Timothy's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Timothy Lafferty was born in 1890 at Prestbury, near Macclesfield, the son of Julia (née Mahar) and Patrick Lafferty, a general labourer from Ireland. The census of the following year shows the family living at 8 Bollin Grove, Prestbury with Julia’s parents, who were also Irish. Timothy had six older siblings: Ann, Mary, James Joseph, Francis, Thomas (who joined the Irish Guards), and William (who joined the Grenadier Guards).
In 1901, Timothy was living at 9 Bollin Grove with his parents and younger brother Henry (who also joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and was killed in action in France on 5th November 1914). By 1911, Timothy's parents had moved to Dale Brow Cottage in Prestbury; and Timothy, aged 21, was living with his older brother James Joseph at Carrington, near Flixton, Manchester, where, like his brother, he was working as a 'teams man' on a farm - a man who worked with a 'team' of two, three or more horses to work the land.
WW1 SERVICE
Timothy attested at Macclesfield before the start of WW1. His medal record indicates that he arrived in France on 11 August 1914 so it appears that he was with the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers at this time and was transferred to the 1st Battalion at a later date.
At the outbreak of war, the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers were stationed in Portland and they landed at Rouen on 11 August 1914, where they operated as Lines of Communication troops. Timothy was killed in action the following year during the Battle of Festubert on 16 May 1915, aged 25 years.
COMMEMORATION
L/Cpl Timothy Lafferty has no known grave and is commemorated on panel ref. 13 and 14 of the Le Touret Memorial, Richebourg-L'Avoue, Pas De Calais, France.
Locally, L/Cpl Timothy Lafferty is commemorated on the Macclesfield Park Green, Town Hall and St Alban's Church war memorials, and also on Prestbury St Peter’s Church and Adlington St John’s Church war memorials.
Timothy Lafferty's name is also recorded on page 260 of The Welsh National Book of Remembrance for the First World War.
Timothy Lafferty's name is also recorded on page 260 of The Welsh National Book of Remembrance for the First World War.
Researcher: Darryl Porrino
Further research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.