Harry's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Harry Booth was born in Macclesfield in 1887, the son of Ellen (née Podmore) and William Edwin Booth, a silk weaver. In 1891, three-year-old Harry was living at 46 Pitt Street, Macclesfield with his parents and siblings Thomas (7), Harriet Ann (5) and Nelly (1).
By 1901 the family had moved to 5 Hobson St, Macclesfield and included another child, seven-year-old William. Ten years later the family had moved again, to 88 Vincent Street, Macclesfield, and Harry was working as a house painter.
In 1913 Harry married Lucy Sankey Lightfoot at St John's Church, Macclesfield. The following year the couple had a daughter, Hilda.
MILITARY SERVICE
Harry enlisted in the local 1/7th Cheshire (Territorial) Regiment in January 1915 and was allocated service number 3326, which was changed to 291000 when service numbers were reorganised in 1917.
Harry's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 5 April 1918:
Mrs Booth, 82 Vincent St, Macclesfield, has had official news that her husband, Pte Harry Booth, Ches Regt, was killed on March 12th. He was 30 years of age and in civil life was employed as a decorator. Pte Booth was formerly associated with St John's Church and enlisted in the local Territorials in January, 1915. Two brothers are in the Army, one of whom is a Quartermaster-Sergeant in the Cameron Highlanders.
COMMEMORATION
Private Harry Booth is buried in Grave Ref. M. 98. in Jerusalem War Cemetery. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private Harry Booth, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Private Harry Booth is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall and St Michael's Church war memorials, and on the St John's Church roll of honour.
NOTES
Brother of William Booth, who served as Private 40432 with the RAMC, and Thomas Booth, who also served.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births, Marriages
CheshireBMD.org.uk: Marriages
Census (England & Wales): 1891, 1901, 1911
British Army Medal Index Cards (Ancestry)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 5 April 1918
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.