Thomas Follows's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Thomas Follows Howarth was born on 14th September 1883 and baptised on 1st October at Christ Church, Stafford, the youngest son of Sarah Jane (née Follows) and Peter Howarth, a shoemaker of Albert Terrace, Stafford who was born in Macclesfield.
In 1891, Thomas was living with his parents and older siblings Peter, William and Edith at the Bird in Hand Public House, Victoria Square, 22 Mill Street, Stafford, where his father was the licensee.
Thomas married widow Fanny Boddington (née Price) at Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1909, and two years later in 1911 the couple were living at Leek Coffee Tavern with their newborn daughter, also named Fanny, and Fanny's youngest daughter, 13 year old Dorothy Boddington. Thomas gave his occupation as Cook and Furniture Dealer. Fanny's first husband, William, had died in 1908.
WW1 SERVICE
Thomas stated that he was a resident of Macclesfield when he joined the 1st Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment at Liverpool. He entered France on 28th November 1914 and was killed in action on 10th March 1915, aged 31 years.
COMMEMORATION
Private Thomas Howarth is buried in grave reference IX. E. 18. in Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery in France. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private Thomas Howarth, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Thomas Howarth is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall and St Michael's Church war memorials.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.