The Thiepval names

The four Hileys/Highleys whose names appear on the Thiepval Memorial in France - see the last blogpost.

James Highley
James was a Rifleman with the Rifle Brigade (8th Battalion). He was born in Halifax and on the night of the census in 1911 was living at home with his 2 brothers and 2 sisters. His mother Emily Caroline, recently widowed and working as a Charwoman, spent the night elsewhere. James was working as a Painter’s Labourer.

The 8th Battalion was part of the 14th Division, 41st Brigade and was involved in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in the Somme in September 1916. James was killed in action on 15th September 1916. His effects were sent to his sister Elizabeth Stott (nee Highley).

Leonard Hiley
Leonard was born in Eccles, Lancashire in about 1885. In 1905 he married Ethel May Whitehead in Weaste and a daughter Dora was born the following year. Leonard and his father Beaumont Hiley were both Tripe Dressers. In 1911 Leonard, Ethel May and Dora, along with another child Winston Beaumont were living with Ethel May’s father George Whitehead, now a widower. Another son Leonard was born in 1912.

Leonard enlisted in Salford in 1915 with the Lancashire Fusiliers 19th Battalion, the 3rd Salford Pals. Their first taste of action was at Thiepval Ridge in the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916, the Salford Pals being almost wiped out. Leonard was one of those killed in action on that day.

Norman Hiley
Thomas Norman Hiley, born in 1889, was from Shipley near Bradford in Yorkshire. He was the youngest of the 7 children of Joseph and Sophia who survived, 4 having died young. In 1911 Norman was a Warehouseman.

Norman was a Sergeant in the East Yorkshire Regiment 7th Battalion. The Battalion was part of the 17th (Northern) Division. The Division’s first major engagement was in July 1916, when it fought in the battles of Albert and Delville Wood, both part of the larger Battle of the Somme. Norman was killed in action on the first day of this battle, 1st July 1916.

Joe Hiley
Joseph (Joe) was born in Torworth near Retford in Nottinghamshire in 1892. In 1911 he was listed as a ‘Ram Driver at Pit’ and when he enlisted in September 1914 a ‘Coke Oven Worker’.

Joe joined the York and Lancaster Regiment 8th Battalion where he became a Lance Corporal. He was killed in action on 1st July 1916, attacking Ovillers where his Battalion suffered 635 casualties. It was the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The Battalion suffered very heavy losses and most of the men were either killed or injured. His medals and effects were sent to his mother Hannah Hiley, widowed, of Wickersley in Rotherham.

The Thiepval Memorial

Continuing the series on Hileys/Highleys who lost their lives in the First World War...…...

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme battlefields, near Albert in northern France, bears the names of 72,194 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces.

Four of these bear the Hiley or Highley name - James Highley from Halifax who was in the Rifle Brigade, Leonard Hiley from Eccles who was in the Lancashire Fusiliers, Norman Hiley from Shipley who fought in the East Yorkshire Regiment and Joseph (Joe) Hiley from Retford who was in the York and Lancaster Regiment.

Brief histories of these soldiers will appear in future Blogposts.

The first four photos are included courtesy of Steve Rogers, The War Graves Photographic Project.

The Thiepval Memorial

The Thiepval plaque

James Highley

Leonard Hiley

Norman Hiley

Joseph (Joe) Hiley

(included courtesy of Lady Linda at Find A Grave)

Hiley signatures

Going back in time to the 1800s and earlier centuries many people were illiterate and could not sign their own names. Documents like marriage certificates would often show the bride and bridegroom making their mark, usually a cross, next to their name as written down by the official.

On 8th June 1845 Thomas Highley and Sarah Jackson (and the two witnesses) both made their marks on the certificate when they were married in St Chad's Church in Rochdale.

Marriage of Thomas Highley and Sarah Jackson (Ancestry record)

The signatures of 6 generations of Hileys are shown below:

6 generations of Hileys, fathers and sons

John Highley, marriage to Grace Ogden in 1783

John Highley, marriage to Mally Unsworth in 1810

Charles Highley, marriage to Betty Harrison in 1844

Samuel Hiley, letter about his property in Walsden, 1931

Harold Hiley, marriage to Grace Annie Heyworth, 1925


Henry Hiley, document from Service Record, 1945






The Blogpost of 5th June 2019 showed the inventory of Henry Hyley of Warley from 1732/3. The inventory accompanied an 'admon', or letters of administration, which was issued if there was no valid will and was a formal permission allowing the administrator (usually a relative, appointed by the court) to deal with the deceased person's estate.

In this case, Henry's widow Sarah was the administrator. Her signature appears at the bottom of the document. Also witnessing the document is John Hily, referred to elsewhere as 'Johannes Hiley of Warley the Clothmaker'.

Excerpt from the will of Henry Hyley 1732/3

These are the earliest Hiley signatures so far found.