WILFRED MASON EDMONDSON

Date and place of birth-  22 January 1885 Barnoldswick, Yorkshire
Date and place of Death- 10 May 1967 Liskeard District, Cornwall
Nationality; British

Biography-Wilfred grew up in Yorkshire, the eldest of six children:

Rupert Edmondson 1892

Gladys Edmondson 1893

Percy Edmondson 1895-1895

Cyril Edmondson 1895

Ida Edmondson 1899-1899
Parents

Affred Edmondson and Mary Cunnington who were married

in Skipton District, Yorkshire June 1884
Parents occupation –         Affred Edmondson was a baker and

Mary Edmondson a cotton weaver
Schools Universities attended and years of attendance – Not known
Place of residence at Gretna:  Not known
Marital status-                  Wilfred married Alice Dixon (1885-1956)

in Skipton District, Yorkshire in 1913
Children:  Wilfred and Alice had three children born after WW1

Conny Edmondson 1920

Ida Winifred Edmondson 1923

Irvine Edmondson 1924
Job title at Gretna  –  Graviteer

Before the war Wilfred worked as an Insurance clerk and after the war as a Dairyman.
Travels – Nil known
Awards/recognitions: Nil known
Trivia/any other information

Wilfred Mason Edmondson seated on left front.  Photo donated by his grandson
Bibliography

Email from Wilfrid’s grandson and grand daughter in law, August 2021: ‘I am writing to you with regard to my husband’s grandfather, Wilfred Mason Edmondson, who worked at HM Factory Gretna during WW1.

Last week we enjoyed a visit to your museum and found it very interesting. John suggested that we contacted you with a view to possibly finding out more about what Wilfred did at the factory.

Until recently what Wilfred did in WW1 was a complete mystery until Mike’s cousin came across a couple of photographs of him taken in 1918 at HM Factory Gretna. He was in the army from 1914-15 but was then dismissed as no longer physically fit for military service.

Having visited the museum we realise that the reason Wilfred never spoke about his time at Gretna was that he would have had to sign the Official Secrets’ Act.

I am attaching the two photos. On the back of one are written the names of the people in the picture. They are as follows:-

Wilfred (far right) with his HM factory colleagues. Photo donated by his grandson

Dumfries and Annan

April 1918

Wilfred Edmondson gravitier

(‘My wife’s husband’)

W Falcolner foreman

Tom Harris dips

W D Macrae blower

W Gaunt foreman

C Franks chargehand

Reginald Keen (farmer) fireman

J Simmons shift chemist

J Scully charger

J Maxwell blower

Photographer Frank Holbrook, Alexander’s Studio, Dumfires and Annan

References

Ancestry

FindMyPast

FreeBMD
Further Links, notes and comments.

Sent by Wilfrid’s granddaughter, Jan 2022:

Wilfred Mason Edmondson who worked at the Gretna factory in 1918

Other information about Wilfred Mason Edmondson

Wilfred Mason Edmondson was born on the 22nd January 1885 at 9 Midgleys Buildings, Barnoldswick (which was then in Yorkshire but since 1974 has been in Lancashire).  His parents Alfred Edmondson (b.1858) and Mary Cunnington (b.1858).  At the time of Wilfred’s birth, his father was a cotton weaver.

1891 census

EDMONDSONS at 12 Townhead, Barnoldswick

Name                  Age  Condition   Relation      Job          Where born

Alfred                  33    M             head         Baker           Barnoldswick

Mary                   33    M             wife         cotton winder Blatherwick, Northants

Wilfred Mason       6      S              son                                   Barnoldswick

At the 1891 census Wilfred and his parents lived at Barnoldswick, but by the March ¼ of 1892 they lived in Barnsley, Yorkshire, where Wilfred’s three siblings were born, Rupert (1892), Gladys (1893) and Cyril (1896). So, at least from 1891 to 1896 they lived in Barnsley but by 1901 they were back in Barnoldswick.

1901 census

EDMONDSONS at 4 Craven Street, Barnoldswick

Name                  Relation      Age  Job                  Where born

Alfred                  head         43    cotton weaver         Barnoldswick

Mary                   wife         43                                    Bletherwick, Northants

Wilfred                   son               16    cotton weaver         Barnoldswick

Rupert                 son               9                                      Barnsley

Gladys                 daughter     7                                      Barnsley

Cyril                     son               5                                      Barnsley

1911 census

EDMONDSONS at Barnoldswick

Name          Relation      Age              Job                  Where born

Alfred          head            53                cotton weaver         Barnoldswick

Mary           wife             52                domestic duties       Bletherwick, Northants

Wilfred       son               26                insurance agent      Barnoldswick

Rupert         son               19                cotton weaver         Barnsley

Gladys         daughter     17                cotton weaver         Barnsley

Cyril         son               15                cotton weaver         Barnsley

1913 – July-Sept 1/4 in Skipton District Wilfred Mason Edmondson married Alice Dixon (born 3/8/1885 at Barnoldswick_.

Wilfred’s army records show the following:-

1914 – 12th August – Wilfred enlisted.

1914 – 23rd September – Wilfred entered into a ‘theatre of war’.  His service number was MS/1924.  He as in the Army Service Corps.  [Archive ref. WO 372/6/160890, National Archives, Kew]

1915 – 3rd January – Wilfred was listed as wounded.  His duty location was France and Flanders.

1915 – 12th July – Wilfred was discharged from the army on account of being ‘permanently physically unfit’.  He was listed as being entitled to a ‘wounded stripe’.  [Archive ref. DT22021915]

1918 – The photographs were taken of Wilfred while he was working at Gretna, but we don’t know when he first went there.

1920 – March ¼ – Wilfred and Alice’s first child, Conny was born, and also died, in Skipton District.

Between March ¼ 1920 and June ¼ 1923, Wilfred and Alice moved to Colwyn Bay.

1923 – June ¼ – Wilfred and Alice’s second child, Ida W. was born in Conway District (Colwyn Bay).

1924 – September ¼ – Wilfred and Alice’s third and final child, Irvine was born in Conway District (Colwyn Bay), Wales.

The family later settled in Preston, Lancashire in c. 1936.

1956 – Wilfred’s wife Alice died at Preston.

Towards the end of his life Wilfred went to live with his daughter, Ida, in Looe, Cornwall.

1967 – 10th May – Wilfred died at Passmore Edwards Hospital in Liskeard, Cornwall, aged 82.

1967 – 14th May – Wilfred was buried in the churchyard at St. Martin by Looe Church, Cornwall.