Frederick Howitt was a Private in the 1/5 King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry when he was killed by shellfire on 14th July 1915. He was one of just two men killed on that day from his battalion; the other was his Conisbrough and Denaby comrade Aaron Dawson. They came from the same village, fought together, died together and are now buried side by side in Talana Farm Cemetery, Belgium. He was awarded the Victory, British and 15 Star medals.

Frederick had been born in Swinton in around 1883, and in 1891 was the eldest of the five children of William and Charlotte Ann Howitt, living at 3 Charles Street, Swinton. William was a coal miner who hailed from Langley, Derbyshire whilst Frederick’s mother was originally from Sheffield. Frederick had two younger brothers, and two younger sisters. By 1901, an 18 year old Frederick and his family are now living at 10 Charles Street, and the family has expanded; Fred now has another sister, and brother. William is still a Coal Miner, and Fred is now also listed as being a miner.

In 1903 Fred married Emma Gedney, and the couple had three children together. In 1911, the couple are living with their three children William, Edward and Ada, and a lodger Percy Gedney who at the age of 36 is most likely Emma’s elder brother. Fred is still a coal miner, as is Percy. The census shows that the couple have at some point lost a fourth child.

After Fred’s death Emma, still only in her early 30s, remarried and went on to have a further four children with her new husband, the youngest being born in 1923 when she was 41. She died in 1948.