William Baggaley's Story.
William was the family’s second child and eldest son. His parents were William and Mary and, when the census was taken in 1901, he was living with them and his other siblings, Elizabeth, Arthur and Sarah, at 45 Bloom Street, Edgeley. He was home on leave when he was taken ill and died very soon afterwards. Reporting his death, the Stockport Advertiser, in its edition of 14 March 1919, wrote “He had distinguished himself in the naval service, was a promising young officer and had been recommended for naval honours for some clever and gallant operations during the War.”
Whilst the fighting had stopped when the Armistice had been signed the previous November, there was no guarantee that it would not start up again and, as such, all deaths of men still serving were treated as war deaths by the War Graves Commission until the peace agreements were finally signed in 1921. The Advertiser also noted that William’s brother died during the War. This must be Private Arthur Allsop, 6th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, who died on 27 August 1917. His father is recorded as being Mr W Allsop of Eaton Villa, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. It is not known when Mr Eaton had moved to Matlock or when he returned to Stockport as his address on William’s commemoration is given as “Whitefield”, Edgeley Road, Cheadle Heath. It is also not known why only William is commemorated on a local War Memorial.
Whilst the fighting had stopped when the Armistice had been signed the previous November, there was no guarantee that it would not start up again and, as such, all deaths of men still serving were treated as war deaths by the War Graves Commission until the peace agreements were finally signed in 1921. The Advertiser also noted that William’s brother died during the War. This must be Private Arthur Allsop, 6th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, who died on 27 August 1917. His father is recorded as being Mr W Allsop of Eaton Villa, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. It is not known when Mr Eaton had moved to Matlock or when he returned to Stockport as his address on William’s commemoration is given as “Whitefield”, Edgeley Road, Cheadle Heath. It is also not known why only William is commemorated on a local War Memorial.