Pte 50189 Richard Thomas Dewhurst

• Age: 27
• From: Blackburn
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 22nd November 1917
• Commemorated at: Nine Elms Brit Cem Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: IX.F.12

Richard Thomas Dewhurst was born on the 25th June 1891 at Blackburn and was baptised on the 12th August 1891 in Blackburn. He was the son of Richard Dewhurst and his wife Elizabeth (nee Hodson), who had married in St Paul's Church, Blackburn in 1886. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 2 Revidge Road, Blackburn.

The father Richard aged 40, is employed as a domestic coachman and servant, his wife Elizabeth, is aged 27 and has no occupation listed. They have two children living with them; Maria aged 4 and Edith aged 2. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 9 Dandy Row, Blackburn.

His father Richard aged 49, employed as a domestic coachman and labourer, his wife Elizabeth, is aged 38 and is a launderess. At the taking of the Census they have five children living with them; Maria aged 14 is a domestic servant, Edith aged 12, Richard Thomas aged 8, George aged 7 and Alice is aged 4.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 35 Woodbine Road Blackburn.

His father Richard aged 65, born in Blackburn, and is a general labourer, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 46 and was born in Shropshire. They have been married for twenty four years and have had five children of which one had died. There are four children ion the household; Edith aged 22, born 1889 is a sewing machinist in wholesale tailoring, Richard Thomas aged 19, born 1892 is an apprentice blacksmith, George aged 17, born 1894 is an apprentice tailor’s cutter, and Mary Alice aged 14, born 1897 is a sewing machinist in wholesale tailoring.  

He enlisted in Blackburn and originally served as DM2/178870, in the Royal Army Service Corps. Following a transfer he was serving in the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50189.

Richard died of wounds on the 22nd November 1917, aged 27.

He now rests at Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium, where his headstone shows:

“SON OF THE LATE R.D. & ELIZABETH DEWHURST OF BLACKBURN AGED 27 YEARS”

The cemetery was begun and used by the 3rd Australian and 44th Casualty Clearing Stations when they moved to Poperinghe (now Poperinge), from Brandhoek and Lijssenthoek respectively, in September 1917. Nearly all the burials in Plots I to IX came from these Casualty Clearing Stations, whilst they operated in this area during the 1917 Battle of Ypres, up until December 1917.

Plots X, XI, XIII, XIV and XV cover the dates between the beginning of March, 1918 and the 12th October, 1918, the period of the German offensive in Flanders, the British counter attacks and the final advance of August-September. The burials in these cases were carried out almost entirely by fighting units.

The cemetery contains 1,556 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 37 German war graves from this period. There are also 22 Second World War burials in the cemetery, all dating from the Allied retreat to Dunkirk in 1940.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to his mother Elizabeth.

Richard is also remembered on a panel at St Silas Church, Blackburn (named Dewhurst, Thomas R.)

We currently have no further information on Richard Thomas Dewhurst, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.