AMOS HENSALL
Amos was one of twelve children to William and Elizabeth Ann Henshall, and was born in Cotton’s Bridge on the 9th July 1894. William was born in Middlewich around 1860 and Elizabeth was born in Preston Brook around 1863. William was a labourer.
On the 30th August 1894 Amos was baptised in the Primitive Methodist chapel in Aston Lane by Thomas Bramall.
In 1901 Amos’s older sisters still at home were Gertrude (born in Norton around 1888), Jane (born around1891 also in Norton) and Martha (born in Cotton’s Bridge around 1893).
Around 1897, Amos’s brother, William, was born and on the 9th November 1901 another sister, Evelyn, was born.
By 1901 his father was working as a warehouse porter for The Ship Canal Company.
On the 27th September 1903 another sister, Hilda, was born. Five other children had sadly died in infancy.
On the 23rd August 1909 his sister Evelyn joined him at Daresbury School from Preston Brook School, and was followed by Hilda on the 21st August 1911.
By then the family were living at Cotton’s Bridge. Amos had left Daresbury School and was a motor car driver’s attendant employed by Bellian & Davies, motor engineers, of Sankey Street, Warrington.
Amos enlisted early in 1915 and was a private in the Black Watch Regiment.
On the 6th May 1917 Amos’s brother, William was killed in action. He had been serving with the South Wales Borderers and was buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery in Belgium.
In November 1917 Amos himself was wounded in the wrist by a bayonet and admitted to a base hospital.
The 1918 Electoral Roll shows that Amos was an absent voter still on military service, possibly with the Army Service Corps.
Amos possibly married Alexandra Long in 1922 (Runcorn District Jul/Aug/Sept Vol 8A Page 643).
Amos worked as an AA motorcyclist and also as a motor mechanic.
After the outbreak of the Second World War, Amos was at Dunkirk in 1940. Was he evacuated? There is a possibility he was made a prisoner of war (Private A. J. Henshall of the Manchester Regiment 2573250 was at the Stalag in Lamsdorf – Camp No 334 – POW No 13538).
Bill Henshall is the son of Amos.
27/09/2014