Corry, Edward
Rifleman
No. 18892, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 31)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Ballywalter and District War Memorial
Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity)
Family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery Ballywalter
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt Currie, in others Currey and in others Curry.
Edward Corry was born on 1 February 1885 in Ballywalter and he was baptised in Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity).
The Corry family lived in Ballywalter.
Edward Corry was a son of Robert and Ellen Corry (nee Matier, sometimes Mateer, sometimes McTier) who were married on 13 November 1874 in St Anne’s Church of Ireland Church Belfast. Robert Curry (aged 23), a sailor from Ballyhollen, Co Down, was a son of Edward Curry, a labourer. Ellen McTier (aged 22) from Belfast was a daughter of Samuel McTier, a labourer.
Robert Corry worked as a farm labourer, gardener and sexton and he and Ellen had five children:
Jane (born 24 June 1875 in Ballywalter)
John Wesley (born 15 August 1877 in Ballywalter)
Robert (born 26 May 1879 in Ballywalter)
Minnie (born 31 July 1882 in Ballywalter; died 23 March 1943 aged 61)
Edward (born 1 February 1885 in Ballywalter)
Ellen Corry died of hemiplegia on 20 July 1916 (aged 65) less than three weeks after Edward was killed in action.
Prior to the outbreak of the Great War Edward Corry worked as a stone mason and he and Ellie Adair were married on 10 March 1911 in Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity). Ellie Adair (aged 21) from Ballywalter was a daughter of Robert Adair, a fisherman.
Edward and Ellie Corry (nee Adair) had four children:
Robert (born 6 September 1911 in Ballywalter)
Edward (born 10 September 1912 in Ballywalter; died of pneumonia 23 December 1912 aged 3 months)
John (born 5 November 1913 in Ballywalter; died 27 January 1949 aged 35)
Edna (born 5 February 1916 in Ballywalter)
Edna Corry was less than four months old when her father died.
Their mother Ellie Corry died on 9 February 1933 (aged 43).
Edward Corry enlisted in Ballywalter and served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Rifleman Edward Corry (No. 18892) was 31 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and he has no known grave.
Rifleman Edward Corry (No. 18892) is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Ballywalter and District War Memorial; in Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity) and on the family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery, Ballywalter.
Rifleman Edward Corry’s father Robert died on 21 April 1933 (aged 79).