Now that you are retired and have a spare hour, said the vicar, perhaps you would research our village war memorial, here in Longton, just south west of Preston. Twenty years later I am still researching it!

One of the names on the memorial is Herbert Usher, born in 1886 in Preston, killed in action in 1917 and remembered on the Tyne Cot memorial at Passchendale.

Just before the war he married Margaret Jane Muncaster, who was born in Barrow but was living in Ulverston just prior to their marriage here at Longton. Their daughter, Margaret Nancy, was born in 1913 and after the war mother and child moved to Grange-over-Sands.

Mother re-married to John May in 1932 in the Kendal area, herself dying in 1952, he in 1965.

Daughter Margaret Nancy married William Cole in 1933 in the Kendal area and they had two sons, Peter in 1933 and Anthony in 1939. At the outbreak of WW2 both families were residing together at Winster. near Windermere.

We are wishing to trace these modern descendants of the Usher family to trace any more history of soldier Herbert, particularly a photograph, that may still be available and would like these family members, or others who may know of them, to get in touch at stewart.mcloughlin@sky.com or 01772-614457.

Stewart McLoughlin

Longton