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George Walter Coupland
Robert Coupland
Six brothers from a working class family in the small settlement of Warrenby on the North East coast of England. Enlisted in 1915 and 1916 to help their country survive one of the sternest tests of it's modern history, The Great War...
A Family at War...
John William Coupland
Charles Thomas Coupland
Joseph Coupland
Richard Coupland
Warrenby...
Warrenby...
Warrenby was a small settlement that was established shortly after an Ironworks was established nearby the mouth of the river Tees in the North East of England in around 1879.
Constructed on marshland, a stones throw from Coatham beach it became a well ordered and close community, grouped around a Church, a School and a Hotel.
John William Coupland...
On the 1911 census John William Coupland, born 1882, listed as working at Redcar Ironworks as a Blastfurnaceman/Brick works Labourer.
At that time living at 37 Wilton Street in Redcar.
On the 22nd January 1915, at Redcar he enlisted for Service with the Yorkshire Regiment. regimental Number 20062 he was posted to the local 'Teesside Battalion' as it became.
12th (Service) Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Teesside Pioneers) initially raised and trained at Marton Hall near Middlesbrough.
By 1916 and the 'Shell Scandal' men were being released from their units and sent back to their civilian employers, that were part of the production of material for prosecuting the war. Such as in the Teesside area was mainly Iron and Steel...
As shown by the two letters seen above JW Coupland was released back to work in 'Redcar Ironworks' now owned by Bell Brothers Ltd.
However, if you read this document carefully; he went via Messrs. Cookson and co. at Willington Quay before Dorman Long eventually managed to claw him back into the Iron Industry in Redcar...
Following the war John William stayed with Dorman Long as we can see from this copy of the 1921 Census, The address says 18 The Green 'Coatham' but must really be Dormanstown...
John William Coupland died he was buried in Redcar Cemetery, 19th April 1953 aged 77...
Charles Thomas Coupland...
Charles Thomas Coupland, is shown on the 1921 Census as living at 3 North Terrace, Coatham. Born in 1889, he was listed as an 'Amusment Caterer'...
On the 2nd February 1915, at Redcar he enlisted for Service with the Yorkshire Regiment. regimental Number 20129 he was posted to the local 'Teesside Battalion' as it became.
12th (Service) Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Teesside Pioneers) was initially raised and he also trained at Marton Hall near Middlesbrough...
He also was 'Temporarily' released from Service and was returned to his civilian job at Bolkow and Vaughans IronWorks at South Bank near Middlesbrough.
He was finally discharged on the 7th January 1918, remaining at his job at Redcar Ironworks, Warrenby.
He had married Lily A Hartgrove in early 1912, their son George W was born the following year in 1913...
Joseph Coupland...
Joseph Coupland...
In 1901 Joseph Coupland was listed on the Census as being born born in Warrenby in 1891, a small community built near the Redcar Ironworks owned Walker, Maynard & Co Ltd
By the time of the 1911 census Joseph Coupland, was listed as working as a 'Horseman', and living at Holm Farm, High Worsall, near Yarm...
He married Ruth Atkinson in 1917, Ruth was a member of the well known Atkinson family of 38 Arthur Terrace in New Marske. She was working in Leeds as a 'Domestic Servant' at that time.
How did they meet, perhaps Joseph was on leave from his Regiment in Leeds at that time and they were married in 1917...
When the Great War began in August 1914, Joseph enlisted straightaway, requesting a posting to the Royal Field Artillery, as he was a trained Horseman.
Even though he had been living and working in Yarm, it seems by 1914 he had returned to Warrenby, and was working in the Ironworks now owned by Bell Brothers Ltd.
Like many men, and similar to his brothers, Joseph was recalled for secondment back to his civilian employers.
The iron and steel industry was now producing at maximum capacity to supply armaments but in the first call for volunteers, any and all men were accepted.
Which proved to be a bad decision a year later when arm production began to ramp up but lots of skilled men were now in the British Army...
Following the war, in 1921 Joseph and Ruth are shown on the 1921 Census as living in Dormanstown at 57, Broadway West. Joseph by this time was a Blast Furnace Keeper so presumably he had a small number of men working for him...
It must have been at this time that Joseph became invovled with local Politics, entering the elections to become a Local Alderman of the Borough of Redcar Council, responsible for the Dormanstown Ward. There are press reports that show that Joseph Couplands proud achievemnet in his early Political career, was the building of 'Pensioners Bungalows' on Broadway. These buildings are still standing and are currently being refurbished by Redcar and Cleveland Council, to modernise and once again house local pensioners...
In the 26th October edition of Redcars newspaper the 'Cleveland Standard' Joseph had been re-elected as Alderman (Councillor) for the Dormanstown Ward of Redcar Borough Council...
In 1936 Joseph was elected by the Aldermen of Redcar to become the Mayor of the Town. A most distinguished position for a lad of working class people from a tiny community on the outskirts of Redcar... The photo above, has been greatly received by the author, after was rescued from a rubbish skip outside the old Redcar Council Offices during it's demolition to make way for the Cherry Trees housing development. fortunately it managed to find it's way to Joyce Charleswood, who is one of the Great Nieces of Joseph...
In 1951 Joseph Coupland was granted the Freedom of the Borough, seen here accompanied by his Lady Mayoress Ruth.
Richard Coupland...
According to the 1911 Census, Richard was living at 6 Downey Street in the small community of Warrenby, Coatham near Redcar, on the North East coast of England.
Born in 1887 to William and Mary Anne Coupland...
Richard like his brothers, was working at the 'Redcar Ironworks' for which Warrenby had been specifically built to house the workforce.
He was employed as a 'Blastfurnaceman' enduring conditions like those seen above...
Following the start of the First World War, Richard enlisted with the Army on the 8th February 1915. With hi brothere Charles and John, he joined the 'Teesside Battalion' enlisting at Marton. This was the initial Depot for the 12th Service Battalion Yorkshire Regiment at Marton Hall. Both of his brothers were already with the Battalion and possibly they encouraged him to join them in the same Battalion (coincidently the Teesside Pioneers were a so called Pals Battalion) whilst he still could.
There were quite a few men from the Redcar area already with the 12th so he was very much amongst 'Pals'...
In much the same way as a lot of men who were employed in industries vital to the war effort, Richard was released from service and sent back to England to resume his civilian employment.
Unfortunately, according to this letter he wasn't sent back to Warrenby but waylayed and sent to a Messrs. Cookson & Co Willington Quay Lead Manufacturers in County Durham...
He was still employed by the Army and therefore still subject to Kings Regulations. Which in some cases was advantageous as the employer would 'make up' the mans wages if the amount was greater than his Army Pay...
It appears during June of 1916, whilst working at Willington he contracted influenza and was 'reported sick'.
His service records also show he was still suffering the effects of his illness, no doubt made worse by the conditions at redcar Ironworks
Following his bout of illness, it seems that his employment error was reversed.
Had he returned home to Warrenby at this time, did he appeal his employment status as by the 16th of august 1916 he was returned to Dorman Long & Co at Redcar Ironworks...
Following his war service, Richard was reported on the 1921 Census as living at 66 Broadway West, Dormanstown. Not far from his brother Joseph.
By 1921 Richard was married and had four children, and was still working at Redcar Ironworks...
The 1939 register, which was taken in the run up to world War 2, has him working for the local 'Corporation' as a Gardiner. This change to working in a Pastoral job may have been due to the effects of working in the Ironworks, exacerbated by his illness in 1916...
Richard died in January of 1949 aged 62, he is buried in the quiet churchyard of St Nicholas church in Kirkleatham village...
George Walter Coupland...
George Walter Coupland...
George Walter was born in 1895, and according to the 1911 census was working as a Bricklayers Labourer.
Still living at 6 Snipe Street with his parents, aged 16 and curiously was always known as Walter...
But then I'm John Gary, always called Gary?...
Unfortunately, George's service records were lost to a fire, ironically started by the Germans!. This time in 1940, when the repository was hit by incendury munitions and destroyed the majority of records...
This Wounded Report shows however, that George was wounded in 1916 whilst serving with 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, which probabaly means he was a pre-war Territorial Force Volunteer...
It shows he suffered a Gun Shot Wound (GSW) to his fore arm right, Slt (Slight), a nice 'Blighty one'...
By 1921, George who was always known as Walter, was married and living in Dormanstown at 28 Braodway West. Just along the road from his brothers!!...
George Walter died in 1952 and is buried in Redcar cemetery, aged 57...
Robert Coupland...
Robert Coupland...
Also from the 1911 Census Robert Coupland born in 1897 and was working aged 14 at a local farm (Marsh House?) as a 'Servant' quite what this entailed is open to debate but he was still at home in Snipe street Warrenby...
From records available it looks like he did enlist in 1918 and following his initial training he was posted to 24th Povisional Battalion, which I believe took over in 1917 after a War Office training re-organisation from 14th Reserve Battalion. Located at Hartlepool, it was initially the replacement Depot for the 12th Service Battalion aka the 'Teesside Pioneers'. The war ended before he could be sent to France...
By 1921 Census Robert was married to Sarah Anne Rees...
Sadly Sarah died in 1933...
On 18 April 1936, Robert re-married to Mrs Hilda Smith, according to this clip from Redcar's newspaper the 'Cleveland Standard...
Robert died in 1960 aged 63 and was also buried in Redcar cemetery along with his brothers...
The story of six brothers all who were born in Warrenby and worked in the Redcar Ironworks for the most part, all displayed their loyalty and service during one of the worst conflicts in Europe. Going on to become well known and loved within the Redcar community, indeed one became the towns Mayor. It demonstrates the era at the beginning of the 20th century when family meant everything but life was very precarious. This family survived two world wars and the destruction of their childhood homes but the beginning of another tight knit community in Dormanstown.
Times have changed vastly in this 21st century but families never do...
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