So who was my great, great grandfather, William James Farren?

On Memorial Day weekend here in the USA, it seems fitting to find out about, and remember, a man who's only been remembered for nearly a century by several brief comments passed down the generations - that he was wounded in the trenches of WW1 when the enemy captured the trench.  When the Allied forces retook the area several days later, he was no longer there.  That he went missing in the first week of the First World War.

Enlistment records state he was born in Monellan, County Donegal about 1883.  While there is not a lot left today to reveal it as such, Monellan was an estate with a 'Big House' or castle built by the De Lap (also spelt Delap) family in the 1700s and demolished in the 1930s by the Irish Land Commission in a program that was designed to turn estate lands over to tenant farmers.  Only the estate walls remain today and a church built by the last of the De Lap family to own the estate prior to it being demolished. Rev Robert De Lap returned to the estate and built St Anne's Parish Church of Ireland and became it's first minster.

It is likely that William James Farren's parents lived on the estate and were probably either employed by the estate owners or tenant farmers on the land of the estate.  His parents' names were John and Lettie Farren.

Directions to get to Monellan today, per a geocashing website http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=a989267e-2300-4441-9dd0-9adc5bab8821, is as follows -


From the N15 Ballybofey to Lifford road turn off at Killygordon for Crossroads. At the crossroads go straight on for Castlederg. Just past Donegal Creameries take the left turn over the old stone bridge. After approx 400m (N54°46.702', W007°41.628') turn right up a tarred road. This looks like a private lane but leads past some houses to the forest gate and the old entrance to the former estate.

The following website has more information on some of the aspects of daily life as a worker on the estate and what some of the grounds looked like - http://www.finnvalley.ie/history/monellancastle/index.html

The 1911 Census records show that William worked as a railway porter in the village of Stranorlar, County Donegal.  The station in Stranorlar was opened in 1863 and closed in 1960.  Alas, the station building too, was demolished and a bus garage replaced it.  In it's heyday, and for nearly 100 years, Stranorlar station served as the headquarters for Countey Donegal/Finn Valley Railway, with services to various places, including Derry. At it's peak, the railway employed 130 people.







Stranorlar's 'Station House' (http://www.finnvalley.ie/history/railways/index.html)

With the outbreak of World War 1, William enlisted when it was still voluntary to do so.  He enlisted in as a private in the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Omagh and was killed in action 21 October 1914 in Belgium at the age of 31.

His name is listed on the Ploegsteert Memorial, near Ploegsteert, Hainaut, Belgium.  A memorial unveiled 7 June 1931 as a memorial for those missing in WWI.  The following dedication is listed on the memorial -

'To the glory of God and to the memory of 11447 officers and men of the forces of the British Empire, who fell fighting in the years 1914-1918 between the River Douve and the towns of Estaires and Furnes, whose names are here recorded but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.'

Per the records, his name is listed on Panel 5 of the memorial. For more information on the area of battle this memorial covers - http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/memorial-ploegsteert.htm

Medals of William James Farren - for his service in WWI

(http://www.lostmedals.co.uk)

In order from left to right

Approved by King George V in 1917, the 1914 Star (often called the "Mons Star") was awarded to all those who served in France or Belgium between 5th August and 22nd November, 1914. (http://northirishhorse.net/ww1/rolls-1/1914Star.html)

The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_War_Medal)

To qualify for the Victory Medal one had to be mobilised in any service and have entered a theatre of war between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Medal_(United_Kingdom)#Eligibility)

These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.

While we can follow a trail of paper and records today via the internet etc, I think this photo says a lot that can't be caught of paper or any other type of records.  I'd say, by this inscription, that William's wife Mary never forgot her husband, or the sacrifice both of them paid, but also that she wanted him to have the closest she could give him to a marked grave.

Taken in Derry, 3/2002

Links to forgotten generations found...

Well, it's been quite a weekend of finds!!!  I found 1911 Census information for both sides of my Irish family both Thompson and Farren sides.


With not much to go on and only scattered photos and snippets of memories of generations past it's been a challenge, but a fun and rewarding one.  


I opened a letter last night from my Grandpa that he wrote in 2002 just before my mom and I visited Londonderry, Northern Ireland in 2002.  I didn't know it at the time, but he wrote it only a year before he died.  Words I'd forgotten struck a particular cord with me last night.  He wrote of how pleased he was that I was interested in his side of the family.  It's taken a while to start, but Grandpa, the ball is now rolling.  


Last night's find came with the name of the terrace Grandpa was born in from his letter and the stories of the family business at the time being a barber's shop.  Bingo!!!  I found 1911 Census information for my great grandparents and great great grandparents!!!  From limited knowledge to everything from ages, religion, siblings and occupations for 2 generations!!!


From family stories and now census records to back them up, my great grandfather Robert Thompson and his father, my great, great grandfather Malcolm Thompson were both barbers/hairdressers.  Robert Thompson, aged 7 years in 1911, still lived in the same terrace of houses when my Grandpa (Malcolm John Thompson) was born there in 1927.  I also discovered that my great grandfather had 5 siblings, 1 brother - William James and 4 sisters, Isabella Mary, Rachael, Sarah and Annie.  Their mother's name was Eliza (a shortened version of Elizabeth).


Now the other side of the family, the Farren's, more difficult to find due to the lack of family stories beyond those of 'Mother', Mary Anne Farren, wife of William James Farren who went missing at the beginning of the First World War.  

According to family stories passed down my great, great grandfather William James Farren went missing presumed killed in action in the first week of World War I.  

That's all there was to go on besides a photo of the tombstone of my great, great grandmother taken on the short trip to Northern Ireland in 2002, stating that her husband was interred in Belgium.

Several months ago I finally found what military records there were to be found in the National Archives and the Commonwealth Graves website.

Although there is no known grave for William James Farren this is what I know of his life so far.  His parents were John and Lettie Farren of Monellan, Co Donegall in Ireland, born about 1883 in Monellan, Co Donegall.  He was married to Mary Ann Farren, otherwise known as 'Mother' by the family.  As a private in the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers he enlisted at Omagh and was killed in action 21 October 1914 at the age of 31 before his daugthter Elizabeth May Farren was born 10 January 1915 (per family history, however 1911 Census records found just today revealed that she would have been 8 or 9 years old at the time he was killed in action).

His army number was 7139 and his name is listed on the Ploegsteert Memorial, near Ploegsteert, Hainaut, Belgium.  A memorial unveiled 7 June 1931 as a memorial for those missing in WWI.  The following dedication is listed -

'To the glory of God and to the memory of 11447 officers and men of the forces of the British Empire, who fell fighting in the years 1914-1918 between the River Douve and the towns of Estaires and Furnes, whose names are here recorded but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.'

Per the records, his name is listed on Panel 5 of the memorial.

I can't tell you how rewarding it is to finally find the closest thing to a marked grave for a man who sacrificed everything protecting training areas from the enemy while more soldiers were trained to fight.