BORN DONCASTER, 1887. SON OF CHARLES AND MARIA BOOTH, OF BELL LANE, RAWCLIFFE. A LABOURER. HE ENLISTED IN LEEDS AND AGAIN IN BEVERLEY, ON 17/09/1915, AGED 28 YEARS AND 4 MONTHS. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT 4 INCHES TALL, 127 LBS WEIGHT, 36 INCH CHEST, TATTOOS ON BOTH ARMS.
HE MARRIED HIS LAND LADY, MAY RIGGLE, AT THE HULL REGISTRY OFFICE, ON 09/10/1915. THEY LIVED AT 10, RYLANDS AVENUE, WASSAND STREET, HULL. HIS WIFE LATER CLAIMED THAT HER HUSBAND WAS OF A “VERY DARK COMPLEXION AND OF A GIPSY BREED, WHO KNEW VERY FEW PEOPLE IN HULL.”
EDWARD BOOTH LED A COMPLICATED LIFE AND HAD A POOR DISCIPLINARY RECORD. HIS MILITARY RECORDS STATE THAT HE FRAUDULENT ENLISTED INTO THE 3RD EYR, WHILE SERVING WITH THE KINGS OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY. DURING OCTOBER 1915, HE WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING DRUNK, OVERSTAYING HIS PASS AND CLAIMING PAYMENTS FOR HIS WIFE AND HER 2 CHILDREN. WHILE HE WAS LIVING WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. HE WAS A HABITUAL ABSENTEE AND ALWAYS MADE FOR HOME WHEN ABSENT. HE WAS STATIONED AT WITHERNSEA, AND DESERTED ON 08/04/1916. RECAPTURED ON 27/06/1916. TRIED AND DETAINED FOR 8 WEEKS. ON RELEASE, HE WAS SENT TO FRANCE ON 24/11/1916, AND POSTED TO THE 8TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HIS MISDEMEANORS CONTINUED. FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE 22/03/1917, HE WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ABSENT FROM PARADE AND SENTRY DUTIES AND STATING FALSEHOODS TO A SUPERIOR OFFICER. A MONTH LATER, HE WAS BURIED BY A SHELL AND KILLED IN ACTION, ON 09/04/1917, AGED 30. HIS ARMY SERVICE LASTED 277 DAYS, SOME OF WHICH WAS SPENT IN DETENTION.
HE LEFT A WIDOW, AND BOTH PARENTS, A BROTHER, CALLED WILLIAM BOOTH (ADDRESS UNKNOWN) AND SISTER, BETSEY BOOTH COLEMAN, WHO LIVED IN RAWCLIFFE WITH HER PARENTS. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE NOT ISSUED. HIS WIDOW, RE-MARRIED, BECAME MAY RAFFERTY AND MOVED TO 16 ST ANDREWS TERRACE, MANCHESTER STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION RECORDS). SHE WAS AWARDED 13 SHILLINGS AND NINE PENCE PER WEEK, FROM 14/02/1918.
IN AUGUST 1917, AN IMPOSTER, CLAIMING TO BE PRIVATE, EDWARD BOOTH, MADE A CLAIM FOR HIS WAR PENSION TO THE HULL WAR PENSIONS COMMITTEE. HE WAS DRESSED IN AN EAST YORKHIRE REGIMENT UNIFORM AND A DISTINCTIVE RED NECK CHIEF. HE GAVE A FALSE ADDRESS OF 32, SCARBOROUGH STREET, HULL, ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT SEEMED THE MAN WAS FROM THE MACHINE GUN CORPS, AND HAD NEVER SEEN ACTIVE SERVICE. HE DISAPPEARED FROM TRACE.
NOTE; PTE E. BOOTH, EYR IS LISTED ON CLOWES CHAPEL, ROLL OF HONOUR, JARRATT STREET, AND ON THE CITY ENGINEERS MEMORIAL, PARK STREET, HULL. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THIS RELATES TO EDWARD BOOTH?
