Edmund Hewitt was killed in action on this day in 1917
Edmund Hewitt was born in Burnley on 11 December 1892 to parents John (a grocer) and Nancy (née Dewhurst).
At the 1911 Census, Edmund lived at 21/23 Mount Pleasant Street, Burnley, with his parents and 5 siblings. His sister Nancy was a housekeeper; everyone else, including Edmund, worked as weavers. Edmund worked at Kippax and Redman.
He was a member of Burnley Lads' Club.
On 8 August 1914, Edmund married Caroline Cluyh after which they lived at 27 Milton Street, Burnley.
Their first son, also called Edmund, was born on 13 March 1915. A second son, Herbert, was born on 10 July 1916.
Edmund enlisted in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regt in September 1916. His First World War Medical Record gives him as 5ft 5¼ and weighing 8 stone (or a little under 51 kg).
He went out to France via Folkestone the week before Christmas on 14 December 1916, arriving in Etaples on the 16th.
He was killed in action on 9 March 1917, and is buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery. As we can see from his Pension Card, his wife was left with two children under the age of 2.
A rather poignant poem, submitted by his wife to the local paper, read as follows:
42635 Pte Edmund Hewitt, 1/5th King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regt.