This is the grave of George Henry Longstaff who died April 29 1917 in Bradford Hospital and was buried in Prestwich Cemetery and given he belonged to the Canadian Expeditionary Force I wondered at the story which led from Canada to Prestwich.
And there was indeed a story which started not in Canada but in Lancashire in 1897 where Private Longstaff was born.
In time I will search out his early life, but I know that by 1901 he was working in the Preswich District Lunatic Asylum as an “attendant upon the in the insane.” His father has also worked in the same hospital.
He married Margaret Mary Hindley in 1903 and left for Canada three years later where he became a “rancher.”
And in 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and sailed the following year for Britain.
He arrived in France in January 1917, and a month later was “in the Field,” sustained gunshot wounds, and was transferred back to Britain where he died of those wounds in the April of 1917.
We are fortunate in that we have his entire military records which include his will, and a description.
He was 5 feet 9½ tall, with a “fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.”
I would like to think his family which included eight siblings visited his grave, although sadly as Antony’s picture bears witness looks a little forgotten today.
So I am pleased Antony came across the grave and we were able to find out something of Private Longstaff.
Location; Prestwich, & Canada
Picture; the grave of Private George Henry Longstaff, Prestwich Cemetery, 2017 courtesy of Antony Mills
*Library and Archives Canada, http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/image.aspx?Image=471147a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fcentral.bac-lac.gc.ca%2f.item%2f%3fop%3dimg%26app%3dCEF%26id%3d471147a&
In time I will search out his early life, but I know that by 1901 he was working in the Preswich District Lunatic Asylum as an “attendant upon the in the insane.” His father has also worked in the same hospital.
He married Margaret Mary Hindley in 1903 and left for Canada three years later where he became a “rancher.”
And in 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and sailed the following year for Britain.
He arrived in France in January 1917, and a month later was “in the Field,” sustained gunshot wounds, and was transferred back to Britain where he died of those wounds in the April of 1917.
We are fortunate in that we have his entire military records which include his will, and a description.
He was 5 feet 9½ tall, with a “fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.”
I would like to think his family which included eight siblings visited his grave, although sadly as Antony’s picture bears witness looks a little forgotten today.
So I am pleased Antony came across the grave and we were able to find out something of Private Longstaff.
Location; Prestwich, & Canada
Picture; the grave of Private George Henry Longstaff, Prestwich Cemetery, 2017 courtesy of Antony Mills
*Library and Archives Canada, http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/image.aspx?Image=471147a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fcentral.bac-lac.gc.ca%2f.item%2f%3fop%3dimg%26app%3dCEF%26id%3d471147a&
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