Carnduff, Samuel
Rifleman
No. 17416, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 24)
Buried:
Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, France (Grave III. C. 9)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Newtownards Parish Church of Ireland Church (St Mark’s) – as Cairnduff
Brother of Rifleman James Carnduff (No. 9294)
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt Cairnduff and in others Carrinduff.
In the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 database it is recorded that Rifleman Samuel Carnduff (No. 17416) was born in Newtownards and enlisted in Newtownards.
Samuel Carnduff was born on 20 February 1892 in Georges Street, Newtownards, and he was a son of Joseph and Mary Carnduff (nee McKee) who were married on 11 November 1876 in First Donaghadee Presbyterian Church. Joseph Carnduff had previously been married to Sarah Hollinger whose father was named on the marriage certificate as James Moore. They were married on 31 August 1864 in Newtownards Registrar’s Office and had at least five children: Henery (Henry, born 8 February 1865, died 1865); Samuel (born 24 September 1866); Robert (born 23 September 1868); John (born 7 December 1870); Joseph (born 1 April 1873).
Sarah Carnduff (nee Moore) died of tuberculosis at home in Georges Street, Newtownards on 4 May 1876 (aged 31)
Joseph Carnduff, a widower from Newtownards, was a son of Robert Carnduff, a stone mason. Mary McKee from Newtownards was a daughter of James McKee, a labourer.
The Carnduff family lived in Georges Street, Newtownards.
Joseph Carnduff worked as a stone mason and he and Mary had at least eleven children:
Jane (born 28 June 1877 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Unnamed male (James, born 16 April 1879 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Unnamed female (born 23 August 1881 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Unnamed male (Henry, born 6 April 1883 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Alexander (born 19 July 1884 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
William (born 8 January 1887 in Georges Street, Newtownards; served during the Great War with the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, discharged because of sickness, emigrated to Canada in 1923, died 25 December 1969)
Unnamed female (Grace, born 24 October 1889 in Georges Street, Newtownards; married McClinton and died on 23 February 1920 as the result of burns accidentally received)
Samuel (born 20 February 1892 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Thomas (born 29 March 1894 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Mary (born 10 April 1896 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Malcolm (born 20 July 1899 in Georges Street, Newtownards)
Their father Joseph died of cardiac failure due to excessive vomiting on 19 December 1902 (aged 60)
Rifleman Samuel Carnduff (No. 17416) served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division and he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Initially he was posted as missing in action and later it was officially confirmed that he must be presumed to have been killed in action.
In the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects it is recorded that sums of money were paid to his mother Mary, to his brother Harry and to Minnie Carnduff.
In 1925 Rifleman Samuel Carnduff’s body was located, exhumed and reburied in Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, France. His remains were identified by means of his identity disc.
Rifleman Samuel Carnduff (No. 17416) is commemorated on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in Newtownards Parish Church of Ireland Church (St Mark’s) where his surname is spelt Cairnduff.