Lives of the First World War

1891 - 1st July 1916

Samuel McWhirter, the son of James and Mary M McWhirter, was born at Glenanne, Co Armagh, c.1891, and died at Hamel, Somme, France, aged 25, on 1 July 1916. Samuel’s father James had been born in Co Armagh c.1860. His mother Mary had also been born in Co Armagh, c.1861. Samuel, a scholar, was 10 years old, and living at Lisdrumchor Lower, Markethill, Co Armagh with his father James, a Linen Tenter, his mother Mary, and seven brothers (William, aged 20, a Linen Weaver; James, aged 18, a Printer and Tenter; John, aged 16, a Linen Weaver; Thomas, aged 14, a Linen Weaver; Joseph, aged 12, a scholar; George, aged 8, a scholar, and Walter, aged 3) when the census was taken on 31 March 1901. All members of the family were English-speaking Presbyterians, who had been born in Co Armagh, and (apart from Walter) could read and write. Samuel, a member of the congregation of Mountnorris Presbyterian Church, was about 23 years old, and living at Lower Lisdrumchor Road, Glenanne, Co Armagh, when he enlisted in September 1914. Samuel went to France with the 36th Ulster Division in October 1915. A Private (no. 14543), with the 9th Battalion of Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers, he died, aged 25, of wounds received during an attack on the town of Hamel on 1 July 1916 (the first day of the battle). Samuel was buried at Hamel Military Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel (ref I.B.7)

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