Rhodes, Stanley

Stanley Rhodes was the son of Florence Rhodeas, who was only 19 and unmarried when he was born. It is said that Florence had been in service in a big house when she became pregnant. He was born in January 1895 at Northgate and brought up here, by Emma Wiles, a widow. Florence married three years after Stanley was born and lived in Bridlington with her husband and three children. Stanley was brought to visit the family in Bridlington each year in August, but none of the children knew he was their half brother. After leaving school, Stanley worked in a market garden until March 1911, when he joined the Territorial Army, moving to the Regular Army, the East Yorkshire Regiment, in December. Stanley is described in military records as having brown hair and blue eyes. He was 5ft 11 1/2 inches tall, but only 9 stone 4 pounds. Stanley was fighting in France from September 8th 1914, but was wounded on 26th October with a serious face wound. It seems that by then he was with the West Yorkshire Regiment. On November 21st 1914 the Beverley Guardian wrote: “Corporal Rhodes, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, also of Northgate, Cottingham… reached home Wednesday, suffering from wounds on the face and nose received near Lille three weeks ago. Since leaving the front he had been for a time in a hospital at Aldershot. …Rhodes is now almost sufficiently recovered to rejoin the fighting line, unless, as is probable, he is given an appointment as drill instructor at home. He has only been in the Army three years, and was promoted sergeant whilst at the front, so he has made very rapid progress.” However, he was sent back to the front with the West Yorkshire Regiment on the 24th March 1915 and wounded again, this time in the neck, on July 23rd 1915. The West Yorkshire Regiment was based at Dunfermline and was there until he was discharged on medical grounds on November 1st 1915. While he was in Dunfermline he met Wilhelmina (Minnie) Brimer. They were married at Zion Chapel in Cottingham on October 29th 1916. After he was discharged in 1915, Stanley worked as a telegram boy for the Post Office. By the time his daughter Rachel was born, in June 1917, he was a Special Policeman, and the family were living in a tied house in Dunnington, near York. Since being discharged, Stanley continued to suffer from his injuries. He had repeated and severe headaches, and after lapsing into a come, died of tubercular meningitis on 12th October 1917, when his daughter was nearly 4 months old. Stanley was buried at Dunnington and Minnie returned to Dunfermline with Rachel. Information from an article by Joyce Matson, Cottingham Local History Society Journal Vol XXVII, April 2009