Lance Corporal Peter White
By Peter Hoben (his great nephew)
The
picture shows 1410 lance corporal Peter White 2nd from left. Peter served in
1/6 battalion of the Sherwood Foresters probably in G company, son of George and
Pheobe Ann White of Park Row, Clay Cross. He died from injuries on 24 August
1915 and is buried at Abbeville cemetery in France. Below is an excerpt from the
Derbyshire Times.
Your son lies in hospital suffering from wounds, a stray bullet passing
through his stomach and out through his arm. I want you to know your Son was
brought to us in a very serious condition and the surgeon found it necessary to
operate immediately and I am glad to say the operation was entirely successful
and the surgeon has strong hopes for his recovery. You may be rest assured
everything possible will be done for him. He is in good hands and the best of
all he is in Gods hands. Your son is in good spirits and is anxious you should
know just where he is. I hope to have some brighter news for you in a few days
time.In October of that year his Father George Hodgkinson White died from a fall of four or five cwt of coal at North Wingfield Colliery. There was an inquest which was held in the Alma Hotel at North Wingfield and a large funeral was conducted through Clay Cross and is buried in Clay Cross cemetery. there's is also a long report in the Derbyshire Times of both the Inquest and the funeral.
From my investigations, George Hodgkinson White also known as Raddy Roo was a
real character, he was born at Stonebroom out of wedlock and was named George
Hodkinson White. His mother lived with her mother a family called Rooth in North
Wingfield and so was called George Rooth, when his mother married Peter Taylor
(Farmer on High St Clay Cross) he was called George Taylor. He served in the
army, was put in prison for sheep stealing and was rumoured to have a fox n
hounds tatooed in a rather delicate place.
So my great Aunt lost both her son and husband in the space of a few months.