Thomas William Antrobus was born in 1886 at Rocksavage village near Runcorn. He was the son of William Antrobus who was born at Sutton Weaver c. 1853 and his wife Harriet (nee Worrall) who was born at Frodsham c. 1853.
The 1891 Census recorded the family as living on Weaver View in Clifton Village. The father was a chemical labourer. At this time they had five children: Samuel (11), Mary E. (9), Emma J. (7), Thomas William (5) and Fred W. who was two years old.
Ten years later they were living on Company’s Row in Weston village and there were two more children: Dora (10) and six-year-old Ivy Elizabeth. The father was now employed as a sandstone quarry labourer as was Samuel. Thomas was an errand boy on a farm. Emma had left home to work as a servant in Runcorn.
The 1911 Census showed that there were now only three children left at home. They were living in Granville Street in Runcorn and William was working as a chemical labourer, as were Thomas and Fred. Samuel, Emma and Mary were now married and Dora was not living at home. Ivy was still living at home and would marry in 1916. Thomas never married.
Thomas enlisted in the Great War on 6th September 1915 at Liverpool and served in the 9th South Lancs Regiment as a Private with the service number 13707. He served in France and then in Greece. In 1916 he contracted malaria and was in 28th General Hospital in Salonika, from where he was discharged back to the field force in the September. Thomas served on in Macedonia in the Balkan Theatre of War until he was killed on 18th September 1918 near Kilkis in Salonika. He was commemorated on the Doiran Memorial near the south-east shore of Lake Doiran in Greece. There is a military cemetery nearby. He was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. At the time of his death his parents were living in Lowe’s Court in Cooper Street in Runcorn.
Thomas’ brothers Samuel and Fred were also both killed in the Great War in July 1916 and November 1918 respectively.
Thomas William Antrobus was 36 years old when he was killed.