Bailie, Hugh Samuel (Hugh)
Private
No. 40631, 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
Killed in action on Friday 14 September 1917 (aged 20)
Buried:
Derry House Cemetery No. 2, Belgium (Grave II. E. 3)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Glastry Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
Hugh Samuel Bailie was working as a carter and living at 26½ Kirk Road, Wishaw when he enlisted on 12 December 1915 in Hamilton, Scotland. It was noted in his attestation papers that he was 18 years 9 months old and 5 feet 4¼ inches tall. He cited as his next-of-kin, ‘his father James Bailie’ of Portavogie by Kirk Cubbin.
Private Hugh Samuel Bailie served first with the Highland Light Infantry (No. 31120) and he went to France on 6 October 1916.
Private Hugh Samuel Bailie was transferred to the Royal Scots Fusiliers (No. 40631) on 19 October 1916 and he was appointed as the servant of Second Lieutenant Nisbet.
Private Hugh Samuel Bailie (No. 40631) was killed on 14 September 1917 and it was noted in his service papers that his personal effects were sent to ‘his aunt’, Miss E. J. Bailie in Portavogie. He had not made a will.
Private Hugh Samuel Bailie’s effects comprised a disc, match box, purse, coins, ring, cuff links, dentures, letters, photos, pocket books, religious book and watch (broken); Miss E. J. Bailie acknowledged receipt of these articles.
Second Lieutenant Nisbet wrote to Eliza Jane to convey his sympathy and, in his letter, he referred to Hugh as ‘her brother’. He told Eliza Jane that Hugh had been ‘faithful in all his duties’.
Second Lieutenant Nisbet also assured Eliza Jane that Hugh’s death had been ‘instantaneous and painless’ when he was killed by an exploding shell.
Eliza Jane Bailie placed an Our Heroes – In Memoriam notice in the 14 September 1918 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle. She said:
In loving memory of ‘my dear brother’ and it contained the following verse:
Boy of the smiling eyes, I’ll not forget,
Though you will not return, Life’s not done yet;
In my heart you live, never to die:
Courage to give to me as years slip by.
Boy of the smiling eyes, it sometimes seems,
That you have never gone – just into dreams.
Strange but you often seem here at my side,
Toddling, a baby still, my joy and pride.
I think upon your smile, dream of your face,
Remember your merry heart, your boyish grace;
So for your sake I smile, boy – boy so dear,
That makes it seem to me still you are near.
Private Hugh Samuel Bailie (No. 40631) was buried in Derry House Cemetery No. 2 in Belgium and he is commemorated in Glastry Presbyterian Church.
In the Newtownards Chronicle it was reported that it was ‘his sister’, Eliza Jane Bailie, who received official notification of his death.
In both the 1901 and 1911 census returns Eliza Jane Bailie is recorded as Hugh Samuel Bailie’s ‘aunt’.
Hugh Samuel Bailie was born on 22 March 1897 in Portavogie and he was baptised in Glastry Presbyterian Church. It is recorded there that his mother was Agnes Bailie and unmarried. In civil records his father’s name is recorded as Hugh McWhinney, a flesher from Comber.
Agnes Bailie was a daughter of James and Jane Bailie (nee Palmer) who were married on 10 March 1866 in Ardkeen Parish Church of Ireland Church. James Bailie (aged 21) from Ratallagh worked as a servant and he was a son of James Bailie, a fisherman. Jane Palmer (aged 21) from Portavogie worked as a seamstress and she was a daughter of John Palmer, a fisherman.
James Bailier worked as a fisherman and labourer and he and Jane had ten children:
Eliza Jane (born 19 April 1867 in Portavogie; died 25 May 1876, the day before Robert was born)
John (born 11 April 1869 in Portavogie)
Annie (born 14 March 1871 in Portavogie)
Agnes (Aggie, born 19 December 1873 in Portavogie)
Robert (born 26 May 1876 in Portavogie)
James (born 21 December 1878 in Portavogie)
Eliza Jane (born 19 June 1881 in Portavogie)
Sarah (born 11 November 1883 in Portavogie)
Samuel (born 27 March 1886 in Portavogie)
William (born 25 December 1889 in Portavogie)
Their mother, Jane Bailie (nee Palmer), died of bronchitis on 2 December 1898 (aged 53) and her daughter Agnes was with her when she died.
Agnes Bailie of Portavogie died of tuberculosis on 21 March 1900 (aged 26) and her sister Eliza Jane was with her when she died.
Their father, James Bailie, married Ellen Jane McConnell (nee Young) on 31 December 1900 in Newtownards Registry Office. James Bailie, a widower and labourer from Portavogie was a son of James Bailie, a fisherman. Ellen Jane McConnell (nee Young) from Portavogie was a daughter of David Young, a fisherman.
James Bailie worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Ellen Jane had one child:
Samuel (born 24 August 1901 in Portavogie)
Ellen Jane McConnell already had a daughter, Catherine (born 2 August 1892 in Portavogie).
Hugh Mawhinney and Margaret Donnan were married on 17 October 1898 in Ballyphilip Church of Ireland Church, Portaferry. Hugh Mawhinney, a butcher from Comber was a son of Andrew Mawhinney, a butcher. Margaret Donnan from Portaferry was a daughter of John Donnan, a postman.
Hugh and Maggie Mawhinney (nee Donnan) had at least one child:
Margaretta (born 22 January 1900 in Castle Street, Comber)
Hugh Samuel Bailie was one day short of his third birthday when his mother, Agnes Bailie, died on 21 March 1900. After that his aunt, Eliza Jane Bailie, (then aged 18) looked after him and in different records she is described either as ‘his aunt’ or ‘his sister’.
Eliza Jane Bailie of Ballyeasborough died of tuberculosis on 18 February 1919 (aged 36) and subsequently there was a notation made in Hugh’s Army records beside Eliza Jane’s name: ‘cannot trace’.