Samuel Bracegirdle's Story.
Samuel Bracegirdle Clark was the eldest sone of Thomas and Susan (Bracegirdle) Clarke. He was married to Maud Cicely Clarke (Dirkin) and lived at 22 Queens Road , Runcorn.
As he was an old member of the local volunteer corps and a member of the National Reserve, he joined the 3rd Bttn Liverpool Regiment on the 18th December 1914, and after a course of training was sent to follow his trade as a fitter at Armstrong and Whitworth at Newcastle in October 1915.
On the 12th June 1918 he was recalled to his regiment and was sent to Cork. He was then drafted to France on active service on the 18th August 1918.
He died of wounds received on 23rd August, 5 days after arriving in the country.
He served his apprenticeship as a fitter with Messrs Lea & Sons, and for 15 years prior to the war had worked at Castner Kellner, Runcorn. For a long period he was also a local secretry to the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. In his youth he was an excellent cricketer and footballer, as well as an active member of the Concervative Party.
He had a younger brother serving in war and four of his brothers in law. Maud was from Cumbria and the 1901 census shows her living in Kendal with her parents and 8 siblings. After the war she emigrated to Canada, and the correspondance address for Samuels pension is 444 Main Avenue Elmwood, Winnipeg. Her