Private 40552 Matthias Leopold Bennison

BMD details:
Marriage: 3rd Qtr 1906 Matthias Leopold Bennison to Amelia Jackson at Prescot Lancashire. Vol 8b - Page 1386.

Family details:
Son of the late John and Ann Jane Bennison; husband of Mrs. Amelia McDermott (formerly Bennison), of 72, Ormskirk St., St. Helens, Lancs. Widow Amelia is sole legatee.

Census details:
Not identified before 1901. 1901 - 19 years old 'Cloggers Apprentice' Matthias is living at 14 Hamer Street, St Helens with his parents John (46), Anne Jane (46) and five siblings: John Richard (22), William R (21), Emma L (14), Albert O (11), Alethea M (9). 1911 - Matthias Leopold is show in the census as Leopold M Bennison. 29 years old 'Machine Bottle Blower' Matthias is living at 72 Ormskirk Street, St Helens with wife Amelia (24) and four children: Walter Leopold (4), Leo (3), Eric (2) and Bertha (1).

Notes:
Shown as "L Bennison" on the cenotaph and as "Leopold Bennison" on the Lowe House Memorial, it is assumed that this is the same person. SDGW records his forname as Matthew, but CWGC and the Medal Index Card have Matthias.

He initially enlisted in the South Lancs in September 1914 but was discharged a little over a month later as being medically unfit. Undeterred, he later enlisted in the Monmouthshire Regiment as Private 4566 before being transferred to the Worcesters [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/40552MatthiasLeopoldBennison.jpg[/pic][caption]Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/Bennison_ML_40552.jpg[/pic][caption]The St Helens Newspaper & Advertiser - Courtesy Ste M[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_memorials/BennisonML_Worcs.jpg[/pic][caption]The panel on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial bearing the inscription for Private Matthias Leopold Bennison (Photo courtesy of Ste M.)[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_ext/LoweHouseMem2.jpg[/pic] [caption]Most likely Leopold Bennison on the [url=lmem.php?lmem=10]Lowe House Memorial[/url][/caption]