Irvine Senior
Date of birth: 1894
Date of death: 24.3.1917
Area: Wakefield
Regiment: West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales's Own)
Family information: Son of Albert and Priscilla Senior
Rank: Corporal
Service number: 27715
War Service
Irvine served as Corporal 27715 in the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment 12th Battalion. In December 1916 after 4 years with the service (6 months with the field force) Irvine was treated for cystitis and had a week’s sick leave. He was recorded as a Wesleyan Methodist.
In March 1917 the battalion were in trenches near Arras. On the day that James died, March 24th, the war diary records that there was “intermittent shelling by hostile artillery: our artillery very active”.
On March 31st 1917 the Wakefield Express printed the following:
“SENIOR – killed in action on 24th March aged 23 years Corporal Irvine Senior, W. Yorks, dearly beloved son of Mr and Mrs Senior Westgate Common, Wakefield.” And also
“Mr and Mrs Senior, Marriott’s Buildings, Westgate Common, Wakefield have received intimation that their son, Corpl. Irvine Senior, West Yorkshire Regiment, died in a hospital in France, on Saturday from wounds received the same day. Deceased who was 23 years of age last month, formerly worked as a miner at Newton Pit. He had been four years in the army and previously he was a member of the local Territorials.”
He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal with his effects going to his father Albert. He is buried in the St Hilaire Cemetery, Frevent.
His brother Horace also took part in the war. He enlisted on 30th November 1915 but was placed in the reserve until being mobilized on 22nd June 1916. Unfortunately Horace was said to have a poor physique with a nasal obstruction amongst other things. He was discharged as “unlikely to become an efficient soldier” on 17th August 1916.
Family Life
Irvine was the son of Albert and Priscilla.
In 1901 the family were living at 5 Milton Street, Wakefield. Irvine (b 1894) had three older siblings, Florrie (b 1889), Horace (b 1891) and Annie (b 1892) and there were two younger children Joe (b 1897) and Amos (b 1898).
In 1911 the family were living at 10, Marriott’s Buildings, Wakefield but Irvine was now called Albert E and he was working in the mill. There were three more children in the family – Lilian (b 1901), Emily (b 1903) and Harry (b 1908). The census reveals that Albert and Priscilla had a total of nine children who had all survived. Eight were living at home with Florrie having left when she married in 1907.
St Hilaire Cemetery Frevent
