Men of the local 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Henry Bennison is standing on the Right. Identity of the others is not known.

The following information and the photographs were sent by Michael Bennison, Henry's Grandson, who was born at Staithes, N Yorks and now lives in Ayrshire. Henry Bennison was born at 7 Dixon Street, Skelton and was aged 7 at the time of the 1901 Census. His father, also called Henry, aged 33 at that time had also been born in Skelton and worked in the Ironstone mines. His mother, Jane, aged 35 was also a native of Skelton. At that time Henry had a brother, John aged 9 and a sister Edith, aged 2. In 1914, Henry was playing for Skelton United and is the one with the ball on the bottom row in this picture. In the First World War he joined the local 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. Date of enlistment is not known. He was wounded and became a prisoner of war. POWs were often badly treated by the Germans, being forced to labour under harsh conditions and were badly fed. A great many died as a result, particularly towards the end of the War when the Germans themselves were suffering privations, Henry survived and came home to live at Hazelwood House, Jubilee Tce, Staithes, N Yorkshire.

He married Ester Crooks and had a family, earning his living by working at Carlin How Ironstone mine. He became a Deputy down the mine, but tragically on the 17th August 1940, aged 47, he was killed when a fall of stone fractured his skull. The following intriguing email and postcard was received in November 2017 from Paul T Burniston of Moorfield Close, Leeds. Recently while visiting my daughter and her husband where they live in Horncastle in Lincolnshire, I was in antique book shop on the Saturday morning and spotted on the fire mantle piece a postcard of a ship for sale that was of interest to me for some other historical reason other than why I write you. The ship was the “RMS Cedric”, see image attached. It had been used and post marked 1909. What I found of interest was the comments written on it. See image attached. I have then used your website to find out more about H Bennison of Dixon Street to whom it was addressed. And wondered if you could shed any light on who might of sent it. “Leaving Queenstown [Ireland] today Sat 1 May good passage up to now both well Harry” RMS Cedric sailed on the Liverpool – New York run and had an interesting history including connection to the sinking of the Titanic. Were the family emigrating to America (right time period) or did they return to Skelton ? Please feel free to add this and the images to your website which is very good and interesting. Any comments you can find would be interesting.