Today we honour four men from the Patrick family in the village. We acknowledge them as individuals but in grouping them together as family members we hope we also illustrate the devastation the casualties brought to individual families in the community.

William Arthur PATRICK

Geddington Roll of Honour 1914-18

Rank: Private
Service No: 6135
Regiment/Service: Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princes of Wales’ Own) – 4th Battalion
Date of Death: 21/12/1916 – Died of disease whilst the batallion was training, aged 24
Cemetery: Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France – Grave: VII. B. 1.
Memorial Inscription: ‘In ever loving memory from Father, Mother & sisters.’
War Office Information: Son of William and Catherine Beatrice Patrick, of Stone House, Geddington, Kettering.

Personal Information

William Arthur was born to his parents William & Catherine Beatrice Patrick
in Geddington in late 1892 and baptised there on 29 Jan 1893

Arthur worked with his father in the family building and stonemasony business prior to enlisting in 1916. His home, Stone House, had been built by his Uncle James.

Arthur was a sportsman and played football and cricket, reportedly having with a particularly deadly bowling arm! Like his father he gave much of his spare time to the Church and was also active in the Church of England’s Men’s Society C.E.M.S. as well as acting as Geddington reporter for the Evening Telegraph.

Arthur wrote a series of letters home during his time in training. His letters are published in Melvyn Hopkins’ book ‘Geddington at War’ He describes his supper as being stew, potatoes and haricot beans; that there is an outbreak of measles at the camp and about preparing for transfer to another regiment, probably the Yorkshire Regiment.  He had also heard from Harry Patrick and Fred Clipstone.

Arthur was taken ill while serving in the trenches and died from bronchitis and pneumonia in a hospital in France.

The Patrick building firm were commissioned in 1921 to build the war memorial.

1901 Census: Kettering Road, Geddington (next to Park View)
William Patrick (father); Aged 43; mason; b. Geddington
Catherine Patrick (mother); Aged 35; Little Oakley
William Arthur Patrick; Aged 8; b. Geddington
Beatrice Margaret (sister); Aged 6; b. Geddington
Eva Annie Patrick (sister); Aged 3; b. Geddington

1911 Census: Stone House, Geddington
William Patrick (father); Aged 53; builders labourer – married 20 years
Catherine Beatrice Patrick (mother); Aged 45 – 3 children, all living
William Arthur Patrick; Aged 18; clerk at ironstone works
Beatrice Margaret Patrick (sister); Aged 16
.