Hi Margaret, I am Donald Craig, living in LIverpool, whose great aunt married a Capstick.
I have not seen you on site before but I have been in contact with Joan capstick several
times. I think maybe you would like the following information, if you have not got it
already :
The following Capsticks were killed in the First World War :
Charles Craig Capstick
Born ****, son of William Kerr Capstick and second wife, Mary McClellan Craig
Died in action in France on 1 July 1916, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
The names of Charles Craig Capstick and his brother, William Richard Capstick, are
recorded in the books of remembrance in the Scottish War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle.
Lance Corporal, Royal Scots Regiment
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France
Grave Reference and Panel Number: Pier and Face 6 D and 7 D
William Richard Capstick
Born ****, son of William Kerr Capstick and second wife, Mary McClellan Craig
Died in action in France on 1 July 1916, on the first day of battle.
Sergeant, Royal Scots Regiment
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France
Grave Reference and Panel Number: Pier and Face 6 D and 7 D
Location: The Thiepval Memorial will be found on the D73,
off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929).
On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south,
thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive
on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a
preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German
defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly
fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal
advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure.
In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and
equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest
successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted
tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a
major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained.
At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured.
The village had been an original objective of 1 July. Attacks
north and east continued throughout October and into November
in increasingly difficult weather conditions. The Battle of the
Somme finally ended on 18 November with the onset of winter.
In the spring of 1917, the German forces fell back to their newly
prepared defences, the Hindenburg Line, and there were no
further significant engagements in the Somme sector until the
Germans mounted their major offensive in March 1918.
Hugh Capstick
Born ***, son of William Kerr Craig and his first wife, Dorothea Patrick
Died
"Hugh was reported killed in Mesopotamia early in 1916. Eventually however, he was
traced, terribly unjured, to a military hospital in the far east where his identity was
unknown." Joan Capstick 25 March 2002
All of the above were sons of William Kerr Capstick
William Kerr Capstick
Born 1857 at New Cumnock, son of Anthony Capstick and Janet Kerr
Died 31 August 1934, aged 64, at Morton
On the death in action of his sons, William wrote to his brother, "The Germans have
emptied my house of my sons." (Information from Joan Capstick, 25 March 2002)
Married
1 Dorothea Patrick
2 Mary McClellan Craig
In 1881, William Kerr Capstick lived in Great Jackson Street, behind Knott Mill Station,
Deansgate, in an area now totally occupied by industrial buildings.
Described as Draper on the marriage certificate of his daughter, Isabella Capstick's
marriage to Willilam Young, shepherd, on 2 July 1897
His death certificate shows that he died at Carronbridge, and that he was a Commercial
Traveller whose usual residence was 9 Park Avenue, Longsight, Manchester. He had been ill
with broncho-pneumonia for eleven days before suffering cardiac failure.
On 30 March 2002, an email from Joan Capstick showed that at the time of the 1881 Census,
WILLIAM KERR CAPSTICK was living at 30 Great Jackson Street, Hume, Manchester with
DOROTHEA, 27, his wife, and ANTHONY,1, his son.
.
Great Jackson Street is situated on the left as one approaches the Mancunian Way from
Deansgate, just beyond Knott Mill Station.