Arthur James Whitehouse

Corporal Arthur James Whitehouse – Royal Field Artillery

Introduction

By 1920, the First World War had officially ended, but its effects were still deeply felt throughout Britain and across the Empire. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission continued to commemorate those who died as a result of the conflict, setting a final cut-off date of 31^st August 1921. This date, established under Army Order 356 of 1921, signed on 10^th August, legally marked the termination of the war.

Among those still being buried and remembered was Corporal Arthur James Whitehouse, of the Royal Field Artillery. He died on 25 April 1920, aged 26, and was laid to rest in the churchyard of St. Paul’s, Sketty. Arthur was the son of James and Agnes Whitehouse, of 3 Windsor Street, Swansea.

Early Life

James Whitehouse and Agnes Masters
marriage certificate
Parish Church, North Curry, Somerset

Arthur’s parents, James Whitehouse and Agnes Masters, were married in April 1893 at the Parish Church of North Curry, Somerset. At the time of their marriage, James was employed as a chemist.

1901 Census

By the time of the 1901 Census, the Whitehouse family were living at 185 Wheatland Lane, Cheshire. Arthur, then six years old, had been born in Wrexham, while his younger brother Stanley, aged three, had been born in Bath, Somerset — evidence of the family’s mobility during James’s working life.

Family

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had suffered a major loss: James Whitehouse had died, and the surviving members were living apart.

Arthur, aged 16, was residing with his uncle and aunt, Alfred and Jennie Gertrude Masters, at Heathlands, Dillwyn Road, Sketty. Alfred was employed as a grocer’s manager, and Arthur worked as a clerk, suggesting he was already beginning a clerical career in Swansea.

1911 Census

Meanwhile, his mother Agnes Whitehouse was working as a lady’s companion in Ilfracombe, Devon. The whereabouts of Arthur’s brother Stanley in 1911 are uncertain, though he later reappears in Swansea after the war.

Military Service

Both Arthur and his brother Stanley went on to serve with the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War. Arthur rose to the rank of Corporal, a position reflecting both experience and reliability. The Royal Field Artillery was responsible for providing close support to the infantry, operating medium-calibre field guns and howitzers near the front lines. Its men faced constant danger from counter-battery fire and the gruelling conditions of trench warfare.

Marriage

Arthur James Whitehouse and Lena Dorothy Jenkins
marriage certificate
St. Gabriel's Church

After the war, Arthur returned home and married Lena Dorothy Jenkins on 4^th June 1919 at St. Gabriel’s Church, Swansea. Interestingly, their marriage certificate omits both of their ages, with the vicar adding a note to explain this irregularity.

Sadly, less than a year after their wedding, Arthur James Whitehouse died on 25^th April 1920, aged just 26 — one of many veterans whose lives were cut short by lingering illness or injury in the years following the war.

Family After the War

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records that Arthur’s mother, Agnes Whitehouse, was living with her surviving son Stanley at 3 Windsor Street, Swansea.

1921 Census

Arthur’s widow, Dorothy Lena Whitehouse, was listed separately in the same census, residing at 26 King Edward’s Road, Swansea. Her young marriage had lasted less than a year, another quiet tragedy of the post-war years.

Burial

Arthur James Whitehouse
St. Paul's Church, Sketty
credit - findagrave

Corporal Arthur James Whitehouse was buried in the churchyard of St. Paul’s, Sketty, where his grave remains. It stands as one of several in the parish commemorating men whose deaths fell after the Armistice, yet whose service and suffering were still recognised as part of the Great War.

Legacy

Though the war had officially ended, the death of Corporal Arthur James Whitehouse in 1920 serves as a poignant reminder that the human toll of the conflict continued long after the guns fell silent. His resting place at St. Paul’s, Sketty links the local community to the enduring legacy of the First World War. His name is also commemorated on the St. Paul’s Church War Memorial, alongside those of other parishioners who gave their lives as a result of the Great War — ensuring that his service and sacrifice are never forgotten.