Hi
The papers have arrived. The cost was $12.40 for the copies plus $6.75 postage and handling charge.
As we already know from his Attestation Paper, Hobson enlisted in the 181st Battalion, Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 25th August 1916. He was single and named his sister as his next of kin. Amongst the other papers is a “Form of Will” signed on 9th January 1917 bequeathing everything to her.
He was discharged (by reason of demobilisation) on 27th April 1919.
As far as I can make out from the various codes, abbreviations and illegible handwriting on his documents, he sailed to England in April 1917 (on HMS Grampian) with the 181st Battalion arriving at Liverpool. In May 1917 he was transferred to the 18th Res Battalion at Dibgate. In September 1917 he was transferred to the 52nd Battalion and went to France. His “Proceedings on Discharge” form indicates that he served there for fourteen months. He was transferred from the 52nd Battalion to the 3rd Battalion CMGC during 1918. In February 1919 he was at Seaford where his Leaving the Service Medical Examination took place (he was declared to be healthy) and he was "demobbed" in April 1919.
One of the (previous research) problems concerning Hobson was that an Hobson Thorpe married a Margaret Swarbrick in 1917 in Clitheroe, Lancashire but our Hobson was thought to be in Canada around that time and so it was assumed that they were probably two different people (although there is only one suitable birth registration for anyone of that name). This Hobson’s Attestation Paper confirmed, from his age, birth place and his sister’s name, that he was definitely “our “ Hobson and that he was single. As mentioned above, on 9th January 1917 he bequeathed everything to his sister, Jane Preston, who was named as his next of kin. That seemed to reinforce the view that the Hobson Thorpe who married in Clitheroe must be someone else.
However, amongst the papers received is the answer. On 4th August 1917 he was “granted permission to marry” and on 7th September 1917 he signed a new “Form of Will” bequeathing everything to his wife, Margaret. A few of the papers received deal with his pay and allowances and as from 5th September 1917 a Separation Allowance was payable to his wife, Margaret Thorpe, 7 Park Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Although there is not a great deal of "military" information included in the papers, they are interesting and the references to his marriage have been extremely useful.
Thank you again for guiding me to them and for helping me to understand how to obtain them
.
DS
ps Hobson died in 1943 in Clitheroe aged 68. His wife, Margaret, died in 1956 aged 79. In 1920 they had a daughter called Helen.
