Aaron was born in December 1893 to George and Mary Ann Dawson (nee Jackson) at Hilltop, Conisbrough. He was at least the couple’s seventh and youngest child. His elder siblings were Emily, Harriet, James, Elizabeth, William, and Thomas who sadly died at the age of 4. The eldest sibling Emily was sixteen years older than Aaron himself. There is a suggestion that there was another child; the 1871 census lists the couple with their 8 month old daughter ‘Betsy’ however the child would be roughly the right age to be Harriet, who was born in 1870 and it is most likely that Betsy was another name for her.
The family originated in Lincolnshire, and in 1871 George aged 23 is an Agricultural Labourer – an occupation he would hold for most if not all of his life. The couple are listed with ‘Betsy’, and Emily would also be 4 at the time of the census, however is not listed with the family. Quite often, censuses simply recorded who was present at the address at the time of the census (which was originally conducted in person, by officials knocking on each door) and if Emily was not there, she may have been omitted.
Aaron Dawson
The Conisbrough and Denaby 100 Project
In 1881 the family are living at ‘Crosby Lee Moor’ in the area of Gunness and Burringham, near Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire. The family has expanded; both Emily, who is 14 and working as a Domestic and ten year old Harriet are present, along with James (3), baby Elizabeth and a 69 year old widowed lodger named Betsy (surname illegible) who lists her profession simply as ‘Mum to 6 children’.
By 1891 the family have moved this time to North Elmsall, where they are living at No 2, Old Hall Cottages. Exactly where these buildings were is lost to us but it is safe to say that they were in the lands of The Old Hall, hence the name. By now, 24 year old Emily and 21 year old Harriet appear to have flown the nest. George is still an agricultural labourer, whilst James (now 13) and younger brother William who was born in 1884 and is now 7 are at school. New daughter Charlotte is seventeen months old, whilst Thomas is still a baby at just 10 months old. Anyone able to add up will see immediately that it is not possible for Charlotte to be 17 months old, and Thomas 10 months; one of these ages is incorrect, which is not uncommon. Betsy has left but the family have another lodger Fred Bray. It was quite common for families to keep lodgers as they would give a portion of their earnings to the family; valuable income in those times.
We visited Aaron's grave in 2015 and laid his tribute
(click for larger image)
The 1901 census shows the greatest change. Sadly, Thomas died in 1894 aged just four years old and the family have moved to 127 Mount Pleasant, Conisbrough. Most importantly, Aaron has been born and is already 8 years old, having been born in December 1893. His date of birth, combined with the indication that he was born at ‘Hilltop, Conisbrough’ shows that the family left North Elmsall sometime between 1891 when the last census was taken, and 1893 when Aaron was born. The family now comprises of George, who is this time a Colliery Labourer, Mary Ann, James, William and Aaron plus another lodger; this time widowed Irishman James Brown who is listed as an ‘Ordinary Labourer’ despite being 62 years old. James is now in his mid-twenties and has found a profession as a bricklayer, whilst 17 year old William is a Pony Driver in the pit.
Mount Pleasant is a row of terraced houses on Sheffield Road and Aaron was not the only 100 Project man to hail from the row. James Newall and Arthur Bashforth lived at 87 and 85 respectively.
By 1911 Aaron – who was 17 himself at this time – is the only child still living at home and has followed in his brother William’s footsteps in becoming a Pony Driver underground (in the pit). A pony driver was responsible for the pit ponies, which were used to pull the tubs full of the mined product along the haulage roads. George has returned to his original occupation and is listed as a Farm Labourer. At the time that the census was taken, a five year old Stanley Peake is also at the property; this is Aaron’s sister Charlotte’s oldest child by her husband James who was also killed in WW1 at Arras in 1915.
Although he was a Private in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) when he died, Aaron had been in the army before, albeit only for 23 days. On 10th January 1914 at the age of ’20 years and 16 days’ he enlisted as Private 10467 3rd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, at Mexborough where he was vouched for by Mr D Graham, Timekeeper at Cadeby Main Colliery where Aaron presumably worked. Mr Graham had known Aaron for 12 years, and Aaron (who was still a Pony driver) had been under his supervision for six years. He vouched for Aaron as being sober, honest and single.
However, Aaron’s life in the army was not to last. On 2nd February – just 23 days later – he was discharged after his mother Mary paid the army £10 (as he had attested less than 3 months earlier, he could pay to be discharged). Whether she knew about his enlistment or not is debatable, but a letter written to the commanders during his second period of army service in 1915 (poignantly, written the day before his death) shows that she took out a loan to raise the funds and so it can be suggested that she did not. Upon his discharge, he was reported to have had a ‘fair’ service, for as long as it lasted and that he had been “Attending hospital most of the time.”
Clearly, Aaron rejoined the army sometime in later 1914 or early 1915, as he was a Private in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry when he was killed in July 1915. He was reportedly hit on the head by a shell fragment, and killed. He had only recently written to Mary and painted a very colourful and vivid picture of life in the trenches;
“...we are having a warm time, only 175 yards from the Germans. They plough the sandbags at the top of our trenches. I am on sentry relief, and whilst writing the bullets are making the sand fly out of the bags. We have to keep very low. The Germans shelled up our trenches yesterday, but did little damage. Our guns reply to theirs, and then they send some “Jack Johnsons”.”
Aaron went on to say how sad he found it to see destroyed villages, where only the church spire remained standing “as a mark for the enemy”. He says how he has not had his boots off for nine days, save to change his socks. He signs off by saying “I am pleased to say I am in the pink.”
Sadly, Mary received this letter only the day before receiving the notice of his death. Corporal L Calvert wrote;
“I am taking the place of one who is very dear. Loyal Aaron is dead. He was hit on the head by a piece of shell during a bombardment about five o’clock last Saturday, July 14th. I think it will console you to know he died almost instantly. I feel sure he suffered no pain. I feel it very much, as we were like brothers. Now I am out of the trenches for a rest. I feel his loss, the more, as we spent our spare time together. He is buried in a soldier’s grave. He died like a true Briton. If I have a chance, I shall pay back dearly for his life.”
The battalion war diaries for the 14th July find Aaron and the 1/5 KOYLI in the trenches at Boesinghe, where they have been since the 9th. For several days previously, there had been bombardments from the Germans and small gas attacks, and the day previously states a heavy bombardment which resulted in one man killed, and 23 wounded.
The entry for 14th July reads:
“In trenches. Fairly peaceful day except for a little shelling. 2 men killed, 5 wounded. Relieved by 1 Coy 5th York & Lancaster Regiment, part of Battalion of 147th Infantry Brigade. Very wet night and relief slow and difficult.”
Aaron is one of the two men killed that day. Private F Howitt, another Conisbrough and Denaby man, is the second man killed on that day. Aaron was awarded the Victory, British and 15 Star Medals.
Aaron Dawson was 21 when he died on 14th July 1915. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown eyes, light brown hair, a fresh complexion and a good level of physical development. He had a fully expanded chest measurement of 39 inches, a scar behind his right shoulder blade, moles on his back and defective teeth.
Aaron and Fred were the only two men to die that day. They are buried side by side at Talana Farm Cemetery.
Click for larger image.
Talana Farm Cemetery (click for larger image)