18613 Private Ernest Bolton
9th(Service) Battalion
Devonshire Regiment
1st July 1916
​
Born in Rochdale in 1894.
His parents were James William Bolton(02/07/1866-1927) and Sarah Ellen Hamer(1870-1921). They were married on 26/11/1887.
Ernest had 3 brothers; John Robert(1888-1930),
William Henry(1889-1940) and Robert Alma(1900-1967).
He also had 4 sisters;Mary Alice (born in 1892),
Emily(born in 1896),Ada(born in 1898) and Jane (born in 1906).
In the 1901 census,the family were recorded as living at
4 Spring Gardens No.1 Court,Rochdale. Ernest's father was employed as a fire beater (this was someone who tended to factory boilers).
In the 1911 census,the family had moved to
Woolfenden Place,Rochdale. Ernest was now employed in a
cotton mill as a mill roving carrier(he was responsible for loading the cotton yarn onto the bobbins and giving the yarn a twist) and his father was now a gas stoker for the government.
He enlisted in Rochdale and his disembarkation into France was on 06/10/1915. He was killed in action on 01/07/1916.
He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star,British War 1914-1918 and the Allied Victory medals.