Gunner Edwin Stoker
Royal Field Artillery, Service no. 20462
Born: 22nd February 1888. Died: 1967
Acting Bombardier Herbert Stoker
Royal Field Artillery, Service no. 9112
Born: 1896
Story
Edwin was the last of ten children born to John Stoker (1836-1895). His father was a Blacksmith, working on Kippax High Street, and had six children with his first wife, Hannah Prentis (1836-1879). After Hannah’s death, John remarried Mary Darley (1847-1899) who was the widow of George Barton (1843-1870). Although her husband had passed away aged 26, Mary already had four children, and went on to have 4 more with John Stoker, the last being Edwin. As his father passed away when Edwin was only 7 years-old, and his mother when he was 11, Edwin went to live with his half-sister, Elizabeth Hannah Barton, who was his mother’s second child, born to George Barton. Elizabeth had married John William Smith in 1888, the year Edwin was born, and had a daughter, Mary Ann Smith the following year. They lived at Breffit’s Yard, Kippax High Street, and Edwin was working as a Pony Driver at the Colliery. Edwin enlisted on 5th September 1914. He had tattoos on both forearms, he was a 5 ft 4 inches tall coal miner, and he listed his full brother Robert Stoker, who lived on Leeds Lane, as his next of kin. Edwin was virtually deaf in both ears, and had been since the age of two. He was treated in hospital to clear the ear disease, but it was so inflamed his hearing didn’t improve, and he was discharged on 3rd February 1916 as being physically unfit, but with good character recommendations. After the War, Edwin resumed work in the Colliery, and in 1926 he married Rebecca Marshall (21st July 1888 – 20th December 1953) in Dewsbury. They had 5 children, and lived at 36 Sandgate Terrace. Edwin passed away at the age of 79.
Herbert Stoker was Edwin’s half nephew, and was baptised in Kippax on 19th February 1896. Herbert’s parents were Joseph Thomas Stoker, who was the fourth child of John Stoker and Hannah Prentis, and his wife Ellen Russell. They lived on Robinson Lane, Kippax before and after the War. Herbert’s younger brother was William Russell Stoker who was killed during the War on 20th January 1918. Herbert had been a Pony Driver at the Colliery before the War, and returned to Coal Mining immediately after the War, before he emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts.
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