All posts by Christopher Linfoot

Sunderland Daily Echo 8 November 1917

8 November 17Abridged, News, November 1917Willie WhittakerChristopher Linfoot

ROLL OF HONOUR

newspaper image — Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Image and text via the British Newspaper Archive.

WHITTAKER – – Killed in action October 22nd¹, 1917 aged 22 years, 2nd-Lieut, William Gaylard Whittaker², Northumberland Fusiliers, dearly loved son of William and Agnes Whittaker.

See ALL’s retrospective note of W’s death on 22 October – coincidentally, the news actually reached ALL on 8 November, the same day that W’s name appeared in this Roll of Honour in the Sunderland Daily Echo. ↩
See also: William Gaylard Whittaker at Lives of the First World War. ↩

Sunderland Daily Echo 2 November 1917

2 November 17Abridged, News, November 1917ErnieChristopher Linfoot

MILITARY MEDAL

Newspaper Cutting — Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Newspaper image and text sourced from The British Newspaper Archive.

Mrs E. W. Linfoot¹, of 16, Nelson Street, has received a letter from her husband, Bomb. Linfoot, R.G.A., intimating that he has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery and devotion to duty on October 4th. Bomb Linfoot was an assistant with Messrs Hills and Co., stationers, Fawcett Street, prior to joining the Colours in May, 1916, and has been six months in France.

“Mrs E. W. Linfoot” refers, of course, to Hilda Linfoot (née Tulip), wife of Mr E. W. Linfoot, ALL’s brother Ernie. See also Family page, and Hilda. ↩

At the Foot of the Rainbow

At the Foot of the Rainbow Gene Stratton-Porter (1863 – 1924) was an American author, early naturalist, and nature photographer.

Gene Stratton-Porter’s 1907 novel, At the Foot of the Rainbow, uses fishing as a backdrop to tell the story of Jimmy Malone and Dannie Macnoun, who is in love with Jimmy’s wife, Mary.

On 24 June 1917, Arthur Linfoot wrote that he “lay awake until nearly midnight reading” this book.

Stacpoole

The Blue Lagoon On 29 May 1917, Arthur Linfoot wrote that he had “read a bit of Stacpoole’s Wilderness”. He continued reading it on 30 May.

Stacpoole could be either Henry De Vere Stacpoole (1863 – 1951), a very popular and prolific Irish author best-known for his novel The Blue Lagoon (1908; adapted as films many times, most famously in 1980), or; HDVS’ eldest brother, William Henry Stacpoole (1846 – 1914), doctor of divinity, Dean of Kingstown¹ school and also a published author.

No book entitled “Wilderness” appears in bibliographies of either Stacpoole although much of HDVS’ oeuvre (including The Blue Lagoon) takes wilderness as a theme, while WHS’ books are all science fiction. This may suggest that the book Arthur Linfoot was reading on this day was by Henry De Vere Stacpoole, although which of his books this was remains unclear.

The Irish coastal town of Dún Laoghaire was known as Kingstown from 1821 to 1920. ↩

Sunderland Daily Echo 23 May 1917

FUNERAL OF MR J. MULLENS.

Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Image and text via the British Newspaper Archive.

The funeral of the late Mr James Mullens, commercial traveller, who died while travelling by train on Sunday to fulfil a preaching engagement, took place at noon to-day. The coffin was of polished fumed oak with brass mountings, the shield bearing the inscription : “James Mullens, died May 20, 1917, aged 73 years.” The officiating minister was the Rev. Edward Eaves, and the interment was made in the family burial ground in Sunderland Cemetery, Ryhope Road. The mourners included Mrs F. W. Waggott (sister), Mr G. P. Mullens, Mr H. R. Mullens (sons), Mr and Mrs Arthur Mullins (son and daughter-in-law), Mr F. Waggott (son-in-law), Mr E. Stokes (brother-in-law), Mr J. H. Waggott, Sister Annie, Mr. E. Potts, Miss Hammond, Mr J. W. Gant, Mr R. P. Hann, Mr R. Bailes, Mr Eaves, and Mr J. Hine. There were no flowers, by request. Messrs Crofton and Sons had charge of the funeral arrangements.

Sunderland Daily Echo 21 May 1917

DEATH IN A TRAIN

The death occurred with painful suddenness yesterday morning of Mr James Mullens, 17, Athol Park. Mr Mullens, who was 70¹, was a well-known local preacher, and yesterday had an engagement to preach at Shiney Row. When he left the house to catch his train he knew that he was rather pressed for time ,and in consequence he hurried to the station. After getting into the train he was taken ill and died before he reached Millfield Station. Dr Gray was then called and saw the body, and stated that death had taken place. The deceased was removed to the mortuary and afterwards to his residence. Mr Mullens was a commercial traveller.

James Mullens was actually 73 years of age at the time of his death. ↩

Villette

Villette is an 1853 novel by English author Charlotte Brontë.

After an unspecified family disaster, the protagonist Lucy Snowe travels from her native England to the fictional French-speaking city of Villette to teach at a girls’ school, where she is drawn into adventure and romance.

Arthur Linfoot wrote that he had read some of Villette on 9th April 1917 while stationed at an aid post in Northern France.

They and I

They and I cover image They and I is a little known comic novel by the English author Jerome K. Jerome, usually best known for his novel Three Men in a Boat.

The book is a first person narrative concerning the remodelling of a house, and the interactions of the narrator with his children during this process.

Arthur Linfoot wrote that he had finished reading They and I on 16th March 1917, after arriving at Lespesses in Northern France.

We were at Asunder at the Barbican Milton Court Concert Hall, London on 12 February.

Coming up in 2017, community screenings of Asunder and a performance at the Barbican Milton Court Concert Hall, London on 12 February.

The Diary of Arthur L. Linfoot

58th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.