Stratton, Henry (Harry)
Ex-Rifleman
No. 16980, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, transferred to
No. 231710 Labour Corps
Died of disease on Sunday 10 November 1929 (aged 55)
Buried:
Newtownards (Movilla) Cemetery, Co. Down
Commemorated:
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Family grave headstone in Movilla Cemetery
Father of Rifleman Robert Stratton (No. 4/7173)
BIOGRAPHY
The name Henry Stratton is listed on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in the booklet produced for the Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony held on Saturday 26 May 1934 he is described as a Rifleman in the Royal Irish Rifles. The organising committee of the day decided to include the names of ex-servicemen who died up to that date from what they considered to be war related causes, whether as the result of wounds or disease.
On his death certificate his age is recorded as 55, therefore born around 1874/1875. In some Army papers it is recorded that he was born in 1879. There is an unconfirmed report that he was born on 12 September 1874.
Henry (Harry) and Sarah Stratton (nee McCullough) were married on 7 November 1896 in Newtownards Parish Church of Ireland Church (St Mark’s). Henry Stratton from Carrickfergus was a son of David Stratton, a labourer. Sarah McCullough from Newtownards was a daughter of Robert McCullough, a weaver. One of the witnesses was Isabella Boal.
The Stratton family lived in Victoria Avenue; in Windmill Row and later at 66 East Street in Newtownards.
Harry Stratton worked as a general labourer and he and Sarah had at least thirteen children:
Robert (born 25 February 1897 in Windmill Row, Newtownards; killed in action 23 August 1916)
David (born 28 February 1898 in Windmill Row, Newtownards; travelled from Southampton to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA in October 1919)
Isabella Boal (born 22 February 1900 in Church Street, Newtownards)
Edith (born 2 April 1902 in East Street, Newtownards; died of measles 9 November 1911 at Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Wilhelmina McCullough (born 20 February 1905 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Joseph (born 22 March 1906 in Windmill Row, Newtownards; died of infantile debility 11 June 1906 at Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Alexander Andrew (born 8 November 1907 in East Street, Newtownards)
Elizabeth (Lizzie and Lily, born 21 January 1910 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Henry (Harry, born 1 July 1911 at 2.00am in Windmill Row, Newtownards; died of infantile debility 29 July 1911 at Windmill Row, Newtownards)
James Alexander (born 1 July 1911 at 2.30am in Windmill Row, Newtownards; died of infantile debility 27 July 1911 at Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Henry (born 8 March 1913 at 2.00am in East Street, Newtownards; died from pertussis 15 January 1914)
Lydia Ann (born 8 March 1913 at 2.15am in East Street, Newtownards)
James Alexander (born 4 September 1914 in East Street, Newtownards)
Henry Stratton’s eldest son, Robert, was killed in action on 23 August 1916 (aged 19).
During the Great War, Henry (Harry) Stratton served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (No. 16980) and he went to France on 2 October 1915. After being severely wounded, he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No. 231710) and was discharged from the Army on 30 May 1918.
Henry Stratton died in Newtownards Hospital of carcinoma of the spine on Sunday 10 November 1929 and was buried in Movilla Cemetery on Tuesday 12 November 1929.
Ex-Rifleman Henry Stratton is commemorated on Newtownards and District War Memorial.
In 1931 his son David in the USA and his daughters Lily and Ina in Canada placed an In Memoriam notice in the Newtownards Chronicle and it contained the verse:
God knew that he was suffering,
And the hills were hard to climb,
So He closed his weary eyelids,
And whispered, ‘Peace be thine’.
Henry Stratton’s son David had also been on active service during the Great War and was held for a time as a Prisoner-of-War in Germany.
Lily Stratton (aged 19) and David Fleming Campbell (aged 23) were married on 9 November 1929 in Galt, Ontario, Canada.
There is evidence that Henry Stratton was a son of David and Eliza Stratton (nee McCune) and that he had a brother called William John Stratton:
William John Stratton (aged 32) and Isabella McKee were married on 10 July 1886 in Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards. William John Stratton, a labourer from Church Street, Newtownards was a son of David Stratton, a labourer. Isabella McKee from Wallace’s Street No. 1, Newtownards was a daughter of James McKee, a weaver.
Their daughter Lizzy was born on 23 May 1887 in Movilla Street, Newtownards.
Isabella Stratton (nee McKee) died of tuberculosis at Upper Movilla Street, Newtownards on 23 September 1887 (aged 28).
William John Stratton and Isabella Thompson were married on 16 January 1892 in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards. William John Stratton, a widowed labourer from Newtownards was a son of David Stratton, a labourer. Isabella Thompson from Newtownards was a daughter of George Thompson, a labourer. They had at least five children:
Twin sons (born 31 October 1892 at Mill Street, Newtownards – David at 2.30 pm and George at 2.45 pm; David died of debility 17 February 1893 and George died of debility 10 March 1893)
Jane (born 17 November 1893 at Mark Street, Newtownards)
Isabella (born 4 December 1895 at Mark Street, Newtownards; died of laryngitis at Mark Street, Newtownards 8 August 1898 aged 2)
Mary (born 29 April 1897 at Mark Street, Newtownards; died of general debility 17 February 1900 at Mark Street, Newtownards)
Isabella Stratton (nee Thompson) died of tuberculosis at Mark Street, Newtownards on 20 April 1900 (aged 35); her sister-in-law, Eliza Stratton from Church Street, Newtownards, was with her when she died.
In 1901 the widowed William John Stratton (aged 47) was living in Mark Street, Newtownards with his daughter Jane (aged 7) and his stepson James Thompson (aged 14).
On 16 November 1917 there is a record of William John Stratton making an application for a census return extract. Details in the extract include his address (c/o Miss Lizzie Stratton, Church Street Newtownards), his parents (David and Eliza Stratton nee McClune), and children – Eliza (aged 12), Jane (aged 10), Isaac (aged 7), and David (aged 2).
There is a headstone in Movilla Cemetery:
ERECTED BY
ISABELLA STRATTON
IN MEMORY OF HER FATHER
HENRY STRATTON
WHO DIED 10TH NOVEMBER 1929
INTERRED IN OLD MOVILLA
ALSO HER MOTHER SARAH STRATTON
WHO DIED 22ND AUGUST 1950
ALSO ISABELLA BOAL
WHO DIED 21ST SEPTEMBER 1957
ALSO THE ABOVE NAMED
ISABELLA BOAL STRATTON
WHO DIED 17TH JANUARY 1970
Isabella Boal Stratton was 69 when she died on 17 January 1970.
There are several Isabellas in the Stratton family and more than one Eliza.
There is evidence that Henry Stratton had a brother named Joseph.
Joseph Stratton and Eliza McGougan were married on 13 May 1875 in First Newtownards Presbyterian Church. Joseph Stratton, a labourer from Newtownards, was a son of David Stratton, a labourer. Eliza McGougan from Newtownards was a daughter of Daniel McGougan, a weaver.
There is evidence that Henry Stratton had a sister named Eliza:
Isabella Stratton was born on 11 February 1873 at West Street Newtownards, the daughter of an unmarried Elizabeth (Eliza) Stratton.
Isaac Stratton was born on 8 September 1874 at Movilla Street, Newtownards, the son of an unmarried Elizabeth (Eliza) Stratton.
Eliza Stratton was born on 23 June 1879 at Church Street, Newtownards, the daughter of an unmarried Elizabeth (Eliza) Stratton.