Scott, David
Rifleman
No. G/732, ‘C’ Company, 1st Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Died of disease on Saturday 27 May 1916 (aged 48)
Buried:
Cawnpore Cantonment New Cemetery
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Madras 1914 – 1918 War Memorial, Chennai, India (Face 23)
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Regent Street Methodist Church Newtownards
BIOGRAPHY
David Scott was born on 20 January 1868 in Carrowdore and he was a son of Thomas and Jane Scott (nee Deans) who were married on 20 October 1863 in Newtownards Registrar’s Office. Thomas Scott worked as a wool weaver and he and Jane had nine children, five of whom died before 1911:
Agnes (born 11 September 1864 in Carrowdore)
Ellenor (Ellen, born 25 August 1866 in Carrowdore; married George Martin 16 August 1890 in Newtownards Methodist Church; daughter Ellen born 1894; son Alexander born 1896; George died of tuberculosis 17 February 1898)
James (David, born 20 January 1868 in Carrowdore)
Mary (born 3 September 1869 in Carrowdore)
Samuel James (born 4.00 am 29 October 1873 in Carrowdore; died 1873)
Ann Jane (born 5.00 am 29 October 1873 in Carrowdore; died 1873)
Thomas (born 12 May 1875 in Carrowdore)
Margaret Jane (born 29 May 1879 in Corry’s Street, Newtownards)
Samuel James (born 30 June 1882 in Corry’s Street, Newtownards)
David Scott worked as a wool weaver and he and Margaret (Maggie) Montgomery were married on 2 November 1891 in St Luke’s Parish Church of Ireland Church, Lower Falls, Belfast. At the time, David Scott was living at 31 Kendal Street, Belfast. Maggie Montgomery was living at 6 Monk Street, Ballymacarrett, Belfast and she was a daughter of Thomas Montgomery, a labourer.
The Scott family lived in William Street; Corry’s Deed; James Street; John Street; William Street and Forde Street, Newtownards. They had at least ten children:
Thomas (born 19 October 1892 in William Street, Newtownards)
Anna (Annie, born 17 August 1894 in Corry’s Deed, Newtownards)
David (born 4 September 1896 in James’s Street, Newtownards)
Margaret Jane (born around 1888/1899)
Ellen (Nellie, born 27 January 1901 in John Street, Newtownards)
George Martin (born 6 April 1903 in Corry’s Quarter, Newtownards; died of measles 19 February 1906)
Mary Elizabeth (born 14 July 1905 in Forde Street, Newtownards; died of acute laryngitis 1 December 1908)
George (born 13 September 1909 in Forde Street, Newtownards)
Mary Elizabeth (born 9 July 1912 in Forde Street, Newtownards)
Samuel James (born 10 March 1915 in Forde Street, Newtownards)
Rifleman David Scott served for 18 months with the Royal Irish Rifles in Dublin and Dundalk before being posted to Cawnpore in India in February 1916 with the 1st Garrison Battalion. That Battalion had been formed in Dublin in November 1915.
Rifleman David Scott was 48 when he died of heat apoplexy on 27 May 1916 and he was buried in Cawnpore Cantonment New Cemetery. His name is commemorated on the Madras 1914 – 1918 War Memorial at Chennai in India and this memorial bears the inscription:
The soldiers whose names are honoured here served and died during the 1914 – 1918 war and are buried elsewhere in India.
At the time of David’s death his wife and children were living at 7 Forde Street Newtownards and Maggie placed an Our Heroes – In Memoriam notice in the 26 May 1917 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle. It contained the verse:
Had I but seen him at the last,
Or raised his drooping head,
My heart would not have felt so sore,
The bitter tears I shed.
Rifleman David Scott is commemorated on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in Regent Street Methodist Church Newtownards.