Lancaster, Lancashire: Five Brothers Sent to Battle

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At a time when many families suffered losses, the Butterworth’s in Lancaster lost more than most. Four of the brothers were killed. Their father passed away in 1916. The loss of three sons was too much. He reportedly died of a broken heart. William was the first to fall. He died in October 1914. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres in Belgium. Christopher and Hugh were killed in 1915. James died of his wounds after being sent home in 1917 and is buried in Lancaster. In recognition of her enormous personal loss, their mother, Annie Butterworth, was one of the women invited to unveil Lancaster’s war memorial in 1924. The Butterworth brothers’ names are bracketed together on the monument which stands next to the Town Hall. The streets where the family lived, in the Bulk area of Lancaster, are much the same now as they were one hundred years ago. Ian Birnie, who’s a descendent of the Butterworths says: “It's hard to imagine the anguish their mother and father felt, every time they saw the telegram boy walking up the road.” Location: Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 1DZ Image: Butterworth Brothers' names on war memorial