Lives of the First World War

EARLY LIFE Alfred Schofield was born on 24th December 1879, the son of Mary Jane and John Schofield, a copper works labourer, of 2 Higginbotham Green, Sutton, Macclesfield. In 1881, one year old Alfred was living at that address with his parents and older sister Elizabeth Ann (age 3). Ten years later, the family had moved to 10 Old Mill Lane and Alfred had a further three siblings: Sarah, Samuel and Mary A, and the head of the family, Samuel, was now a soap boiler. Alfred was admitted to St George’s (London Road) school on 7th November 1893, having previously attended school in Langley. In 1901 Alfred was living at 3 Court 4 Elizabeth Street, Macclesfield with sisters ‘Carry’ and Polly Forrester, and Polly’s two year old daughter Annie. Alfred was working as a brick setter’s labourer and Carry was a silk piecer. Alfred later married Caroline Forrester on 24th August 1903 at the Macclesfield Register Office. By 1911 the couple had moved to 33 Commercial Road, a two-roomed property, where they lived with their only surviving child of the four born to them since their marriage – Martha, aged 6 months. Another daughter, Alice, was born in 1913. WW1 SERVICE Alfred attested in Macclesfield on 29th August 1914. His army records show that he was five feet six inches tall, weighing 135lbs with a 33 inch chest, a fresh complexion, grey eyes, fair hair, and his religion was Church of England. Alfred was drafted with the British Expeditionary Force to France on 16 January 1915. He participated in the battle of Hill 60 and also in the battle of Ypres where he suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen and head when fighting at Bailleul; he died of these wounds on 10 May 1915, aged 35 years. At the time of his death, Alfred’s wife Caroline was expecting twins which were born two months prematurely on 15 August 1915. Sadly, one of the baby girls, May, died 25 days after being born, and the other, Ivy, died within the next few weeks. Caroline married James Shryane at Stockport Register Office in 1918, and moved to 1 Rosemary Lane, Stockport. COMMEMORATION Private Alfred Schofield is buried in grave ref. II. A. 86. of the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension in France. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private Alfred Schofield. In Macclesfield, Private Alfred Schofield is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall and St Michael’s Church war memorials.

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