Prescot Roll of Honour

Arthur Henry LAYHE

55 Bretherton Road, Prescot

Private 22734, Royal Inniskilling Fusliliers

Arthur Layhe was born in Rainhill on 15th January 1874. He was the second son of William Henry Layhe who was the Coachman at The Towers in Rainhill, and his wife Frances. The 1881 census showed the family living at the Old Police Station on Warrington Road, with Arthur being an 8 year old scholar.

On 15th January 1892 at the age of 16, Arthur joined the Royal Navy, and on joining he gave his occupation as 'Groom'. After serving on a few different ships, Arthur appears to have been charged with disobedience in 1896, for which he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour before being dismissed from the service.

He came home and 1st October 1899 in Liverpool he married Amy Coulson. They went on to have 8 children; Frances (1901), Edith (1902), Walter (1906), William (1909), Frederick (1910), Amy (1913), Henry (1916) and Ivy (1919). The 1901 census showed Arthur and Amy with their 9 month old daughter Frances, living in School Lane, Rainhill. Arthur worked as a Quarryman.

By 1911, the family had moved to 112 Nutgrove Road, St Helens. Arthur, now working as a Coal Miner, and Amy had living with them daughter Edith and sons Walter, William and Frederick, in addition to Charles Coulson, Amy's father. The census recorded that of their six children, five were still living and so it seems that their eldest, Frances, had died.

Arthur joined the army on 19th April 1915, joining the South Lancashire Regiment, by this time living in Bretherton Road, Prescot. However, on 3rd May 1915 he was discharged as he was deemed unlikely to make an efficient soldier. Despite this setback, he again enlisted on 15th May 1915 in St Helens, this time to the Inniskilling Fusiliers. He stated that he was 37 years old, although this recorded age differs from that on the census, and it seems that he lied about his age to ensure he wasn't rejected as too old. He was probably aged around 41/42 at the time. He noted that he worked as a Coal Miner. His next of kin was listed as his wife, Amy, of the same address.

Arthur's records include a copy of the death certificate of his daughter Amy on 8th June 1915 at home, where she died of gastroenteritis, aged just 22 months. She was buried in St Mary's Churchyard, Prescot, on 12th June.

His name was included in the Prescot Reporter list of men who served, published in May 1915.

He was later transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers (10th February 1917) then again to the Army Service Corps as Private M1376868. In addition he also has another service number of T/405287 with the ASC.

He was finally discharged on 26th August 1918. Arthur had not seen any overseas service and therefore did not have any medal entitlement.

Arthur died in Prescot in 1954, aged 81.

Again showing the links between the men of Prescot who served in the war, Arthur's wife, Amy, was the sister of Walter Coulson. Also his son Walter married Sarah Cofield, a niece of James Earnest Cofield

I am indebted to Ken Layhe, grandson of Arthur, for additional information included in this commemoration.