Cllr Ernest Yorke Sharples JP Manchester Reg't and Chairman Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council
Past Chasirman of Cheadle & Gatley UDC Jewel, 1914-15 Star. 1914-18 British War Medal. Victory Medal.
The Man Ernest Yorke Sharples was born on Saturday 23rd June 1894 at 12 Churchill Terrace, Chorlton in Medlock, Manchester, son of Abel a Railway Clerk and Phoebe nee Matthews. He was Baptised on 8th July in St Stephen’s Church, Chorlton and one of 10 children, Harold (1893-1949) and Percy (1895-1979). Phoebe sadly passed away on 11 Jul 1896 aged just 27, possibly because of childbirth as there was another child who did not survive.
Abel remarried to Mary Ann Antwis on 21st September 1898 and they had five more children, Ernest’s half siblings, Phoebe May (1900-1957), Mary Evelyn (1904-), Gladys Antwis Telfer (1905-1981), Arthur Francis (1907-), Sarah Marjorie (1910-1999) and another who died very young.
The 1901 census shows the family living at 26 Darley Street, Stretford and following his education Ernest became an Apprentice Tea Merchant and in 1911 aged 17 is shown living with his family at 26 Myrtle Grove Ardwick.
On 14th March 1913 Ernest enlisted into the 1/6th Manchester Regiment as a Private with service number 1663 and following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, left for Egypt several months later heading for Gallipoli (a campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula from 19th February 1915 to 9th January 1916. The Entente powers, Britain, France and the Russian Empire, sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by taking control of the Ottoman straits) disembarking on 5th May 1915.
Abel remarried to Mary Ann Antwis on 21st September 1898 and they had five more children, Ernest’s half siblings, Phoebe May (1900-1957), Mary Evelyn (1904-), Gladys Antwis Telfer (1905-1981), Arthur Francis (1907-), Sarah Marjorie (1910-1999) and another who died very young.
The 1901 census shows the family living at 26 Darley Street, Stretford and following his education Ernest became an Apprentice Tea Merchant and in 1911 aged 17 is shown living with his family at 26 Myrtle Grove Ardwick.
On 14th March 1913 Ernest enlisted into the 1/6th Manchester Regiment as a Private with service number 1663 and following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, left for Egypt several months later heading for Gallipoli (a campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula from 19th February 1915 to 9th January 1916. The Entente powers, Britain, France and the Russian Empire, sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by taking control of the Ottoman straits) disembarking on 5th May 1915.
Ernest Sharples WWI Medal Index Card. Note correction to middle initial J to y.
Following the disastrous defeat Ernest’s Battalion was evacuated from the peninsula seven months later on 28th December 1915. Where Ernest served for the rest of the war is unknown, but likely to have been on the Western Front and with a new service number 250179. He was wounded towards the end of the war, receiving a gunshot wound to his pelvis and abdomen. He was discharged on 4th October 1918, a month before the Armistice under King’s Regulation 392 (XVI) – no longer physically fit for war service. He was awarded a Silver War Badge number B61144, the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Ernest was also awarded a pension and gave his addresses as Kirkmanshulme House, Longsight - possibly a military hospital and 82 Eccles Street, Ardwick. Following his recuperation he returned to the Tea trade and during the last quarter of 1923 aged 29 married Frances Milne in Manchester, having four children, Jeffrey Yorke (1924-), Richard Milne (1927-2015), Graham (1932-) and John F (1934 –). In 1928 the family were living at 15 Plymouth Grove, Rusholme.
Ernest and his family moved to Cheadle and Gatley and he became involved in local politics and was elected on to the Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council (C&G UDC) in 1934. An urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area and had an elected council which shared local government responsibilities with a County Council. He became Chairman of the electricity Committee in 1936 and was elected as Chairman of the C&G UDC for the municipal year of 1939-40 aged 45 and covering the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. The 1939 Register shows the family living at 28 Outwood Drive, Cheadle and Gatley and Ernest listed as Chairman of the UDC,Chief Ward Billeting Officer and a Commercial Representative for Tea. It is not known if he served in any of the Civil Defence organsiations during the warbut he was a sitting Justice of the Peace.
Following retirement Ernest and Frances moved to Wales living at 16 Malvern Rise, Rhos on Sea, Clywd and he passed away on 15th January 1978 aged 83. Frances moved to Surrey and died 14 years later on 3rd August 1992 living at Browside, 12 Foxley Lance, Purley.
Ernest was also awarded a pension and gave his addresses as Kirkmanshulme House, Longsight - possibly a military hospital and 82 Eccles Street, Ardwick. Following his recuperation he returned to the Tea trade and during the last quarter of 1923 aged 29 married Frances Milne in Manchester, having four children, Jeffrey Yorke (1924-), Richard Milne (1927-2015), Graham (1932-) and John F (1934 –). In 1928 the family were living at 15 Plymouth Grove, Rusholme.
Ernest and his family moved to Cheadle and Gatley and he became involved in local politics and was elected on to the Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council (C&G UDC) in 1934. An urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area and had an elected council which shared local government responsibilities with a County Council. He became Chairman of the electricity Committee in 1936 and was elected as Chairman of the C&G UDC for the municipal year of 1939-40 aged 45 and covering the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. The 1939 Register shows the family living at 28 Outwood Drive, Cheadle and Gatley and Ernest listed as Chairman of the UDC,Chief Ward Billeting Officer and a Commercial Representative for Tea. It is not known if he served in any of the Civil Defence organsiations during the warbut he was a sitting Justice of the Peace.
Following retirement Ernest and Frances moved to Wales living at 16 Malvern Rise, Rhos on Sea, Clywd and he passed away on 15th January 1978 aged 83. Frances moved to Surrey and died 14 years later on 3rd August 1992 living at Browside, 12 Foxley Lance, Purley.
Reverse of jewel
The Story The medals and Past Chairman’s Jewel awarded to Ernest Yorke Sharples were acquired in the form of a reunite!
The Jewel was won on an e-Bay auction on 24th September 2024. It was listed as ‘1939/40 HALLMARKED LARGE INSTITUTE PAST CHAIRMAN MEDAL ORIGIN NOT KNOWN’.
The engraving on the reverse of the jewel was ERNEST Y SHARPLES 1939/40 and it appeared to be a Past Mayor or Chairman’s jewel. Ancestry was checked, the 1939 Register revealing that Ernest Yorke Sharples was living in Cheadle and Gatley and had listed himself as ‘Chairman of the Council’. Google was interrogated for the crest of Cheadle and Gatley revealing it to be the same as on the jewel and that it had been an Urban District Council before local government reorganization in1974. The jewel was therefore confirmed as a Past Chaiman of Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council, sitting confortably within the Past Mayors Jewels in this collection.
A bid was placed and the jewel won, some basic initial research was undertaken, but nothing serious until 8th December 2024 when everything available was collated from Ancestry. Ernest had served in World War I and been awarded a 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. A search on Google for ‘E Y Sharples medals’ revealed nothing.
When going through the WWI records from Ancestry in detail, it was noted that the 1914-15 Star Roll showed his name as E J Sharples, a later medal index card correcting the error to Y. A rather half-hearted Google search was then made for ‘E J Sharples medals’ which resulted in a direct hit! A shop in Torquay had the three medals together with two medallions for the 1935 Silver Jubilee and 1937 Coronation, bearing the inscription Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council.
It was assumed this was an old listing and the medals would have long since been sold, but surprisingly they were still available and purchased immediately. Rather pleasingly, the 1914-1 Star is indeed named to E J Sharples, but the BWM and VM correctly to E Y.
An amazing chance Googling has led to the reuniting of Ernest Sharples medals and Past Chairman’s Jewel from two different sources in different parts pf the country. They now form an important part of the civic collection.
The Jewel was won on an e-Bay auction on 24th September 2024. It was listed as ‘1939/40 HALLMARKED LARGE INSTITUTE PAST CHAIRMAN MEDAL ORIGIN NOT KNOWN’.
The engraving on the reverse of the jewel was ERNEST Y SHARPLES 1939/40 and it appeared to be a Past Mayor or Chairman’s jewel. Ancestry was checked, the 1939 Register revealing that Ernest Yorke Sharples was living in Cheadle and Gatley and had listed himself as ‘Chairman of the Council’. Google was interrogated for the crest of Cheadle and Gatley revealing it to be the same as on the jewel and that it had been an Urban District Council before local government reorganization in1974. The jewel was therefore confirmed as a Past Chaiman of Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council, sitting confortably within the Past Mayors Jewels in this collection.
A bid was placed and the jewel won, some basic initial research was undertaken, but nothing serious until 8th December 2024 when everything available was collated from Ancestry. Ernest had served in World War I and been awarded a 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. A search on Google for ‘E Y Sharples medals’ revealed nothing.
When going through the WWI records from Ancestry in detail, it was noted that the 1914-15 Star Roll showed his name as E J Sharples, a later medal index card correcting the error to Y. A rather half-hearted Google search was then made for ‘E J Sharples medals’ which resulted in a direct hit! A shop in Torquay had the three medals together with two medallions for the 1935 Silver Jubilee and 1937 Coronation, bearing the inscription Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council.
It was assumed this was an old listing and the medals would have long since been sold, but surprisingly they were still available and purchased immediately. Rather pleasingly, the 1914-1 Star is indeed named to E J Sharples, but the BWM and VM correctly to E Y.
An amazing chance Googling has led to the reuniting of Ernest Sharples medals and Past Chairman’s Jewel from two different sources in different parts pf the country. They now form an important part of the civic collection.
Silver Jubilee 1935 and Coromnation 1937 Medallinos C&G UDC
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Medal Details:
- 1914-15 Star: 1663 PTE. E.J.SHARPLES. MANCH.R.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 1663. PTE E.Y.SHARPLES. MANCH.R.
- Victory Medal: 1663. PTE.E.Y.SHARPLES. MANCH.R.
- Past Chairman's Jewel: ERNEST Y SHARPLES 1939/40
This page last updated 12 Dec 24
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