Private William Flather (Before 17 th February 1833-3 rd March 1855) Crimean War William Flather was a Crimean soldier who, as the above memorial inscription states, died on 3 rd March 1855 at Scutari, Turkey. This may well have been in the Scutari Military Hospitals that Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp, and other nurses worked in. Fever was the big killer with more soldiers dying of fever than their war wounds. Perhaps Private William Flather was one of the poor soldiers ferried across the Black Sea from Balaklava to Scutari. The following quote sums up the hopeless situation he may have found himself in. In a real sense, the Scutari hospitals served more as so-called fever wards than true military hospitals and existed largely to segregate patients with fever from their healthy compatriots. Soldiers were not sent to Scutari to be healed so much as to die. 1
Flather researcher Bob Field on https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/flather notes that :- William's death is recorded on the family memorial at Lightcliffe as occurring on 3 March 1855 at Scutari. However, records of British deaths at Scutari do not appear to include William Flather. William is believed to have enlisted with the 11th Hussars at Liverpool on 26 November 1853 using the assumed name of Wilson Firth. The 11th Hussars took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 at Balaclava where Private Wilson Firth was wounded. He was relocated to Scutari where his death is recorded on 3 March 1855 - the same date that the family have for William on their memorial at Lightcliffe. A Dix, Noonan and Webb auction archive features the sale of a Crimea Medal awarded to Private Wilson Firth accompanied by its box of issue and an envelope addressed to Henry Flather (father of Private Wilson Firth) at Hipperholme. There do not appear to be any records of Wilson Firth prior to his enlistment nor any records of William Flather after the 1851 Census other than the family memorial. It would therefore appear that William Flather and Wilson Firth are in fact the same person. 2
Did the immediate family back home even know that William had enlisted? According to the website https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/records/7000350/private-wilsonfirth-11-hussars/ Private William Flather aka Private Wilson Firth (service No. 1612) of the 11 th Hussars definitely charged and was subsequently wounded at the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 th October 1854. Images showing the shoulder belt, uniform and cap of the 11 th Hussars the Cherry Pickers Charge of the Light Brigade by Richard Caton Woodville, Jr. painted in 1894 The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava by William Simpson (1855) illustrating the Light Brigade s charge into the Valley of Death from the Russian perspective. 3
Did the Flather family ever know exactly what happened to their son? This is their story. Private William Flather was the eldest son of farmer Henry Flather and his wife Ellen nee Pearson. Henry and Ellen were married on 10 th November 1825 at Halifax parish church. They had four daughters before William was born. Mary and then Anne were baptised at St John s Coley on 1 st October 1826 and 17 th August 1828 respectively. Baby Sarah Flather only lived for 4 days before she was buried in St Matthew s churchyard on 18 th March 1830. The next sister, Susan, was baptised on 31 st July 1831 but died aged just 18 months on 7 th January 1833. She was buried at St Matthew s, Lightcliffe alongside her baby sister in plot II 3 whose memorial inscription begins :- In memory of SUSAN the daughter of HENRY and ELLEN FLATHER of Hipperholme, who departed this life January 7 th 1833 aged 18 months. Also of SARAH their daughter who died in her infancy William was also baptised at St Matthew s Church, Lightcliffe on 17 th February 1833 as this baptism entry shows. This Flather family then went back to St John s Coley for the baptisms of their next four children; Thomas on 26 th October 1834, Elizabeth on 4 th January 1837, Jane on 18 th August 1839 (born 19 th July 1839) and finally Henry Birkett Flather on 13 th February 1842 (born 23 December 1841). The Birkett middle name gives a clue to William s parental grandparents, Thomas Flather and Elizabeth (Betty) Birkett, who were also buried at St Matthew s churchyard as were some of Henry Birkett Flather s family. Their stories are be told elsewhere. But returning to the immediate family, the baptisms and deaths in childhood recorded above agree with the information that can be found in the first two censuses. Namely:- 4
1841 census Henry Flather 40 Farmer Ellen ditto 35 Mary ditto 14 Anne ditto 12 William ditto 8 Thomas ditto 6 Elizabeth ditto 4 Jane ditto 1 John Medley 15 Ag. Lab Address Hipperholme 1851 census Henry Flather Head 52 Farmer 25 acres employing 2 labourers Eleanor ditto Wife 48 William Flather Son 18 Farmer s Son Elizabeth ditto Dau 14 Scholar Jane ditto 11 Dau Scholar at home Henry Birkett ditto Son 9 Scholar James Summers Servant 17 Farm Labourer born Ireland Address Village of Hipperholme Young Thomas was missing from the 1851 census as he died on 29 th July 1845 and was buried on 3 rd August 1845. Although his burial record says that he was buried in a grave, unknown, within closed churchyard, he does appear on the memorial inscription for plot II 3 which continues from what was written above :- Also THOMAS their son who died July 29 th 1845 aged 10 years and 10 months WATCH THEREFORE FOR YE KNOW NOT IN WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH COME 5
The next decade would bring several family changes including the death of Private William Flather in Scutari, Turkey on 3 rd March 1855. His eldest sister, 26-year-old Mary Flather, had previously married a 32-year-old Cordwainer, Charles Rogerson, on 1 st February 1853 in Halifax. Mary s father Henry was a Farmer at Hipperholme but no father was given for Charles Rogerson also of Hipperholme. Their son, Robert Flather Rogerson was born on the 20 th December 1853 and was baptised at St. Martin s Church, Brighouse on 22 nd January 1854. Sadly, he lost his mother when he was just six years old. Mary Rogerson died on 12 th January 1959 and was buried near her Flather family grave on 15 th January 1859. Charles Rogerson then married Elizabeth Brooke on 6 th September 1860. All three were buried in plot KK 3 in St Matthew s churchyard whose memorial inscription reads: - In Memory of Mary the wife of Charles Rogerson of Brighouse who died on the 12 th day of January 1859 aged 32 years. Also of Elizabeth the second Wife of the above said Charles Rogerson who died at Hightown Liversedge on Sunday the 13 th of February 1891, aged 61 years. In the midst of Life, we are in Death Also of the above named Charles Rogerson Born 5 th March 1819 Died at Hightown Liversedge 7 th November 1891 His End was Peace 6
Robert Flather Rogerson (1853 1924) Nephew of Private William Flather Robert Flather Rogerson (photograph courtesy of Malcolm Bull s Calderdale Companion) would go on to be an Architect and Surveyor and a member of Brighouse Lodge of Freemasons. He designed a number of local Brighouse buildings including the Smith Art Gallery. In 1905, he married Ida Goulding and their son Charles Goulding Rogerson was born later that year. Robert Flather Rogerson died in 1924 and his wife Ida in 1928. ROGERSON Robert Flather of 14 Henry-street Brighouse Yorkshire died 11 April 1924 Probate London 28 May to Ida Rogerson widow, and Frederick William Crowther bank manager. Effects 8485 12s 8d. ROGERSON Ida of 4 Banks-avenue Meols near Hoylake Cheshire widow died 22 April 1928 Probate London to Charles Goulding Rogerson medical student. Effects 332 6s 6d. 7
Charles Goulding Rogerson, perhaps by then Dr Rogerson, served as a Corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War Two. He died at Moston Hall Military Hospital, Chester on 13 th November 1945 aged 41 years but was brought back to Yorkshire to be buried with his parents in Brighouse Cemetery on 16 th November 1945. ROGERSON Charles Goulding of 1 Church-lane Brighouse Yorkshire died 13 November 1945 on war service. Probate Wakefield 25 April to Ida Kjerstin spinster. Effects 22 35 17s 3d Returning to William Flather s siblings another sister, 28-year-old Anne Flather, married 24-year-old John Senior, a Currier from Marsden, on 27 th December 1855 again in Halifax. Their daughter Eleanor Senior was baptised at St Matthew s Church on 6 th July 1856. Again the brides father was recorded as Farmer Henry Flather. John Senior s father, Joseph Senior, was a Butcher from Hipperholme. A year later father Henry Flather died on 19 th December 1856 and was buried with his children in plot II 3 on 24 th December 1856. Then just a year after her sister, Mary Rogerson, died Ann Senior also passed away on 20 th September 1860 leaving an even younger child, three-year-old Eleanor. Ann Senior was also just 32 years old. She was buried on 25 th September 1860 in plot EE 9 with the inscription: - IN Memory of ANN the wife of John Senior of Brighouse who departed this life September 20 th 1860 aged 32 years. The next two census records reflect these changes. 1861 census Ellen Flather Head 58 Widow Farmer of 22 acres Elizabeth ditto Dau 24 Day School Teacher Jane ditto Dau 21 ditto Henry B ditto Son 19 Farmer s son Address Hipperholme 1871 census Ellen Flather Head 68 Widow Retired Farmer s Wife Elizabeth Flather Dau 34 Address Cockcroft Farm, Hipperholme cum Brighouse The two Flather households are recorded next to one another with the same address. So presumably son Henry Birkett Flather took over the running of the Cockroft Farm 1871 census Henry B Flather Head Farmer of 18 acres Lucy Flather Wife 24 Farmer s Wife Thomas H Flather Son 5 Scholar Eleanor S Flather Dau 1 Sam Flather Son 5 months Address Cockcroft Farm. Hipperholme cum Brighouse 8
On 5 th September 1863 at Halifax sister, Jane Flather, married Robert Taylor Richardson an Optician from Southowram. She was 24 years old from Hipperholme and he was aged 31 years. His father, William Richardson, was a Lecturer. They had two sons, William Henry Richardson born 1867 and Frank Richardson born 1871. Farmer Henry Birkett Flather married a farmer s daughter, Lucy Lee, on 20 th May 1865 again in Halifax. Henry was 23 years old and Lucy, the daughter of Benjamin Lee, was eighteen. Grandmother, Ellen Flather, would see the birth of at least three of Henry and Lucy s children, as the 1871 census shows, before she died on 23rd August 1876 aged 73 years. She was buried with her husband and some of their children in plot II 3 of St Matthew s churchyard on 26th August 1876 filling this grave. Also of the above HENRY FLATHER who died December 19 th 1856 aged 58 years. Not lost but gone before Also of ELLEN widow of the above HENRY FLATHER who died August 23 rd 1876 aged 73 years Her end was peace. 9
After her mother died, Elizabeth Flather went to live with her sister Jane Richardson, the wife of optician Robert Taylor Richardson; firstly, in Southowram, then York and finally Leeds where she died a couple of months before her youngest brother Henry Birkett Flather passed away. FLATHER Elizabeth of 84 Cross Flatts-place Leeds spinster died 16 February 1910 Probate Wakefield 13 April to Robert Taylor Richardson retired optician and Frank Richardson draper. Effects 282 1s 5d This was the same address on her brother in law s burial record at St Mary s Church, Beeston and his probate. RICHARDSON Robert Taylor of 84 Cross Flatts-place Beeston Leeds died 1 November 1918 Probate Wakefield 4 February to Frank Richardson draper. Effects 355 9s His wife Jane Richardson nee Flather, the last surviving sibling of Crimean war soldier, Private William Flather, was also buried at St. Mary s Church, Beeston The address 113 Hunslet Road, Hunslet was the address of her son Frank Richardson, the draper. He too was buried at St Mary s Church, Beeston. RICHARDSON Frank of 113 Hunslet-road Leeds died 9 May 1922 Probate Wakefield 16 June to Eliza Jane Richardson widow. Effects 2440 12s 7d. Frank Richardson had married Eliza Jane Richardson (father Thomas Young Richardson so no relation?) on 3 rd April 1899 at St. Jude s Church, Hunslet. They ran a retail draper business and had a daughter Ella, born 1900, and a son Francis William, born 1907. No more information has been found about his older brother William Henry Richardson, son of Jane Richardson nee Flather. 10
This concludes the biography of Private Willian Flather and some of his immediate family but you can read biographies of Henry Birkett Flather s family and Earlier Flathers who were buried in St Matthew s churchyard. 11 D.M.Barker April 2017