Private Henry Maden

1. Private (Army). 1916-04-10 ?
2. Private, 44th Battalion, Infantry (Army).

Son of Martha Maden, Henry was born 29 Jun 1879 in Bacup, Lancashire, England. He was found living with his mother and grandparents Henry and Mary Maden in Bacup in the 1881 England census along with another of Henry and Mary's grandsons, John. Martha was working as slubber in a cotton mill, preparing cotton for spinning by removing the slubs or imperfections. During the 1st quarter of 1888, Martha married David Howorth, marriage registered in the District of Haslingden, Lancashire. For the 1891 England census, the new family was still living in Bacup, David's occupation given as cotton weaver, Martha's as slubber, and Henry's as doffer*, replacing full bobbins by empty ones in a cotton factory. Also living with the family were Foster Maden, age 7, and a new baby girl, Nancy Howarth. By 1901 there were more additions to the family as household members were David, still working as a cotton weaver, Martha, Henry who was working as a quarry man, Foster, Nancy, and two new Howarth children, John and Lenord. During the second quarter of 1904, Henry married Sarah Shanks, daughter of Thomas and Alice Shanks. By the 1911 England census, Henry and Sarah had moved to nearby Stacksteads, birth place of Sarah. Henry was working as a flour dresser in a corn mill and Sarah as a cotton weaver. The census showed that they had given birth to one child but that it had died. Shortly after the census was taken, Henry sailed for Canada aboard the Montrose, and as he was to work at the flour mill, destination given as Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, arriving in Montreal, Quebec on 02 May 1911. Sarah followed later in the year, arriving in Quebec aboard the Megantic on 12 Sep 1911. The couple once again gave birth to a child, a son Lawrence Harry, but at the age of one month, he died on 30 Sep 1914.

Although Sarah was about 6 months pregnant, Henry enlisted in Portage la Prairie on 10 Apr 1916. With the 226 Battalion, he left Halifax aboard the SS Olympic on 16 Dec 1916. On board was fellow mill employee, Richard Alford. Once overseas, both were transferred to the 44th Battalion. On 08 Oct 1918, Henry died of his wounds. From the CEF burial register for Henry: "Died of Wounds." During operations at Cambrai he was wounded in the chest by a bullet and died at No. 56 General Hospital, Etaples. From the War Diary for the 44th Battalion, the operations took place September 27th to 29th and there were 428 casualties (killed, wounded and missing) for the three days. He is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France. Notification of his death was sent to Sarah at 61 New Line, Bacup, Lancashire, England. Henry is commemorated on page 465 of the First World War Book of Remembrance, on the Portage la Prairie Cenotaph, and on the Lake of the Woods Milling Company Roll of Honour plaque housed in the Keewatin, Ontario Legion. With headquarters in Montreal, the company had mills in Keewatin, Portage la Prairie and Medicine Hat. Richard Alford was reported as Killed in Action days earlier on 28 Sep 1918.

Four months after their son Eric's birth, Sarah and Eric returned to England aboard the Missanabie, arriving in Liverpool on 17 Nov 1916, destination Bacup. Eric later followed in his father's footsteps and also made the ultimate sacrifice in Italy on 02 Dec 1943, regiment at time of death given as Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's). Sarah never remarried and died 11 Feb 1951 in Bacup.