Private Walter Bountiff
CH/19504 Royal Marine Light Infantry
Lived at 101 Accrington Road

From left to right the photo shows:

1. John Walter Henry Bountiff - my maternal great Grandfather
2. Adelaide Bountiff - my maternal Grandmother, born 1905
3. Frank Bountiff - my maternal great uncle, born 1911
4. Walter Bountiff - my maternal great uncle, born 1897
5. Adalaide Bountiff - my maternal great Grandmother

I am unsure of the date of the photo but going by the dates of birth and estimating ages I think maybe around 1915/6. I am unsure of when my great grandfather took over as landlord of the General Havelock Inn on Accrington Road. I know he was still there in 1926 as my mother was born there.

My late mothers maternal grandfather was John Walter Henry Bountiff. The Bountiff name has been relatively easy to research. It is an extremely uncommon if not rare surname. As far as I can ascertain the last male Bountiff to be born was back in 1945. I believe all the Burnley Bountiffs originated from Montrose, Scotland. I should probably have said trace their roots back to Montrose. The mother and father of John Henry and his many brothers and sisters was George Ramsay Bountiff and his wife Margaret Sutherland Bountiff (nee Morison) born in Montrose and Edinburgh respectively. I believe they began their move to Lancashire between 1861 and 1863 having married in 1861.

John Walter Henry Bountiff(1871-1957) was the landlord of the General Havelock Inn, 101 Accrington Road, Burnley. His daughter Adelaide Bountiff (1905-1995, my grandmother) married Dennis Waldron in 1925. Dennis and Adelaides daughter, my late mother, was born at the General Havelock in 1926.

John Walter Henry also had a son, Walter, my Great Uncle, who is mentioned in your Soldiers who Survived article. I have a family photo of him in his RMLI uniform which was probably taken around 1915, if you are interested.

I have copies of the service records of Pte Sam Bountiff RAMC, also mentioned as a survivor. He was the son of Samuel Greig Bountiff, John Walter Henrys elder brother.

Gunner Harold Bountiff was the son of my Great, Great Uncle Arthur Southey Bountiff, another elder brother of John Walter Henry ( there were 14 brothers and sisters, however at least 5 died in childhood). His is a sad story from what I can gather which is very little.

Harold married Mary Gill on 9 August 1917 at Brierfield Parish Church. Harold is residing at 47 Laithe Street, Burnley and Mary at 41 Commercial Street, Brierfield. Harolds occupation is shown as Cotton Taper. Within just over 2 months Harold has joined the Royal Field Artillery, been sent to Europe and is killed in action on 12 October 1917. At the time of their marriage Mary was pregnant and gave birth to their son Harold James Bountiff on the very day, 12 October 1917, that Harold was killed. Harold James Bountiff passed away in 1999 in Burnley.

A couple of John Walter Henrys brothers served:

100332 Pte Reginald Bountiff RAMC - Only 3 months service. He was discharged under para 392 of Kings Regs in October 1915. Unfit for service I think.

732 Pte Ernest Bountiff RAMC 6 General Hospital - Served the duration of the war. Ernests relationship to John Henry is slightly more complicated and I am still researching this.

(Photograph and information courtesy of Mike Finch)