The Scottish War Memorials Project

Adam Brown

Haddington War Memorial
Location: In front of St Mary's Parish Church in South-east part of town.
OS Ref:NT 517 736

The original photos are clearer.

Adam

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 180 Location: Edinburgh

This week's East Lothian Courier has an article regarding the five brothers from Haddington from one family lost in the First World War.

http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/articles/1/33735

Name: CRANSTON, ALEXANDER
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
Unit Text: 84th Field Coy.
Date of Death: 26/03/1918
Service No: 103604
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 10 to 13.
Memorial: POZIERES MEMORIAL

Name: CRANSTON, JOHN BUCHAN
Initials: J B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Company Serjeant Major
Regiment/Service: Cameron Highlanders
Unit Text: 7th Bn.
Age: 34
Date of Death: 16/07/1916
Service No: 5651
Additional information: Husband of Agnes Cranston, of Sunnybank Cottage, Bridgend, Bathgate.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. G. 7.
Cemetery: VERMELLES BRITISH CEMETERY

Name: CRANSTON
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Driver
Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery
Unit Text: 51st Div. Ammunition Col.
Date of Death: 25/07/1918
Service No: 648910
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XVII. D. 2.
Cemetery: TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE

Name: CRANSTON
Initials: J B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sapper
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
Age: 28
Date of Death: 18/05/1916
Service No: 69417
Additional information: Husband of Annie Wallace (formerly Cranston), of 9, Court St., Haddington.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: D. 76A.
Cemetery: HADDINGTON CEMETERY

Name: CRANSTON, ADAM LINDSAY
Initials: A L
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots Fusiliers
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Age: 30
Date of Death: 13/11/1916
Service No: 40808
Additional information: Son of Elizabeth Cranston, of St. Martin's Gate, Haddington, East Lothian, and the late Alexander Cranston; husband of Margaret Cranston, of Station Rd., Slamannan, Stirlingshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. B. 23.
Cemetery: SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.1

Here is the family group in the 1891 and 1901 censuses.

1891 census - Haddington
Alexander Cranston 36
Elizabeth Cranston 35
Alexander Cranston 12
John Cranston 9
William Cranston 7
Agnes H Cranston 5
James B Cranston 3
Adam Cranston 2
Mary Ann Cranston 3mo

1901 census - Haddington
Alexander Cranston 47
Elizabeth Smith Cranston 46
William Cranston 17
James Buchan Cranston 13
Adam Lindsay Cranston 11
Mary Ann Cranston 9
George Mc Lean McLean Cranston 8
Andrew Cowans Cranston 6
Agnes Cranston 5
Robert Cranston 1

ADP

gourdongirl · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 12:50 am Post subject:

This weeks East Lothian News had an other article in about the proposed Memorial for the Cranston brothers.

http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/haddington/articles/2009/04/30/38926-council-to-consider-cranston-memorial/

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:26 am Post subject:

Sometimes the links get broken for news stories so here is the text of the article

Council to consider Cranston memorial

FIVE Haddington brothers killed in action during the First World War could be given a permanent memorial in the county town.

East Lothian Council chiefs are to meet Haddington and District Community Council officials to discuss the possibility of creating an appropriate tribute to the record-equalling sacrifice made by the sons of Alexander and Elizabeth Cranston on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918.

This follows a request to the community council for a memorial from Stuart Pearson, a descendant of the Cranston family, who lives in Sydney, Australia.

Community council chair Jan Wilson said: “It would be nice to have some sort of memorial to these brave men, but we have to be very careful that we don’t build this family up and forget about the other men from Haddington who died in war as well.”

Mrs Wilson added that she was waiting to hear from the council about a date for a meeting over a possible Cranston tribute.

“I don’t know how the council is going to deal with this,” she said.

“Financially, what Mr Pearson wants from us is just not possible. It could be a cairn, but we could not put something beside the existing war memorial.”

Community council vice chair John Golightly said: “I would personally leave it up to East Lothian Council to see what they come up with. I would be reluctant to put our names to it.”

Imperial War Museum records have confirmed that no other Scottish family made a greater sacrifice in the First World War than the Cranstons of Haddington.

Only three other Commonwealth families are known to have lost as many members in the conflict.

Sergeant Alexander Cranston Jnr, 39, of the Royal Engineers was missing presumed killed in the second Battle of the Somme; Colour Sergeant Major John Buchan Cranston, 34, of The Queen’s Own Highlanders was killed by shellfire at the first Battle of the Somme; Territorial Force driver William Cranston, also 34, died from wounds at an army hospital in France; Royal Engineers Sapper James Buchan Cranston, 28, died from infection of his wounds in Haddington after being repatriated from France; Private Adam Lindsay Cranston, 30, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, was posted missing, presumed killed in action.

A sixth brother, Lance Corporal George McLean Cranston of the Royal Scots, was severely gassed, becoming totally incapacitated from 1928.

The seventh and youngest brother, Robert Cranston, who served in the Royal Flying Corps, survived the war unscathed and emigrated to Australia, as did his mother, whose husband had died of cancer in 1911.

Both Alexander Cranston Snr and James Buchan Cranston are buried in St Mary’s graveyard, Haddington.

Miss Agnes Dickson Cranston, the daughter of Alexander Cranston Jnr, recently celebrated her 100th birthday at Levenhall Care Home, Musselburgh. She is the oldest surviving member of the family.

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said: “I would stress that the still-to-be-arranged meeting between the council and the community council does not in any way commit either party to proceeding with the proposed memorial project.”
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Scottish Monuments & Memorials