242828 Private Isaac Lucas Hilton, 6th Batt. The King's Liverpool Regiment

Identification

There was only one Isaac Hilton in the CWGC records and he proved to be from Liverpool.

Family Information

Isaac Lucas Hilton was born on 5th April 1877 and baptised in St Thomas' Church, Liverpool on 20th Nov 1877. The baptism record show his parents were Thomas and Jane Sophia, they lived in Gower St and Thomas was a porter. The baptism was private and a notation shows that Isaac was received into the church on 17th Sept 1879.

In the 1881 census, the Hilton family were living at 2 Gower Street. Thomas Hilton was working as a warehouseman and they had 5 children; Henry Lucas Hilton, aged 11, Thomas Hilton aged 9, Isaac Lucas Hilton aged 3, Sophia Jane Hilton aged 1 and Esther Hilton aged 5 months.

The 1891 census return shows the Hilton family were still living in Gower street. Thomas was a dock warehouseman and Isaac Lucas Hilton, aged 14 was working as an Office Boy for a Master Carter, other children shown on this census were Thomas aged 19 and employed as a Master Carter’s runner, Sophia Jane was 11 years old and at school, Esther was 10 years old and at school, Ruth Hilton aged 6 and Matthew Henry Hilton aged 4.

Isaac Lucas Hilton married in 1897 to Elizabeth Ann Elston, in the 1901 census they were living at 23 Grey Street with their 1-year old daughter Edith and a boarder. Isaac was working as a railway clerk.

The 1904 directory for Liverpool shows Isaac Hilton lived at 13 Newton Street. Newton Street was very close to St James Church, running between Windsor Street and Wesley Street.

In the 1911 census Isaac and Elizabeth were still living at 13 Newton Street. Isaac was 33 years old and working as a carter. The form was mistakenly filled in with the names of all Isaac and Elizabeth’s children, living and deceased. Sadly, 3 of their 5 children had died and their names were crossed out. The two surviving children were Edith aged 11 and Matthew Henry aged 2 months. The deceased children were named Lilian, Thomas an Albert.

Checking Isaac's parents on the 1911 census shows they were still both alive and living at 166 Northumberland Street, presumably over a shop as Thomas's occupation was shopkeeper, own account working at home and Jane Sophia was working at home, two of their daughters were also with them and working in the shop.

Birth records show that Isaac and Elizabeth had another daughter, Doris, born in 1914.

Military Information

The medal card for Isaac L Hilton shows that he was a private in the 6th Battalion the Liverpool Regiment with the regimental number 242828. This tells us that he was a conscripted soldier rather than a volunteer (as you might expect for a husband and father).

We know this because the 6th was a Battalion of the Territorial Force and anyone who enlisted prior to 1917 had a 4-digit number which was changed to a 6-digit number early in 1917. Isaac Hilton only has the 6-digit number so he enlisted after they changed, conscription began in March 1916 so he must have been a conscript.

This is corroborated by the fact that he was only eligible for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal which means that he went overseas sometime after 31st December 1915.

Death and Commemoration

Private Isaac Hilton was killed in action on 27th June 1917 with the 6th Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment.

Isaac was 39 years old when he was killed in action. He is buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery.

Click here to see Isaac L Hilton's entry in the CWGC database

The War Diary for the day Isaac was killed says:

27/6/17 POTIJZE TRENCHES

Battalion in trenches. Enemy artillery action on front line and back areas. Casualties 2nd Lt RIDEAL killed. Lieut G R Burton wounded.

1 O.R. killed, 7 O.R. wounded.

It is clear from this that Isaac was the ‘Other Rank’ killed by enemy shellfire whilst in the trenches. He is buried next to 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Rideal, who was only 19 years old and from Manchester. (It is standard for war diaries to only give names for officers.)

Pension records show that when the pension was granted in 1918 Elizabeth had one child under the age of 16, Matthew Henry Hilton born 30th Jan 1911. They received a pension of 18/6 per week. The card notes that Elizabeth remarried to become Elizabeth Richards.