GEORGE PEARSON - A RESIDENT OF MELLOR BROOK

George Pearson 

Died Wednesday 18th October 1916, Aged 31.

Twin brothers Joseph & Eli Pearson were born around 1854. It is on the record that they were identical twins and both lived & worked at Fish House Farm, Balderstone in 1871. Joseph married a Mellor girl called Esther and they went to live at Pepper Hill. They had 5 children, George being the youngest of 3 sons. He was born on 31st August 1884. There were also 2 daughters. All the children attended  Balderstone School.

The family worshipped at the Wesleyan Chapel in Mellor Brook where George was to become a very active member. From the age of 11 he had become a scholar in the Sunday school, where he later became a Sunday school teacher and Chapel organist.

It is not known how early George enlisted in the army but his service number indicates sometime in 1915, possibly when he was around 30 years of age. He joined the 1st East Lancashire regiment which was part of the British expeditionary force, sent to France at the outbreak of the war. They were known as "The Old Contemptibles" They were so called because at the outset of the war, The Kaiser is said to have called the BEF " a contemptible little army". Only men who were in the battalion at the beginning of the war in 1914 were eligible to be called "Old Contemptibles"

 The battalion went on to fight many battles including some night attacks. One battle took place at 3.40 am, the weather was appalling, pitch black, extremely cold and pouring with rain. The Germans fired flares and opened up with machine guns causing severe losses to the battalion.

It was during this action that George lost his life. He has no known grave and is commemorated on The Thiepal Memorial on The Somme. This memorial stone is called "The Memorial To The Missing" and commemorates 73,367 men who died on The Somme between July 1915 and February 1918 and have no known graves.

We also know that George was a married man. He married Martha Todhunter in Mellor Methodist Church on 23rd July 1916, possibly at a time when he was home on leave. She was 26 years old and George was 31.

It would appear that George was moved to France shortly after their marriage and unfortunately was killed within the next 3 months.

On hearing the news of George's death the members of the Wesleyan Chapel erected a plaque in his memory. It was placed over the organ where he had played.(The Wesleyan Chapel became apartments around 1970/1980's) He is also commemorated on his parents gravestone which stands in the churchyard of St Leonards Church, Balderstone.

The plaque has stood in John Jackson's (local historian) garage for around 30 years, so the Committee of Mellor Brook Community Centre wanted to give it a permanent resting place for future generations to observe and be more mindful of those in this community who paid the ultimate price during The Great War 1914-1918.