The Story of Gunner Samuel Yates

Early Years

Samuel Yates and his twin sister Mary were born on 14 August 1877 in Croft, Lancashire to local butcher Samuel Yates and his wife Mary-Ann.
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They were baptised at Croft Unitarian Chapel on 19 August 1877.

Entry from the original register of Croft Unitarian Chapel

​In the 1881 census the family are living on Warrington Road, Croft.
In the 1891 census they are living at Barracks Cottages, Mill House Lane in Croft.

Marriage and Children

In 1900, Samuel married Lizzie Hankin Meeks at Christ Church, Croft. They had a son, Harry in April 1901.
In the 1901 census they are living together at Jacques Houses in Croft.
They had another four children together, all boys. Robert, James,
​John and Frank.
In 1911 the family had moved to Orford.

Military

Samuel signed up for military service on 4th December 1915 and was transferred into the Army reserve.

On 18th April 1917 he was mobilised and posted to the
Royal Garrison Artillery Depot.  On 11th May he was posted to the 1st Reserve Brigade.
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On 30th August 1917 he was declared a deserter. He was apprehended by civil police on 16th September 1917 and admitted to Lord Derby War Hospital on the same day. His diagnosis was ​‘Insanity aggravated by service’.
He was discharged from the army on 13th July 1918, his medical notes stating:

"On 22nd May 1918 he suddenly became acutely excited and confused, evidently in a state of extreme terror and apprehensiveness"
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His mental and physical condition worsened after his discharge. Whilst he himself was unwell, his 11-year-old son John tragically died in June 1920, and then Samuel passed away in Rainhill Asylum on 9 July 1920 at the age of 42.
His death certificate states both Insanity and TB as causes of death.
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He was buried next to his Mother’s grave at Christ Church, Croft with a designated Official Commonwealth War Grave Commission Headstone.

The Yates' Family graves at Christ Church

He was one of 55,000 men who returned from war with TB and one of the 18,000 who had died from it by 1922.
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His father Samuel Yates was still living on Mill House Lane, Croft when his son died. Three years later when he passed away, he joined the family grave at Christ Church.
 
Samuel was the Great Grandson of Samuel and Ellen Yates, who together built Croft Unitarian Chapel on Lady Lane, Croft.
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The Yates Family were well known butchers in Leigh and Warrington and the company is still in business today as 'Yates & Greer'.

Remembrance

Despite having an official CWGC grave and being born, bred and buried in Croft, Samuel is not named on the Croft War Memorial in the church or at
​Croft Village Memorial Hall.
There is currently a campaign running to include him, and others who were missed off.

They all made the ultimate sacrifice.

Update from Croft Village Memorial Hall

​The Memorial Hall have now made the decision that Samuel Yates will not be added to the plaque outside the hall or at the church. This is because unfortunately there is no evidence to show him actually going to war.

​I have provided them with the following, which is everything that is available:

Death Certificate, CWGC Roll of Honour Certificate, War Pension Card, Medical Discharge Form, Enrolment Papers, Imperial War Graves Commission Headstone Inscription Form, War Dead Listing for Warrington Rural District.

Without proof that he actually went to fight, the Memorial Hall committee believe that rather than being missed off the plaque due to error, that it was a decision made by villagers at the time and they do not want to change that.

As with the other soldiers, he will be included on the new memorial which we are fundraising for.

Donate to the War Memorial

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