New member.

[cathy]

Hello I'm new to this site. Doing research on William Alliffe Franklin. 4th batt pioneer Corp. I noticed some was researching him on too. I know a lot about his family history but nothing on his service history so looking for help.

[mack]

hiya cathy
the only info we found about william is whats already on the forum

mack

[cathy]

Thank you. I will have a look at what's on here.

[Bob.NB]

   William Allieff Franklin was born in the last quarter of 1841 in Buglawton, Congleton, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. His father, a silk weaver, died when William was very young and he was brought up by his mother Martha in the house of his grandfather, Luke Brown, a silk throwster, and his wife Elizabeth. After leaving school he is shown as a silk worker aged just ten in the 1851 census.1 However, in the 1861 census he is shown as an 'apprentice to locksmith' living as a servant in the house of James Verity, a locksmith, in Chorlton-Upon-Medlock, Manchester.
   In 1862 he married Jane Patterson, from the Isle of Man, and they went to live in Pump Street, Manchester where William went to work as a whitesmith. At some time before 1874 William Franklin enrolled in the 6th (Manchester) Lancashire Rifle Volunteers but he later moved to the 40th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers. William was obviously a very good shot as he is reported on numerous occasions in the press between 1876 and 1893 as representing his battalion at various county rifle association meetings, although he does not appear to have won the big prizes, with his maximum prize money being £10 in 1876. By the time of the 1881 census William Franklin and his family (at this stage he had four children) had moved to Cheadle where he still worked as a whitesmith.
   At some stage between 1885 and 1889 William appears to have moved to Preston for a while, as press reports show him as shooting for the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1889 and 1890. However, by the time of the 1891 census William was living in Ardwick, Manchester and still working as a whitesmith. Also he had enrolled in 4th Volunteer Battalion, The Manchester Regiment.
   Jane Franklin died in 1883 and William married Margaret Anne Simpson, his next door neighbour who was 15 years his junior, in October 1884 at St Thomas's, Ardwick, Manchester. At this time William Franklin was shown as being aged 41, a locksmith, a widower and living in Ardwick.
   On 23 March 1895 Pte W.A. Franklin was one of 30 men of the 4th Volunteer Battalion to be presented with their Volunteer Long Service Medals by General Hall in Manchester's town hall, the first occasion on which this medal was awarded to men of the 4th Volunteer Battalion.
   In the 1901 census William Franklin is shown as living in Broughton, Salford, aged 58, working as a 'Locksmith at prison and Sgt-pioneer 4th V.B. Manch Regiment' and living with his wife, five sons and two daughters. In the same year he won a silver shooting medal with suspension dated '1901' which he had privately named. I can find no mention of this medal in the newspapers and I can find no reference of Franklin having won any other shooting medals, so this and his Volunteer Long Service Medal appear to be his full entitlement.
   William Allief Franklin died in Salford in 1908.

Newspaper coverage of W.A. Franklin's shooting career:

Manchester Courier, 8 June 1876 (+ Liverpool Mercury, 8 June) – Liverpool Rifle Association, Altcar for 6th Lancs RV (Won £10)
The Manchester Courier, 7 August 1876 – Cheshire Rifle Association, Altcar for 1st Manchester RV
Cheshire Observer, 11 August 1877 –Cheshire Rifle Association, Altcar for 40th Lancs RV
Manchester Courier, 17 August 1877 – Liverpool Rifle Association, Altcar for 40th Lancs RV
Liverpool Mercury, 17 August 1877 – Liverpool Rifle Association, Altcar for 40th Lancs RV (Won £2)
Manchester Courier, 18 August 1877 – Liverpool Rifle Association, for '1st Bedford'[?- Sic]
Liverpool Mercury, 5 June 1882 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association,  Altcar for 6th Lancs RV
Liverpool Mercury, 5 August 1882 (+ Cheshire Observer, 12 August) – Cheshire Rifle Association, Altcar for 6th Lancs RV (won aggregate prize and £10)
Manchester Courier, 21 May 1883 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, for 6th Lancs RV
Manchester Courier, 5 August 1884 (+ Liverpool Mercury, 5 August) – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, Altcar, for 6th Lancs RV (Won £3)
Liverpool Mercury, 5 August 1885 (+ Manchester Courier, 5 & 8 August) –County of Lancaster Rifle Association for 6th Lancs RV (Won £1)
Manchester Courier, 20 May 1889 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, Altcar shooting 'for' Preston
Express and Advertiser, 30 October 1889 –For 1st Vol Batt Loyal North Lancs Regt (Preston) against 2nd Vol Battn East Lancs Regt.
Burnley Gazette, 6 November 1889 – At Hambledon for 1st Vol Battn LNLR
Manchester Courier, 5 May 1890 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, for 1st Vol Battn LNLR
Lancashire Evening Post, 7 July 1890 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, Altcar, for 1st Vol Battn LNLR
Manchester Courier, 19 August 1893 – County of Lancaster Rifle Association, for 4th Vol Battn Manch Regt (Won £1)
Manchester Courier, 16 October 1893 – Shooting for 4th Vol Battn Manch Regt against 1st Vol Battn Manch Regt


Hope this helps.
Bob B

[Bob.NB]

Pioneer Sergeant W A Franklin - See Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society December 2017 and June 2018

[Tim Bell]

Tremendous research Bob.

[mack]

i agree with tim,thats first class stuff bob

mack

[charlie]

Well done Bob. He looks very smart and it is interesting to note the Fleur-de-Lys capbadge.

Charlie