Finding out more info about the Purdy Brothers from Spennymore Durham in WW1

[bazlynda]

Hi,
 I'm hoping someone can help me find out some more information about this family story. The newspaper article below appeared across England in several papers in April 1918 (I've retyped it to make it easier to read )

A Family's Sacrifice (22 June 1918)
Three sons of Mr and Mrs Joseph Purdy of Cornforth, Durham have been killed in action during the past six weeks;
Private Wildred Purdy, Scots Fusiliers, aged 22
Corporal Joseph Purdy, R.F.A, aged 40
Driver Tom Purdy, aged 19
Mr and Mrs Purdy's other 3 sons are in the Army; one in France, another in hospital in Egypt; and the third on leave recovering from gas.

It mentions Joseph Purdy (1853-1928) and Isabella Purdy nee Cochrane/Corkin (1865-1934) finding out that they had lost 3 sons in the space of 6 weeks of WW1 with another 3 still surviving and 2 of those injured.

I want to find out as much as I can about the 6 brothers. I think it will be a fascinating story.
So far I have the following information;
1) Joseph Purdy - seems to have been one that died after the article (1875-1918?) but haven't confirmed his details
2) William Purdy (1877-1918) - service No - 102780 - Royal Engineers, 255th Tunnelling Co - died from injuries sustained in Flanders, buried in Belgium
3) Tom Purdy (1897-1918) - service No - 26397 - Royal Horse Artillery- died 4Jun1918 - although the article only calls him a driver with no rank
4) Wilfred Purdy (1899-1918) - service no 302386 - The Royal Scots 8th Battalion
There were two others that served, from the remaining 5 brothers; The remaining brothers were
5) Robert Purdy (1876-  )
6) George Purdy (1888-1941)
7) John Purdy (1890-   )
Arthur Purdy (1894-  )
9) Jim Henry Purdy (1902-1979) - unlikely to have served - too young

The Dad (Joseph) married Emma Oxborough(1854-1885) and had Joseph, Robert, and William. He married Isabella Cochrane 2 years after Emma's death and had another 6 boys and 4 girls.
My grandmother (Jessie Smith nee Davies 1913-2002) was the daughter of one of the girls (Isabella 1892-1929) and told us lots of tales about how brave her uncles were and how sad it was when they didn't come home.

I really would like to do justice to the tale and learn as much as I can about these brave men.
Does anyone have any links to these men or can offer any advice?

[CaroleW]

Have you checked the Surname Interests Board - scroll to bottom of this page & link is under TOOLS

Have you checked if anybody has a tree on Ancestry?  I can see at least one so you may want to contact the tree owner

www.cwgc.org will give you their dates of death

As you are not related - how do you intend to use any info found?

[softly softly]

1911 census

Arthur   Purdy   Son   Single   Male   17   1894   Blacksmith striker   Durham Spennymoor

1921 census
Arthur   Purdy   Boarder   Male   1893   28   Spennymoor, Durham, England   Blacksmith   Head Wrightson & Co Ltd

SS

[jim1]

Tom Purdy was 26397 Driver in B/153 Bde. R.F.A.
I'll take a look at the others.
Added:
Wilfred Purdy 1st. attested in the 13th. Btn. Glos. Regt.
as Pte. 19977. Transferred to the 2/7/R.S. (Lothian Regt.) 16/12/16
Posted to the 8th. Feb. 1918.
Died at Bois de Pacaut (Bethune)
This was the early days of the German Spring Offensive & he was one of 20 OR's
who died while under a heavy attack.
Joseph O Purdy appears to be a bit of an odd character.
He joined the RFA in 1895 under the name Dixon although he was on the 1911 census
as Oxbrough his mother's maiden name.
He didn't die & was discharged in Oct. 1918.
He joined the Special Reserve in 1907 as Gnr. 277509.
Joseph Oxbrough.
He received the B.W. & Victory Medals to add to the Indian Medal for previous service
as 10494 (under the name Joseph Dixon) on the N.W. Frontier.

[bazlynda]

Thank you for that great start Jim, Softly Softly, and CaroleW.
That gives me quite a bit to work with.

I am related to the brothers - they are my Great GrandUncles (my Great Grandmothers brothers), so my Ancestry tree is linked with other family members trees.
It's just there have been a few dead spots and given the amazing story I was hoping to find any other link I can to this side of the family.
Wow - I am still amazed at how great this RootsChat resource is!

[bazlynda]

Now I am more intrigued.
The newspaper article lists Cpl Joseph Purdy (aged 40) dying within 6 weeks of Wilfred and Tom.
We can confirm Wilfred and Tom, both in genealogy and military records.
But Joseph is a mystery.
As Jim has shown, he changed names a few times and enlisted under different names.
The genealogy supports that , as do the military records?
So who was the Cpl Joseph Purdy that died? And surely the newspaper wouldn't link it to the Purdy family in multiple article entries across the country if it wasn't true???
Was it just a simple mistake?
A Joseph Purdy (241995) from Northumberland Fusiliers died on 26 Oct 1917 - was this one of the other Purdy brothers adopting Dad's name? or is it just a different Purdy family and a simple error was made?

[softly softly]

OXBROUGH, JOSEPH       -   no mmn  "Illegitimate"
GRO Reference: 1874  J Quarter in STOCKTON  Volume 10A  Page 171

Married Ellen Mary Malloy dq 1905 Dover.

On 1911 census with wife and 1 daughter
On 1921 census with wife and 1 daughter & 1 son

1939 register surname (Jose M Oxbraugh) dob 10.4.1874

Died 1955

SS

added

Parents marriage(mistranscription)

Registration Year   1874
[1874]
Registration Quarter   Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district   Stockton
Inferred County   Durham
Volume   10a
Page   63
Records on Page (Name)
Emma Oxbrough
Joseph Turdey

[softly softly]

Births of 2 half brothers of Joseph

PURDEY, ROBERT       OXBROUGH 
GRO Reference: 1875  S Quarter in STOCKTON  Volume 10A  Page 185

PURDEY, WILLIAM       OXBROUGH 
GRO Reference: 1877  D Quarter in STOCKTON  Volume 10A  Page 116

SS

[jim1]

It only takes 1 mistake by 1 newspaper as all the others
would have just copied it.
Tom Purdy died as a L/Bdr. His Brigade were on the Ypres Salient
on the 4th. June 1918. Strangely no casualties are mentioned.
I can't nail his exact position except it was N. of Ypres.
William is even harder as there are no war diaries for 255th. Tunnelling Coy.
However in May 1918 having been pushed back during the German Spring Offensive
they were employed along a 50Km. line from Reningelst (Belgium) to St. Omer (France).
digging & wiring trenches along with a large number of other Tunnelling Coys.
As he's buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery you can safely say somewhere between
Reningelst (Belgium) & the French border.