1805 Info 8a: John Henry Crompton - Updated 09 August 2020

1805 Info 8a: John Henry Crompton
His early life in the East Riding

His early life at Lowthorpe, East Yorkshire

REGISTRATION DISTRICT Driffield
1875 Birth in Sub-district of Foston in the County of York
No	When and where born	Name	Sex	Name of father	Name of Mother	Occupation of father	Informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
`15`	`Fourth November 1875 Lowthorpe`	`John Henry`	`Boy`	`Thomas Crompton`	`Margaret Elizabeth Crompton formerly Duggleby`	`Farmer`	`Thomas Crompton Father Lowthorpe`	`Third December 1875`	`John Jamison Registrar`

John Henry's christening record - Lowthorpe Church - 33kB gif

Above: John Henry's christening record - Lowthorpe Church

In October 2010 I visited St. Martin's Lowthorpe and left flowers and a card on John Henry's memorial headstone. John Wresdell, St. Martin's church warden of many years, contacted me to say that my card had resolved a puzzle. Whilst he has seen John Henry's memorial he knew no more. He kindly sent me a photograph of John Henry's entry in St. Martin's baptism record and of the village war memorial, situated inside the church.

John Wresdell did not know why John Henry's name was missing from the tablet.

Left: Lowthorpe war memorial

1895info8a, sheet 2

Above: St. Martins Church, Lowthorpe

Evidence for John Henry's life can be found in the 1881 and 1891 census. The third child and second son of Thomas and Margaret Elizabeth CROMPTON's eleven children John Henry was born at Well Close Farm, Lowthorpe on 04 November 1875. Judging by the size of the farm 'house' and quantity and quality of the out- building, the 575 acres of land rented from the St. Quinten family, and the fourteen farm hands, the governess and two domestic servants John Henry was brought up in a family of some substance. Right: Well Close farm house in the year 2010

Evidence for John Henry's life can be found in the 1881 and 1891 census.

The third child and second son of Thomas and Margaret Elizabeth CROMPTON's eleven children John Henry was born at Well Close Farm, Lowthorpe on 04 November 1875.

Judging by the size of the farm 'house' and quantity and quality of the out- building, the 575 acres of land rented from the St. Quinten family, and the fourteen farm hands, the governess and two domestic servants John Henry was brought up in a family of some substance.

Right: Well Close farm house in the year 2010

1881 Census  Sun/Mon 2/3rd April 1881
Source:         FHL Film  PRO Ref Rg11
                Piece:  4792; Folio:  57; Page:  17;  Sch:  19;
Dwelling:       Well Close Farm
Place:          Parish of Lowthorpe, York, England

Name                      Rel  Mar Age  Occupation                  Birthplace
Thomas Crompton           Head  M  43   Farmer of 575 acres,        Yorks, Nafferton
                                        employing 8 men and 6 boys
Margaret Crompton         Wife  M  34                               Yorks, Barmston
Charles William Crompton  Son       9   Scholar                     Yorks, Lowthorpe
Mary Agnes Crompton       Dau       7   Scholar                     Yorks, Lowthorpe
John Henry Crompton       Son       5   Scholar                     Yorks, Lowthorpe
Richard Cecil Crompton    Son       4                               Yorks, Lowthorpe
Margaret L. Crompton      Dau       1m                              Yorks, Lowthorpe
Mary Ann Laytham          Gov   S  21   Governess                   Beds, Wymington
Annie Kitchen             Serv  S  23   Domestic servant            Yorks, Malton
Mary Elliot               Serv  S  19   Domestic servant            Yorks, Hull Bridge 
Sarah Thurlow             Serv  S  13   Nursemaid                   Yorks, Ruston Parva

1805info8a, sheet 3

John Sykes                Serv  S  21   Farm servant indoors        Yorks, Sherburn
William Hudson            Serv  S  21   Farm servant indoors        Yorks, Barythorpe 
Thomas Sharp              Serv  S  16   Agricultural labourer       Yorks, Wetwang
David Walker              Serv  S  16   Agricultural labourer       Yorks, Huggate 
Henry Greenlow            Serv  S  15   Agricultural labourer       Yorks, Nafferton 
Francis Bell              Serv  M  49   Agricultural labourer       Lincs, Realsby 
George Davison            Serv  M  62   Rat catcher                 Yorks, Rillington

*Right:* The 1854 Ordnance Survey map locating Well Close Farm in Lowthorpe. John Henry's family memorial is situated by the now infrequently used area of the graveyard by the west window of St Martin' Church.

*Right: Map locating Lowthorpe in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Click* on the map to open an A4 portrait map locating Lowthorpe in a wider context - its proximity to Hull.

1805info8a, sheet 4

The continued affluence of the family, after Thomas' death, is reinforced by the 1891 census which shows that John Henry was still at school at the age of 15. His records in the Roll of Honour in the Australian War Memorial, completed after his death, states that he attended Beverley High School, which should, perhaps, have been The Grammar School, since the High School was for girls. To complicate matters even more Beverley Grammar School, in 2003, was unable to find any record of his attendance.


Above: The sign board to Beverley Grammar School Right: The buildings of Beverley Grammar School

Many of his family, including his father, went to Pocklington Grammar, a family tradition the you would expect to continue.

If John Henry attended a school such as Beverley or Pocklington, both a distance from Lowthorpe, then it is likely that he was a border at home at the time of the census - Easter holidays(?).

1891 Census   Sun/Mon 5/6th April 1891
Source:       FHL Film  PRO Ref Rg12
              Piece 3953 Folio 65 Page 18
Dwelling:     Well Close Farm
Place:        Lowthorpe, York, England

Name                  Rel Mar Age  Occupation         Birthplace
Margaret E Crompton  Head Wid  44  Farmer            Yorks, Barmston
Charles W Crompton   Son  S    19  Farmer's son      Yorks, Lowthorpe
Mary A Crompton      Dau       17                    Yorks, Lowthorpe
John H Crompton      Son       15  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
Richard C Crompton   Son       14  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
Margaret L Crompton  Dau       10  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
Constance E Crompton Dau        8  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
William E Crompton   Son        7  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
Arthur M Crompton    Son        3  Scholar           Yorks, Lowthorpe
Mary E S Watson      Serv  S   23  Governess School  Yorks, Ackworth
Frances A Mainprize? Serv  S   20  Domestic serv     Yorks, Gembling
Mary J Clubley       Serv  S   19  Domestic serv     Yorks, Carnaby

Banking in Beverley, East Yorkshire

Although his Australian army enlistment papers given as his 'trade' as 'Bank clerk', nothing has been found in Beverley trade directories to identify his position.

1805info8a, sheet 5

Emigration

An outline of John Henry' early life is revealed in the surviving part of letter sent by Thomas CROMPTON to Eileen CROMPTON, his daughter-in-law, in 1939 from UK to Kenya.

Dear Harry & Eileen,
I send you a short Pedigree of our family .... Harvey CROMPTON [John Henry] Farmed in S.Africa for a time, then in Canada. He was killed in France [sic] in Australian Army.

John Henry and the Second South African War (The Boer War)

A John CROMPTON, known as Jack, homesteaded in Wainwright, Alberta in 1906. The Edgerton and District Historical Society (1976) published a local history book entitled "The Winds of Change". In it Richard POSTANS penned several entries concerning early pioneers, including an article on Jack (John Henry) CROMPTON, in which he recorded, 'Jack CROMPTON was a well educated man and had travelled extensively. He was a correspondent and photographer for a London newspaper in the South African War' (1899-1902).

At this moment nothing is known about his life was a war correspondent. However, since the Richard POSTANS account of John Henry's life has proved reliable there is nothing to caste doubt on this probability. It is know that:

John Henry does not appear to be recorded in the 1901 census.
John Henry appears in neither the outward bound (Source: The National Archives (TNA), Kew, London, BT27 1890-1966) or in-coming passenger lists (Source: TNA BT26 1890-1966), so it is possible he sailed on military transport. This hypothesis is reinforced by John Henry passport application dated 20 March 1902. (Source: TNA FO 611/19)
There are no CROMPTONs listed as correspondents in the 'Register of the Second Anglo- Boer War 1899 to 1902', which would cover the missing data in the 1901 census. (Source: TNA WO 32/7138)
War Correspondents, under certain circumstances, were awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal without clasp. There is no evidence of a JH CROMPTON being awarded this medal and its ribbon is not shown on his Australian tunic. (Source: TNA WO 32/8559)

John Henry may have been a war correspondent but failed to qualify for the medal. The file 'Medals for War Correspondents' charts the qualification debate during the Committee meetings of 27 February 1902 and 13 October 1902. Source: TNA WO 32/8560
An undated War Office codicil (Source:* TNA WO32/8560)* suggests a minimum of six months service accompanying the Force, unless invalided for wounds. Being invalided for sickness was not acceptable. Forty-seven correspondents did not accompany troops into the field.

As well as receiving a salary of ?50 'in addition to all his out of pocket expenses' the Correspondent must be from 'a duly accredited newspaper', described as:

Source: 'Revised Rules for Newspaper Correspondents at the Seat of War', TNA WO 32/7138

Newspaper Correspondents rules - 23kB jpg

1805info8a, sheet 6

A full list of those papers so accredited, and their correspondents, is not available. However, because of the correspondence concerning who should and should not receive the Medal a sample of papers sending journalists to the War include: The Melbourne Age, Daily Telegraph, Manchester Guardian, London Evening News and Chicago Record.

John Henry, the South African farmer

If John Henry had been a War Correspondent then he may have been tempted to return to South Africa as a farmer. Richard POSTANS continued: 'After the [Boer] war he and a brother farmed in South Africa until a disease (sleeping sickness) killed off their cattle.

A search of The National Archives outward passenger list show two CROMPTON's whose ages match John Henry's birth year of 1875. One gives his occupation as a ' clerk', which links to his Australian army attestation paper where his UK occupation is given as 'bank clerk'.

Right: Passenger record for John Henry's emigration to South Africa
Source: TNA BT 27

Name	J H Crompton
Date of Departure	21 August 1902
Port of Departure	Liverpool
Passenger destination port	Sydney, Australia
Passenger destination	Cape, South Africa
Age	A[dult]
Maternal status	Single
Sex	Male
Occupation	Clerk
Passenger record on page	3
Ship	Persic
Official number
Master's name	FH Armstrong
Steamship line	White Star Line
Square feet
Registered tonnage	11973
Passengers on voyage	320+100 000 refrigerated carcasses

John henry's embarkation to Cape Town 21aug1902 - 130kb gif

Above: A composite image of John Henry's embarkation to Cape Town 21 August 1902 on the Persic.
Click on the image to open the full width. Source: TNA BT 27/377

1805info8a, sheet 7

In 1899 the Persic was built by Harland and Wolff of Belfast for the White Star Line as a cargo vessel for the Liverpool - Sydney route.

Right: SS Persic

This brother, mentioned by Richard POSTANS was Richard Cecil, known as Dick, who was a miller by trade. He is recorded on the ' Gascon's' passenger list of 28 August 1905 as sailing from East London to Southampton.

John Henry landed in Southampton six months later on 20 January 1906 from the Union Castle liner 'Guelph' as a third class passenger who boarded at East London. The passenger list gives his occupation as 'farmer'.

Right: The Union Castle 'Guelph'