Leonard John Lancaster

Leonard John Lancaster. 41391. L/Cpl, 69 Coy. Royal Engineers, died of wounds, Armentières, France, 2nd July 1915, age 31yrs.

Leonard was the son of John Lancaster, who died on 3rd February 1930 and Mary d. 23rd March 1922. Leonard was part of a large family, having six brothers and sisters. His father was a saddler, and keen bell ringer, whose business was in Cartmel Square. He was baptised at the Priory on 20th April 1884. The family lived at School Road in 1891, which is now known as Park View and later at Causeway House until about 1912, when his 90 year old grandmother died and his parents moved to her old house, on Barn Garth.

Leonard was a member of the choir as a boy, having a better voice than most, as Master L. Lancaster performed solo and sang a duet with a Mrs Routledge in the Church Institute on 12th Feb 1898. He also sang in the Priory on other occasions, including Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897. He had moved to Kendal by 1901 where he lodged with Eliza Farrer at 6, Albert Road and his occupation was given as "wood carver".

The 1916 “Lower Holker & Cartmel Almanac” published the photograph which appears here and the following, “Lan-Corpl. L. J. Lancaster 69th Coy. Royal Engineers was an excellent wood-carver. He was shot when erecting a breastwork on the night of July 1st, in Belgium, and died in hospital on the 2nd and buried at Armentières in France.” 69th Field Company R.E. were attached to 12th (Eastern) Division, which left for the Front at the end of May and beginning of June 1915.

George Coppard was a soldier in the 6th Bn. Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, one of 12th Division’s infantry battalions. In his excellent book, "With a Machine Gun to Cambrai" he tells us that they marched to Armentières on 21st June and relieved the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in trenches at Le Touquet, close to the Belgian border. A few days later they moved into the line in the Ploegsteert (“Plugstreet” to all the Tommies) sector in Begium, where Leonard was fatally wounded.

The Royal Engineers' work was hard and dangerous. The construction of front-line defences had to take place within a few yards of the enemy. This meant that the task must be done under cover of darkness, never knowing when Very lights would rise and enemy snipers ply their deadly trade. The descriptions of Leonard's death indicate that he became one of their many victims.

The “Westmorland Gazette”, 10th July 1915 published a longer report;

“....He was shot through the neck on July 1st and was buried next day in Belgium. Mr. Leonard Lancaster enlisted in the Royal Engineers at the outbreak of war. He was well known in Cartmel and Kendal, he having been an art student in the latter town and in the employment of Mr Arthur W. Simpson of the "Handicrafts" for a number of years. He was a conscientious student and a fine woodcarver. He was also a man of fine physique standing well over six feet, and was well liked by all with whom he came in contact. Before enlisting he had been engaged in Manchester*. He was in his early thirties.”

*Where he enlisted.

Reverend G. S. Smith adds, “He did not go out for the love of fighting, but left a good post simply for others sake, in order that he might help to get the war over as soon as possible. His life was most unselfishly given in a great cause, and his parents, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy, will feel that his work on earth could not have ended in a more glorious way.”

Curiously, there is no mention in either the local press reports, or in Cartmel parish magazine, but the CWGC records his wife as being Laura Lancaster, of 66, Coare St., Macclesfield. The other slight curiosity is that CWGC and “Soldier’s Died” both give his name as John only and local references are always to Leonard. I have recently discovered that in 1911, he was a boarder with a widow, Laura Antrobus, and her two young children (5 & 4) at 8, Cheltenham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. He subsequently married Laura in the last quarter of 1914 in Didsbury.

Leonard is buried in the Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentières Plot IX, Row C, Grave 51.

Leonard's employer, Arthur Simpson (1857-1922), was well known at the time, and his wood carvings are in great demand in present day auction rooms. Kendal Civic Society have recently placed a plaque on his workplace, at the end of Berry's Yard. Examples of his work can be seen in Abbot Hall Museum and include the choir stalls in St. Mark's, Natland and St. James' Church, Staveley.

The deaths of Leonard, Lt. George Bigland (not on the memorial) and Richard Shaw (q.v.), were marked by the organist, Mr. John Kendall playing the "Dead March" at the Priory Sunday morning service on 11th July, and the singing of the first verse of the National Anthem afterwards.

There are no surviving relatives in Cartmel. The last person named on the family grave is a Mary Lancaster, who died on 26th Jan. 1957. Members of the Lancaster family continued living in Cartmel after the war, on Barngarth, where they owned two houses, facing the Priory. There is a newspaper report of Leonard's youngest brother, Harold Edward, marrying in Chicago in early 1915.