Henry (Harry) Sharples
Date of birth: 29.3.1888
Date of death: 28.4.1917
Area: Crofton
Regiment: Lincolnshire
Family information: Son of Zephaniah and Beatrice Sharples
Rank: Private
Service number: 1104
War Service
Henry (“Harry”) Sharples joined the Lincolnshire Regiment and got engaged on his last leave. He died on 28th April 1917 and is buried at Roeux British Cemetery.
Family Life
Henry Sharples was born on 29th March 1888 at Wigan to Zephaniah and Beatrice Sharples. In the 1901 census the family was living at Crofton where his father was a pony driver underground, working for a local colliery.
His aunt remembered him to be a quiet boy with black, curly hair. Two of his brothers joined the army and survived the War and another brother served in submarines and also survived. The Sharples menfolk were all members of the church choir. The family had a shop at Cock & Crown whilst living in Crofton, with the Post Office in the sitting room. They also had a cycle shop at one time and started a fish and chip shop.
In 1911 the family had moved to Sharlston Common where Zephaniah was again working at a local colliery, this time as a coal miner hewer. Henry was a coal miner filler, again at a local colliery.
In 1920 they moved to Meltham to a poultry farm and later moved to Blackpool to run a boarding house.
Roeux British Cemetery
