|
Name : William Axhorn.
Father unknown; his mother was Elizabeth Axhorn (died 1901). Believed to be Frank Axhorne, birth registered Isle of Wight Dec qtr 1889. Frank / William Axhorn was adopted by the Manning family of South Street, Ventnor. Frank W Axhorn aged 25, a stableman, was a passenger on the s.s. Ausonia from Southampton to Portland, Maine arriving 13 March 1913. Married 8 December 1913 Emma Crawford, in Toronto, Canada; one daughter, Frances E., born 5 October 1914. |
|
Census Information :
1891 : Frank / William Axhorn not located 1891 : Elizabeth Axhorn, single, aged 31 is a General Servant for the Weston family at 2 High Street, Ventnor. 1901 : William Apthorn (sic), aged 11 is shown as the adopted son of Dick and Sarah Manning at 36a South Street, Ventnor. 1901 : Elizabeth Axhorn, single, aged 41 is a General Servant for the Dyer family at 6, Buona Vista Terrace, Ventnor. 1911 : William Axhorn, aged 23, is a Driver with the 37th Bty, Royal Field Artillery, at Bulford Camp, Salisbury, Wiltshire. |
|
|
Service details : Driver 42237 William Axhorn, 50th Bty. Royal Field Artillery William Axhorn attested for service with the Royal Artillery on 8 March 1906 when he gave his age as 18 and his trade as Labourer. He was 5 ft 4 in tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He had various operation scars as identifying marks. His papers record his marriage and the birth of his daughter. |
|
| Casualty Details :
Died : 12 November 1914 aged 35 Commemorated at : Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. CWGC record ... |
|
|
Commemorated on these Memorials :
Ventnor War Memorial County War Memorial, Carisbrooke Castle. |
|
|
Documents :
ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY
Friday, March 21, 1913 Page 4 OFF TO CANADA. - Several Ventnor young men left to-day by the s.s. Auscania (*) from Southampton for Canada, namely, Messrs. C. Miller, G.E. Manning, F. Axhorn, H.S. Morris, R. Denness and F.S. Civil. All are bound to Toronto, Ontario, and will carry the best wishes of a large circle of friends for their future welfare. The passage arrangements for the whole party were in the hands of the Cunard agents, Messrs. Geo. Spencer and Sons. We hear that quite a dozen more residents are making the preliminary arrangements for departure. (*) The ship was actually the s.s. Ausonia, departed Southampton March 20th 1913 for Portland, Maine. The passenger list gives the following : Morris Hilton, Porter, 19 - his name is struck through, so he may not have travelled Geo. R. Manning, Gardener, 18 Reg Denness, Boot Repairer, 19 Frank Axhorn, Stableman, 25 Fran Sivell, Porter, 17 Chas Miller, Gardener, 38
ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY
Friday, December 26, 1913 Page 5 VENTNOR AND LONDON IN CANADA. - A very pretty wedding took place in Toronto, Canada, on December 8th, the bride being Miss E. Crawford, formerly of London, and the bridegroom, Mr. W. Axhorn, late of Ventnor. The duties of best man were carried out by Mr. T. Manning, an old Ventnorian. The presents were numerous and useful. The wedding was attended by several former Ventnor people. Friday, February 6, 1915 Page 1 The death at the front of driver William Axhorn, R.F.A., who formerly worked at Scott's, ironmongers, etc., Ventnor, is particularly sad. Through the kindness of Mr. Robert Parker, of Toronto, Canada, we are enabled to give the following particulars; - "'A bride, a mother and a widow in less than a year,' is the way Mrs. F. Turrell, 5, Westport Avenue, West Toronto, describes her sister, Mrs. William Axhorn, who has been living at Mrs. Turrell's home. On Thursday night Mrs. Axhorn (neé Emma Crawford) received an official letter from the London War Office, informing her of the death of her husband, William Axhorn, driver, and Royal Field Artillery reservist. He was called away to the front in August, and left the city on the 17th of that month. "The last letter to his wife was dated November 8th, telling of his arrival on the battlefield. Four days later according to the War Office, he was killed, November 12th, but how or when is not known as yet. In that letter he wrote the British were getting the better of the Germans and he hoped to soon be back home again. The censor, he said, could not allow him to write many facts. Mr. Axhorn came to Toronto from Ventnor a year ago last May. Miss Emma Crawford, a London girl, arrived in the city about the same time. Here they met, and were married on the 8th of December 1913; the baby was born on the 5th October, 1914, and on November 12th the father died - all this in a year, less 26 days. Mr. Axhorn had not seen his little child, who very much resembles him." |
|
|
Further Information :
Two of Axhorn's travelling companions to Canada also died in World War I : George Edward Manning (the son of his adoptive parents) Reginald Dennes |
|
|
Acknowledgments :
Janet Griffin for newspaper research |
|
|
Page status :
Page last updated : 6 December 2011 |
Memorials & Monuments
|
|
|