographs in the collection, which are named. Wouldn’t it be great if some day we found photographs of the boys named on the Roll Of Honour so we can put a face to a name!
By Paul Ternent Volunteer Manager for Northumberland At War.

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