Private Henry Fawcett Halstead
5489 10th Lancashire Fusiliers
Died of Wounds 6th November 1915, aged 36
Formerly lived at 13 Ormerod Road
Buried in Lijssenhoek Military Cemetery, Belgium
Commemorated on the Burnley Grammar School Memorial
St Peters Memorial, Burnley
Burnley Express 20th November 1915

Henry Fawcett Halstead was born in Burnley the third son of Joseph and Frances Drusilla Halstead. He lived in Littleborough and enlisted in Burnley serving as Private 1015489 in the 10th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. He died of wounds aged 35 on Saturday 6th November 1915. and is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery , Poperinghe in Grave IV I. 11A.(in fact he is to be found in grave IV row C 32 from left/63 from right!). The family had the following inscription placed on his grave stone “ In the hour of his country’s direst need he rushed to lend his aid”.

The Burnley Express of November 20th 1915 reported that:-

“Writing from the no. 10 Casualty Clearing Station of the British Expeditionary Force on November 7th to Mr and Mrs Halstead of 13, Ormerod Road, Burnley, the Rev. John E Macrae, chaplain said :- “With deep regret I have to tell you that your son H.F. Halstead came in here badly wounded and received every possible skilled medical treatment at once. His strength, however, was not great and he passed away quite peacefully after speaking with me as his clergyman and telling me to send you word, and was buried in our soldiers cemetery here on Sunday afternoon. His grave is registered and marked with a cross and inscription, and his funeral service was conducted with military honours. His friends may well cherish his memory, for your son gave good services here, and one of them at least ought to come forward and fill his place for the work he did must not be left unfinished, and every man is needed”. This refers to Mr Henry Fawcett Halstead, their third son, who enlisted in the 10th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers just after war had been declared. His battalion had been sent to France where he sustained the wounds, which have proved fatal. At the time war broke out he was waiting for another ship with the merchantile marine, and said that if he had been at the other end of the world he would have come to enlist.
He was an old Burnley Grammar School Boy and went to sea when he was only sixteen years old. He served chiefly with the Leyland Company of Liverpool , and had taken his second mate’s, first mate’s, captain’s and master’s certificate at the Liverpool School of Navigation. In the pursuit of his maritime career he had been pretty well over the world, and some of his voyages occupied about eighteen months. Before going to the Grammar School he attended the well known Carlton Road School. He was also connected with Sion Baptist Church and School.
Three of his brothers are on national service. Dr James Halstead has been acting as a war locum tenems and also rendered service as a military camp doctor. Mr Harold Emerson Halstead is a naval dispenser at Malta, and Mr Frank Foster Halstead is at Messrs. Cammell , Laird and Co’s shipbuilding yard at Birkenhead.”

Notes
Constance Bea Halstead (sister)was admitted to St Peter’s Infant School on 18/4/91. Her date of birth was 14/5/84. Her father was Joseph Halstead and she lived at 3 Ormerod Road.
Leonard Clement Halstead (brother)was admitted to St Peter’s Infant School on 18/4/91. His date of birth was 26/6/85. His father was Joseph Halstead and he lived at 3 Ormerod Road.
1901 Census – 31 Ormerod Road – Joseph Halstead (51) General Draper, Frances D. (51) Florence (20) draper’s assistant, Constance B. (16) draper’s assistant, Harold E. (14), draper’s assistant, Leonard C. (15) draper’s assistant, Francis F. (10) James T. medical student.