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Cecil Rhodes Thwaites was born on the 26th March 1897 in Crook. His father Simon was originally from Kirkby Lonsdale and by the time of Cecil’s borth was working as a Coke Yard Labourer. Cecil’s mother Margaret Annie (Annie) was originally from Penrith and had married Simon in 1881 in Durham. By the time Cecil was born, Simon and Annie already had six children. Their first son John William, was born in 1881 in Crook, followed a year later by another son, James Parker Dinsdale, and another, Edward Alexander in 1884. Another son, Ernest Boak, was born in 1889, and a daughter Eleanor in 1889. Another son, Herbert, arrived in 1892, followed by Stanley in 1895. Perhaps Stanley was named after the famous Henry Morton Stanley, and it seems likely that his younger brother Cecil was named after the founder of Rhodesia. The final son to be born in Crook was Frederick, born on the 18th March 1900. By then sadly two of the children, Ernest Boak and Eleanor, had died, both aged around 10.
Around 1902 Cecil and his family moved from Crook to Patterdale, settling at Hartsop Hall, where Simon became a farmer. Shortly after they arrived, in February 1903, another son was born, Ernest. Cecil and his siblings would have attended Patterdale School alongside Cecil’s contemporaries such as Johnnie Pool, Frank Brown, twins William & Thomas Hodgson, and Harold Oglethorpe from Glenridding, and John Pattinson and George Harrison, like Cecil, from Hartsop.
By 1911 Cecil had left School and was helping his father on the farm at Hartsop Hall, alongside his elder brother Stanley. Some of his other elder siblings had already left to start their own families, including his eldest brother John, who had married local girl Ellen Dewell in 1909, and his brother Edward had married Mary Eleanor in 1906 and was living in Beckside Hartsop, working as a Labourer at the lead mine and had three children of his own.
At some point around the start of the First World War Cecil left the family farm and went to work in Mallerstang, Kirkby Stephen. It was from here, whilst working as a cowman, that he attested on the 14th February 1916, aged 18 years and 11 months. He initially signed on with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. On the 8th July 1917 Cecil married Lucy Thornbarrow at St Mary’s Church Mallerstang, and a year later their daughter Lillian was born.
By this time Cecil had been mobilised. He underwent a medical in Carlisle on the 6th May 1918 and on the 22nd June 1918 reported for duty with the 3rd (Training) Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. After his basic training he embarked for France from Folkestone on the 30th October 1918. Shortly after arriving in France he was transferred to the 20th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, joining them in the field on 6th November 1918, less than week before the Armistice was signed. He remained with them until his discharge on the 31st January 1919.
After the war we believe he returned to his family at Outhgill, Mallerstang near Kirkby Stephen. Sadly we so far have no further details on his life up until the time of his death at the beginning of 1978 aged 81. He is remembered on the Glenridding Village Hall (where his incorrectly listed as Private Cecil R Thawaite) alongside his elder brother Stanley, and his friends from School and the Dale who also served.
In terms of the rest of his family, the little of what we know of his elder Stanley is shown below. His mother Annie died in March 1938 at the age of 78, and his father Simon who continued to farm at Hartsop Hall until at least 1930, died in 1943 aged 82. Cecil’s elder brother Edward was at the Brotherswater Hotel during the war, but by 1920 had moved to Hartsop Hall. He moved again in 1925 to Greenbank Farm. A year later his wife Mary Eleanor died and was buried in St Patrick’s Church Patterdale. On the 5th July 1930 Edward married again, to Lizzie Ellen Wilson, the daughter of George Wilson from Woodbine House in Patterdale. On the parish register he was described as a “roadman from Hartsop”. However by 1935 it appears that he too had left the Dale as there are no Thwaites left on the Electoral Register for the Dale.
As far as his other siblings as concerned, to date we only know that his younger brother Frederick died in December 1981 in Wensleydale aged 81 and Ernest died in Sunderland in June 1979 at the age of 76.
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Private Cecil Rhodes Thwaites
58685 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and 20th Battalion Manchester Regiment
Born 26th march 1897, Crook Durham. Died 1978, Appleby aged 81.
Son of Simon and Margaret Annie (nee Thonrborrow) Thwaites Hartsop Hall
Husband of Lucy Thornbarrow. Father of Lillian
Driver Stanley Thwaites
152569 - Royal Engineers
Born 15th March 1895 Crook, Durham. Died March 1972 aged 77 in Cumbria.
Son of Simon and Margaret Annie (nee Thonrborrow) Thwaites Hartsop Hall
Brother of Cecil Rhodes Thwaites
Driver Stanely Thwaites was born in 1895 in Crook Durham, the son of Simon and Margaret Annie Thwaites. The story of his early life and that of his family is told in more detail in the biography of his younger brother Cecil Rhodes Thwaites above. Stanley moved with his family to Hartsop Hall in around 1902 and would have attended Patterdale School with his siblings and contemporaries including Johnnie Pool, Frank Brown, twins William & Thomas Hodgson, and Harold Oglethorpe from Glenridding, and John Pattinson and George Harrison, who were also from Hartsop.
By 1911, 16 year old Stanley was working on the farm at Hartsop Hall alongside his father and younger brother Cecil. It is quite likely that he enlisted in the Army around the same time as Cecil in 1916, although given that he was older it is probable that he was mobilised sooner. All we know from his Medal Index Card (see below) is that he served as a Driver in the Royal Engineers until his demobilisation.
So far we have been able to find out no further details about Stanley until his death in Cumbria in march 1972 at the age of 77. He is remembered on the Glenridding Village Hall Roll of Honour (where is incorrectly listed as Stanley Thwaite) alongside his brother Cecil.
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Notes on the Fallen
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Roll of Honour