Samuel's Story.
Samuel Hankey was born in Northwich on 25 August 1894, the son of Phoebe (née Brown) and Emmanuel Hankey, a labourer. In 1901, seven-year-old Samuel was living at 16 Winnington's Court, Northwich with his parents and siblings John (12), Ann (8), Emanuel (3) and Harry (2).
The following year Samuel was admitted to Danebridge Church of England Junior School, Northwich (from the Infants School) and his address was recorded as 45 Leicester Street, Northwich.
Some time after 1902 Samuel was sent to Macclesfield Industrial School. He left the school on 24 May 1910, and then worked as a shoemaker for Mr Postle, of Wilmslow Road, Bramhall, until 1911.
By 1911 the family had moved to 10 Fairyard, Northwich, and Samuel, then aged 16, was working with his father as a labourer in a Northwich shipyard. The census shows that there were now seven children. The family later lived at 2 House 2 Court, New Street, Northwich.
Samuel enlisted on the 1 September 1914, two weeks later on the 15 September he was posted to the 10th Battalion. He gave his age as 20, he was 5ft 4 ½ inches and weighed 112lbs, he had a fresh complexion with blue eyes and fair hair.
The 10th Battalion was formed at Chester on the 10 September 1914 and came under the orders of the 75th Brigade, part of Kitchener’s Third Army (KS3), they first moved to Codford St Mary and then by November 1914 they were in billets in Bournemouth. They moved back to Codford early in 1915 and by May 1915 continued their training in Aldershot. During this period Samuel had a few problems with the military way of life, his conduct sheet lists that on 13 March 1915 while at Codford he broke out of the camp at approximately 9:30pm returning two days later at 8:45am, for this he was deprived of three day’s pay. On the 1 April still at Codford he again broke out of the camp at about 10pm and didn’t return for seven days, the punishment this time was the loss of seven day’s pay, and he was confined to barracks for five days. At Aldershot on the 24 September, he was charged on two accounts 1. Not complying with an order. 2. Threatening an N.C.O. He was confined to barracks for 15 days, however two days later, on the 26 September 1915 Samuel and the 10th battalion sailed from Folkstone to France.
The 10th Battalion were sent to the Ploegsteert area of Belgium and spent Christmas 1915 there. By this time the Battalion had transferred to the 7th Infantry Brigade, 25th Division. On 13th January 1916 they moved into the frontline relieving the 3rd Worcestershires. Battalion war diaries do not often mention rank and file soldiers, however in the early months numerous names are mentioned in the battalion diaries.
The war diary for the 17 January states: Pte Hankey B. Company killed by rifle fire while on sentry duty, buried in Rifle House Cemetery. Samuel's war had lasted 134 days.
Samuel's death was reported in the Macclesfield Courier on 5th February 1916:
SHOT ON SENTRY DUTY - TALE OF A MACCLESFIELD INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL BOY
News reached Northwich on Friday morning of the death in action of Private Samuel Hankey of the 10th Cheshire Regiment. He had been in France for a little over three months, and he fell a victim to a sniper's bullet on the night of January 18th. Private Hankey was the son of Mr and Mrs E Hankey, of 10 York Place, Whalley Road, Northwich. He was formerly an inmate of the Macclesfield Industrial School, which he left on May 24th, 1910, being placed out as a shoemaker with Mr Postle, Wilmslow Road, Bramhall. In May 1911 he went home to work with his father in a shipbuilding yard at Northwich, and worked there until he enlisted. Hankey's three brothers are also serving.
In May 1916 when the War Office sent his personal property back, the family had moved to 10 York Place, Northwich. Samuel's family would have received three war medals - the 14/15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals; in 1919 his mother Phoebe received £5 10 shillings war gratuity.
Private Samuel Hankey is commemorated on the Macclesfield Park Green, Macclesfield Industrial School and Northwich Dane Bridge war memorials.
Samuel's brother Emmanuel served as Private 50169, 9th Cheshire Regt. and was killed in action on 20 September 1917.
Headstone picture © Cheshire Roll of Honour
Further research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.