John William Farndale

18 May 1886 to 29 June 1954

The Wakefield 1 Line

The Leicester Line

FAR00615

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Sorting clerk and leather salesman

Dates are in red.

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Headlines of Jim’s life are in brown.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Context and local history are in purple.

Geographical context is in green.

Leeds

1886

John William Farndale, son of John and Rose (nee Taylor) Farndale (FAR00424), was born on 18 May 1886 (1939 Register).

1891

Census 1891 – Fenton Street, Leeds

John Farndale, 35, monumental letter cutter, born Wakefield in 1856

Rose Farndale, 32, born Derbyshire in 1859

Henry Farndale, son, scholar, born Leeds in 1884

John William Farndale, 4, scholar, born Leeds in 1887

Ethel Margaret Farndale, 1, born Leeds in 1890

Elizabeth M Matin, 21, a tailoress, lodger

1901

Census 1901 – 140 Fenton Street, Leeds

John Farndale, 44, architectural carver, born Wakefield in 1857

Rose Farndale, 41, born Derbyshire in 1860

Henry Farndale, son, 17, solicitor’s clerk, born Leeds in 1884

John W Farndale, 14, office boy lithographics, born Leeds in 1887

Ethel M Farndale, 11, born Leeds in 1890

1911

Census 1911 – 140 Fenton Street, Leeds

John Farndale, 55, monumental sculptor, born Wakefield in 1856

Rose Farndale, 52, born Derbyshire in 1859

Henry Farndale, son, 27, engineer’s draughtsman, born Leeds in 1884

John William Farndale, 25, sorting clerk, born Leeds in 1886

Ethel Margaret Farndale, 21, shorthand clerk, born Leeds in 1890

Leicester

1916

John W Farndale, married Dorothy Doris (“Doris”) Chamberlain, on 21 April 1916 at Leicester District (GRO Vol 7a page 673).

Military Service

151907 Gunner John W Farndale

Service: 434^th (Siege) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Medals and decorations: Victory Medal, British War Medal

His Descriptive Report confirms his next of kin as his wife, Dorothy Doris Chamberlain of 22 Laurel Road, Leicester who he had married at Leicester on 21 April 1916. They had a daughter at the time, Pauline Margaret Farndale who was born at Leicester on 22 February 1917. He was 5 feet and 7.5 inches tall. His Medical Form showed that he was a commercial traveller from Leeds.

His Statement of Services shows that he was attested on 21 February 1916 when he was transferred to the Army Reserve. He was mobilised on 2 February 1917. He arrived or was embarked on 5 April 1917. However a service record indicates that he was at Hull and Glen Parva, Leicester in April and May 1917. The same form records his evacuation after a gas attack in September 1918.

1917

Pauline Margaret Farndale (FAR00839) was born in Leicester District on 22 February 1917 (military records) and her birth was registered in the first quarter of 1917 and she was baptised on 25 March 1917 at St Peter’s, Leicester (St Peter’s, Leicester PR, GRO Vol 7A Page 354).

1918

A service record suggests that he was on the casualty list as a result of being wounded by a gas ‘B’ shell ‘sev’ (severe?). This suggests he was admitted to Rouen on 16 September and later to the General Hospital at Leicester on 22 September 1918.

From an article about the use of gas in the First World War in the Leeds Mercury, 17 May 1915: ASPHYXIATING GASES. WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO DISPERSE THEM. The use of poisonous gases by the Germans in their latest offensive in the western area of the war will be no surprise to those who know well the German character, or to those who have studied the record of their disregard for all the humane rules and conventions of war during the past nine months. That a nation, whose sovereign and rulers have ignored solemn treaty obligations when it has suited their convenience to do so, and have been responsible for the murder and pillage of the civilian populations of Belgium and Poland should ignore Article 23 of The Hague convention, which forbids the use of poisonous or asphyxiating gas in civilised warfare, was only to be expected to, and the only surprising fact is that this new barbarism of the military oligarchy in Germany was not brought into use earlier in the war. Since the German defence is that the French and ourselves began this new style of warfare by using shells emitting poisonous gases, it may well be as well to examine discharge, and to show how far it is from the truth. Modern military explosives may be divided into two classes, “low” explosives and “high” explosives. The former used chiefly for propelling the shot or shell from the rifle or gun, the latter for producing a shattering effect by detonation on striking the object aimed at. Both classes of explosive contain sufficient oxygen to support the combustion of the carbon and hydrogen constituents of the explosives and this oxygen is present in the form of a nitrate, or of the number two group of atoms. When the explosive detonates complete combustion should occur, and only carbon dioxide gas, water in the full vapour, and nitrogen gas should be produced. Under certain conditions of explosion, however, nitrous oxide another oxides of nitrogen are formed, and they these may be regarded as poisonous gases. The basis used for the manufacture of high explosives in this country are cellulose, carbolic acid, and toluol, this last being a derivative of benrol. By acting on these compounds with nitro acid one contains trinitre cellulose, and ‘gun cotton’, tri nitro phenol or ‘picnic acid’ and tri nitro tuluol….

151907 Gunner Farndale, L Battery, was listed in the Hospital Admission and Discharge registers at Catterick Military Hospital in 1917 – 1918 (bottom of second column).

Another record suggests he was admitted on 9 September 1918. The record lists previous inoculations.

Another record indicates admission to the 5^th General Hospital at Leicester from 22 September to 8 October 1918 as a result of a gas shell attack. He was transferred to the Military Hospital at Glen Parva at Leicester from 9 to 29 October 1918 and then to the depot at Catterick from 5 November to 13 December 1918, ‘gassed’.

1919

He was demobilised on 24 February 1919. His Statement as to Disability at Shoreham by Sea confirmed that he did not claim any disability as a result of his service. His address was 3 Albany Street, Highfields, Leicester. He had first joined for duty at Ripon on 6 April 1917.

His Identity Certificate shows he was nevertheless A1 fit on dispersal on 27 January 1919 at Clipstone.

His conduct sheet was certified with no entry.

1921

1921 Census – Leicester

Denis James Chamberlain, 22, tailor’s cutter

Janet Chamberlain, 19

John William Farndale, brother in law, married, 35, leather salesman with J Hardy Smith & Sons, Belgrave Gate, Leicester

Dorothy Doris Farndale, sister of Denis. 27, home duties

Pauline Margaret Farndale, 4, born Leicester

1922

Leicester Evening Mail, 2 March 1922: LEICESTER WOMEN UNIONISTS. At the adjourned annual meeting of the Charswood Ward Women's Unionist Association, the following officers were elected for the year... Honorary Treasurer, Mrs Farndale...

1931

Michael A Farndale (FAR00916) was born on 2 January 1931 (1939 Register). His birth was registered in Leicester District in the first quarter of 1931.

1939

1939 Register – 214 Scraptoft Lane, Leicester

John W Farndale, born 18 May 1886, leather salesman

Dorothy D Farndale, born 6 November 1893

Michael A Farndale, born 2 January 1931, at school

Caroline Peters

1954

John William Farndale died, aged 68, on 29 June 1954 in Leicester (Probate Index).

Leicester Daily Mercury, 21 June 1956: FARNDALE, Jack. Treasured memories of a beloved husband and father, passed away June 20, 1954 – Doris, Pauline and Michael.

Probate: FARNDALE John William of 213 Scraptoft Lane Leicester died 29 June 1954 Probate Leicester 31 August to Dorothy Doris Farndale widow. Effects £2068 12s 2d.

1960

John’s wife Doris died on 22 May 1960 (Probate Index).

Leicester Mercury, 23 May 1960: Doris, wife of the late John, and loving mother of Pauline and Michael, passed away May 22, 1960, at 214, Scraptoft Lane. Funeral service and Interment at Gilroes Cemetery on Wednesday at 3:30 pm.