Godfrey Henry Ermen died of illness on this day in 1915
Godfrey Henry Ermen was born at Barton upon Irwell, Lancashire in September 1877.
His father, Francis Julius Ermen was a cotton manufacturer, born in Germany. His mother, Johanna, was also born in Germany. Both parents were 'naturalised British subjects' at the time of the 1881 Census. The parents and two children, Walter (5) and Godfrey (3) lived at 76 Dumplington, Barton upon Irwell with a 17 year old nanny from Zurich.
At the 1891 Census, Godfrey, now 23 and a manager of a cotton mill, lived with the family at 'The Elms' in Pendelton Rd, Eccles with a cook and two housemaids. His brother, Walter, had left home. Godfrey's father died in 1896. In 1908 'The Elms' became a home for the blind.
Before the war, Godfrey was a general manager for the English Sewing Cotton Company, the sewing cotton operation of Bagley & Wright, a spinning, doubling and weaving company based in Oldham, Lancashire. This was an amalgamation of 14 cotton mills in 1897.
On 22 May 1904, Godfrey married Nora (née Boggs) and they had a daughter Nancy in 1905 and a son Godfrey in 1908. Nora outlived both her children and died, aged 99, in 1979.
Having seen previous service with the 6th Manchester Regiment in the Boer War, he applied for a commission immediately upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, which was granted into the reserve battalion of the West Riding Territorials based at Skipton.
He was promoted to Captain in October that year, and further appointed adjutant whilst at Doncaster but fell ill and had to return home on sick leave. During this leave, Godfrey died at Milton House, Gargrave (a nursing and care home since the 1980s).
Captain Ermen was buried with full military honours at St Andrew's churchyard, Gargrave soon afterwards.
Capt Godfrey Henry Ermen, 6th Bn Duke of Wellingtons (W Riding) Regt.