BAMBER BRIDGE IN WORLD WAR 1
75218 Air Mec. W. H. RAINFORD. R.F.C.
William Henry Rainford was born in the first quarter of 1886 at Yealand Conyers, near Lancaster. His father was Thomas Rainford (b. 1855 in Preston), a stable groom. His mother was Mary Teresa Hacker (b. 1868 in Ince Blundell, near Liverpool). Thomas and Mary were married in Liverpool in 1884 and they had three children: Joseph (b. 1885), then William, and Harriet (b. 1895). Thomas died in 1905 and Mary Teresa went to live with her father and William’s siblings at Warton, near Lancaster. I haven’t found William in the Census for that year. In 1913, he married Mary Ellen Taylor at Brownedge St Mary’s. She was born in 1891 and her family came from the School Lane area of Bamber Bridge.
William and Mary Ellen had two children: Mary Ellen (b. 1913) and Agnes Dolores (b. 1916). As the article tells us, William worked for George Woods and Sons, local builders. The family was living at 49 Station Road, Bamber Bridge. The article also says that William tried to join the Army and was first rejected before being accepted into the A.S.C (M.T.). His records show, however, that he was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps as an Air Mechanic (3rd Class), with service number 75218. He died in the Military Isolation Hospital at Aldershot just a month after signing up. His death certificate states that he died of tubercular bronchopneumonia, so he was clearly very ill and should not have been allowed to sign up. He was 31 years old (not 30 as the article says).
Rank: Air Mechanic, 3rd Class
Service Number: 75218
Date of Death: 01/05/1917
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: Royal Flying Corps
Cemetery: BROWNEDGE (ST. MARY) ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHYARD (North part)
Additional Information: Husband of Mary Ellen Rainford, of 49 Station Road, Bamber Bridge
In 1919, Mary Ellen re-married, to Joseph Coupe.