BORN HULL 31/03/1894. SON OF THE LATE ARTHUR EDWARD CRESSEY (1864-1902) AND MARY JANE ANSON (1863-1908). HE WAS CARED FOR BY HIS HALF SISTER, MAUD WILSON (1883-1928), MARRIED TO A DOCKER, WITH TWO CHILDREN AT 2, DERWENT AVENUE, WESTBOURNE STREET, HULL (HULL DAILY MAIL ADDRESS, 06/10/1916).
HE WAS A SCHOOL TRUANT. JOINED THE MERCHANT NAVY ON 10/12/1908. WORKED AT KESALL BROTHERS AT ST ANDREWS DOCK, HULL. SENT TO A REFORMATORY SCHOOL, IN LEEDS, IN 1910, AGED 15, FOR “STEALING THE SUM OF ELEVEN PENCE”. HIS CHARACTER WAS DESCRIBED AS BAD AND LAZY. HE HAD STOLEN PREVIOUSLY FROM HIS SISTER, AND HAD “SLEPT OUT”. DESCRIBED AS SMALL, UNDERWEIGHT, FAIR HAIR, BLUE EYES, A VERTICAL SCAR ON LEFT EYEBROW. DISCHARGED FROM SCHOOL, ON 30/03/1913.
HE ENLISTED IN LEEDS. SERVED IN THE 1ST YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT. POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 18/03/1915. HE DIED ON 13/05/1915, IN BELGIUM, AGED 21.
HIS NAME WAS LISTED ON THE SOMERSET STREET MEMORIAL. HE IS ALSO COMMEMORATED ON THE WOODCOCK STREET, ROLL OF HONOUR (HDM 23/09/1916) AND ON ST JOHN THE BAPTIST WAR MEMORIAL, NEWINGTON, HULL.
HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE SHARED BETWEEN HIS BROTHERS, ARTHUR, ROBERT, HERBERT AND RICHARD (ALIAS JOHN WILLIAM ANSON) AND HALF SISTER, MAUD ANSON AND SISTER, ALICE WEATHERALL.
HIS BROTHER, ROBERT CRESSEY, ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE, LIVED AT 2 ALMA GROVE, WOODCOCK STREET, HULL. HIS UNCLE LIVED AT 18 WITTY STREET, HULL. HIS GRANDMOTHER, MRS CRESSEY, LIVED AT 15 IRELAND TERRACE, GILLETT STREET, HULL.
