Albert Appleyard was the youngest son of George William Appleyard and Annie Cooke who married at St. Lawrence church, Snaith on 1 November 1863. At the time of their marriage George was a farmer and for over a decade the couple lived at Angram Hall, just outside Coxwold before spending a short while in York and moving to Sheffield sometime in 1875.

By that time Ann had given birth to ten children, five of whom had died in infancy, and George was earning his living as an auctioneer. It was whilst the family was living in Sheffield that Albert was born. His birth was registered in the last quarter of 1878.

When the census was taken in the spring of 1881 the family was living at 5 Christ Church Road, Sheffield. Albert had a baby sister and all five surviving children were living at home; Albert’s brother George was working as a draper’s apprentice, and the family had a live-in nurse. In September of that year George dissolved his partnership at the Bank Street auction House and at some point moved to Selby, where he was conducting his business by 1883.

When the next census return was made in April 1891 the family was living on Brayton Road, supported by two domestic servants. Only Albert’s brother George had left home, having married and moved to Liverpool, whilst his other brother, Henry was working as a draper’s assistant.

Twelve year old Albert was still at school, but it wouldn’t be long before he too would be earning his own living. Whilst we don’t know what Albert’s first job was when he left school, newspaper reports tell us that he worked in the tailoring trade from about 1896.

Albert’s father died aged 57 in 1898. In 1900 Albert began working for Mr Bacon, a tailor, in Liverpool, earning the princely sum of £1 per week. Over the first few months in this job Albert became friendly with another employee, Gustave Baumken, and in August of that year the two young men opened their own business on Bold Street, using £500 reportedly borrowed from Albert’s mother.

Sadly, things didn’t go according to plan and early in 1901 Albert and Gustave found themselves the subjects of several newspaper reports.

When the census was taken at the end of March 1901, 22 year old Albert was working as a tailor’s cutter and boarding with the Willan family on Sugnall Street, Liverpool. At a second hearing at the beginning of May it was noted that Gustave Baumken had gone to Switzerland, leaving Albert to answer to the registrar alone. 

Little is known about what happened to Albert after May 1901, other than that he had returned to Selby by the summer of 1910 when his mother died.  Albert emigrated to Canada at some point, and was still working as a tailor when he enlisted at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba on 5 August 1915.

Albert named his older brother, George, as his next of kin and the record of his medical examination tells us that he was 5’6½” tall with a 35” chest, dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He had scars on the left side of his chin, his right hip and the third finger of his left hand. Interestingly Albert gave his date of birth as 12 November 1886, some eight years after his actual birth claiming to be 28 years old.

Albert was issued with service number 150772 and and was posted to 79th Battalion.  Following his initial training in Canada, on 24 April 1916,  Albert embarked rms Lapland, disembarking in England on 4 May. After spending some time at Grenade School Albert was transferred to 13th Battalion, joining his unit in the field on 6 July.

In August 1917, having served little over a year with 13th Battalion, Albert was attached to 2nd Infantry Brigade headquarters as batman to Captain Ives. This role would have involved being a personal aide to Captain Ives; not only looking after his domestic needs - uniform, kit, meals, but also assisting in frontline tasks, meaning that he was exposed to risk in combat alongside his Captain.

In October 1917 Albert was allowed 10 days leave in England, during which time he returned to his home town of Selby. On his return to the front Albert went back to his role as batman to Captain Ives, being officially transferred to 2nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters on 26 January 1918.

Just ten days later, on 5 February 1918 Private Albert Appleyard died of heart failure. He was 39 years old.  Albert was buried in the Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension, his grave marked by a cross.

After the war ended and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission undertook the responsibility for the proper remembrance of those service people lost during the war, Albert was given a CWGC headstone.

Albert’s death was announced in the Selby. Times on 15 February: 

‘Death of a Selby soldier News was received by the relatives in Selby on Saturday morning of the death, while in hospital, on the previous Tuesday, of Pte Alfred Appleyard, of the Canadian Scottish Highlanders, the immediate cause of death being heart failure.  The deceased, who was the youngest son of the late Mr George William Appleyard, a well-known auctioneer and valuer, was 39 years old and had been in the army about three years. He was in Canada at the outbreak of the war, and joined up shortly after, and had served in the trenches for some time.  It is only a few months ago that he was in Selby on short leave.  He was given a military funeral.’

For his service to his country Albert earned the British War Medal and the Victory Medal which, in due course, were sent to his brother 84 Renshaw Street, Liverpool. Albert’s brother Henry also served in the Canadian Army for two years during WW1. *It is, perhaps, worth noting that Mr Baumken gained more notoriety during WW1 when he was fined for not declaring himself an 'alien', having abandoned his partner with a young child, served in the German army and declared himself to have been born in Canada, when he was actually from Germany.