Staff Sergeant Thomas Milddleton Hulme

The CWGC database had 14 possible results for Thomas or T Hulme but no record of a Thomas M Hulme. I looked through the individual certificates and found that under the 'other information' 2 of the men were from Liverpool. Both of these possibilities looked like unusual stories as one died at home aged 18 (probably during training) and the other died in France in 1919.

Next I checked the UK Soldiers Died in the Great War, there was a record for the 18-year old Thomas Hulme but no record for the other man and no mention of a middle name.

Next I checked the census records on Ancestry.co.uk and found both men. The older Thomas Hulme had the middle name 'Middleton' so I am happy that he is the correct man.

 Staff Sergeant Thomas Middleton Hulme 184987 

Thomas Middleton Hulme was born in 1881 and baptised 12th March 1882 at St Clements Church, Toxteth Park. The baptism record (below) shows that his parents were William and Jane, they lived at 19 Eversley Street and William's occupation was coachman. Eversley Street runs off Princes Avenue, Toxteth.

source ancestry.co.uk parish records Liverpool baptisms

The 1891 census shows the family still living at 19 Eversley Street,  William and Jane with their two sons and two daughters. William was working as a Coachman Groom. It shows us that William was born in Fenton, Staffordshire and Jane in Bolton, Lancashire but their children were all born in Liverpool.

source: Ancestry.co.uk 1891 census

The 1901 census record shows that the family were still at 19 Eversley Street.

Thomas M Hulme was an apprentice in electrical engineering.

Source: 1901 census ancestry.co.uk

On 27th September 1909 Thomas Middleton Hulme married Jane Ashley in St Philemon Church. Their addresses were 12 Violet St and 33 Violet St respectively.

source: ancestry.co.uk

The 1911 census shows that Thomas and Jane were living at 11 Herondale Road, in Mossley Hill. Thomas was an electrician working for Liverpool Corporation.

source: ancestry.co.uk

Medal card for Thomas Hulme

The medal card shows that  Thomas Hulme was in the Royal Engineers with regimental number 184987, the King's (Liverpool Regiment) regimental number 20134 and the R.D.C. regimental number 25874.  He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

source: ancestry.co.uk

Thomas's service papers have survived, his attestation paper (below) shows that he attested on 9th September 1914. His address was 6 deepfield Rd, he was 32 years old, he was already in the National Reserve, having previously served in the King's (Liverpool Regiment)

source: ancestry.co.uk

 The pension form shows his marriage to Jane and their children:
Maurice Hulme born 6.9.1912
Hilda Hulme born 19.11.1913

There are several pages containing information about his various postings, I will add the details when I've finished sorting them out!

The final information in the file is the result of an enquiry into Thomas's death. It appears that while riding a motorbike he was hit and killed by a train on a level-crossing, the death was ruled accidental and basically was due to Thomas trying to beat the train.  He died from 'compound fracture of skull and left leg'

I will add a transcript, the original is damaged at the edges and was apparently typed on a type-writer with no letter 't'!

click here for a link to Thomas's entry in the CWGC database