BORN BEVERLEY 1885. SON OF BENJAMIN GILLYON (1854-1919) & ANN GRASBY (1863-1926), OF BLUTCHER LANE, BEVERLEY, & LOW BRIGG, BECKSIDE, BEVERLEY. ONE OF NINE CHILDREN.
HE HAD A TROBLESOME YOUTH – AGED 12 – Newspaper Article, 27 Feb 1898 • Beckside, Beverley, Yorkshire, England
Hull Daily Mail 7 Mar 1898. MISCHIEVOUS BOYS. 4 Boys, William Savage, Charles O’Connor, Benjamin Gillyon and James Gibson charged with damaging an ornamental window by throwing stones. Witnessed by a lad, John Henry Foster. Fined 5s 6d and given severe warning.
Newspaper Article – 12 Mar 1898 • Beckside, Beverley, Yorkshire, England – Driffield Times 12 Mar 1898.
DAMAGING A WINDOW. on 27 Mar 1898, Four boys including Benjamin Gillyon broke 43 panes of glass and a wash basin worth #2 by throwing stones at Mr C F Judge’s Office (Whiting Manufacturer).
A BRICKLAYER BY TRADE. HE ALSO RAN A CANAL BOAT, LIVING AT 3, ALBERTS PLACE, BECKISDE, BEVERLEY (1911 Census).
MARRIED IN BEVERLEY 1907. HIS WIFE JANE (SHAW) GILLYON LIVED AT 64, LAIRGATE, BEVERLEY; 5 WILLIAM SQUARE, MASON STREET, HULL & 10, GROTTO SQUARE, MASON STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). THEY HAD FOUR CHILDREN, TWO OF WHICH DIED IN INFANCY.
HE ENLISTED AT BEVERLEY, ON 13 JULY 1915. SERVED WITH THE 1ST EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HAD SPENT TIME AT OAKLANDS HOSPITAL, GLASGOW WITH INFLUENZA AND MYALGIA. RETURNED TO ACTION, HE WAS KILLED ON THE SOMME, 14/07/1916, AGED 31.
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, FRANCE.
HE LEFT A WIDOW, JANE AND THREE CHILDREN, BENJAMIN, ALBERT AND ISABELLA, AT 10, GROTTO SQUARE, MASON STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). AWARDED A WEEKLY WAR PENSION ON 18/6 ON 26/2/1917.
HIS NAME IS ALSO RECORDED AS “KILLED” ON THE SYKES STREET ROLL OF HONOUR, HULL (Hull Daily Mail 09 October 1916)
TRAGICALLY, HIS THREE BROTHERS, GEORGE WILLIAM GILLYON (1881-1917); HARRY PARK GILLYON (1898-1917), & HECTOR MACDONALD GILLYON (1900-1917) ALL DIED AT BEVERLEY IN 1917. THE FAMILY HAD LOST FOUR SONS DURING THE WAR.
BENJAMIN GILLYON IS COMMEMORATED ON THE BEVERLEY WW1 MEMORIAL.
