Born: 1886, Morley
Died: 14 July 1916
Buried: Morley Cemetery
Address:
Parents: Joseph & Mary Jane, nee Tillotson
Spouse:
Siblings:
Occupation: Woodwork teacher, Salts GS
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Saltaire Grammar School
Children:
Regiment: West Yorkshire
Howard Gott
Howard Gott was the son of Joseph
Gott
Joseph was born 1856 in
Drighlington. He married Mary
Jane Tillotson 17 July 1880 at
Batley Parish Church. In 1881 they
lived at Wesley Street in Morley
with Joseph working as a miner.
Howard, the second of five
children, was born 1886 in Morley.
From 1891 the family lived at
Gillroyd Parade in Morley. Joseph
worked as a school attendance
officer and later on he was also a
teacher.
When Howard enlisted he was
teaching woodwork at Salts
Grammar School.
Howard served as a Private with
the 15th Battalion Prince of Wales’s
own West Yorkshire Regiment.
He died 14 July 1916 at Salford
Royal Hospital in Lancashire. He
was buried in Morley Cemetery.
His father, Joseph, died just a
month later, 15 August 1916.
On 28 July 1916, the Shipley Times
& Express published the following
piece:
Shipley Council Education
Committee opened their meeting
with a brief silence and tribute to
Pte Howard Gott who had been
killed in action.
Pte Gott, who came from Morley
where he was buried, had worked
for the committee for six years as
teacher of woodwork at Shipley
Technical School.
The committee later discussed what
they should do about making any
payment to Pte Gott’s family.
‘It was decided to do nothing for a
month. Every single man who had
left the employ of the Council or
the Education Committee to join
the army had done so without any
promise having been made of any
payment.
‘Every case was going to be
considered on its individual merits
at the end of the war.
When in Morley for the funeral,
Cllr Rhodes had made certain
enquiries and had found that Pte
Gott’s father was the school
attendance officer and therefore it
could be assured that his salary
would be about £90 a year.
‘It was possible that five pounds
now would be more useful than say
£20 when the war was over.
However it was decided to leave
the matter over for further
enquiries.’
I am grateful to Colin Coates for his research and help with this article
