Cyril Evers Blurton

Cyril Evers Blurton was born on 22nd July 1897 and was the son of Dr John Frederick, a medical practitioner, and Mrs Phoebe Blurton (née Evers). His father John Frederick was born in 1862 and his mother Phoebe Evers was born in 1866; both were born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. They were married in the town in 1890 and had three children who were born in Nottingham: Gilbert b1892, Isabel b1892 and Cyril Evers b1897. In the 1911 census the family was living at 11 Radcliffe Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, and shown as John Frederick 49 yrs a medical practitioner, his wife Phoebe 45 yrs and two of their children, Isabel 19 yrs and Cyril 13 yrs a scholar. Also in the household were two domestic servants, a cook, Helen Chamberlain 26 yrs, and a housemaid, Maggie Bradley 20 yrs. His elder brother Gilbert, who died in 1931 in an accident, also predeceased his parents.

He was educated at Waverley School, Nottingham, Sedburgh and Sandhurst Military Academy.

Commissioned into the Sherwood Foresters on 27 October 1916, he served in France from December 1916 with the 1st Battalion and was attached to the 15th Battalion in February 1917. Cyril was serving with the 15th Battalion when he was listed as missing, later revised to killed in action at the Houthulst Forest on 22 October 1917. He was 20 years old. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (Panel 99 to 102).

Family headstone, Nottingham Southern Cemetery. Inscription: 'Cyril Evers Blurton, born July 22nd 1897, killed at Passchendale, 22nd Oct 1917. 'He sleeps beyond England's foam'' Report published 2nd November 1917, Nottingham Evening Post :- “LIEUT. C. BLURTON. “Second-Lieutenant Cyril E. Blurton, younger son of Dr. Blurton, Radcliffe-road, West Bridgford, has been missing since October 22nd. He is 20 years of age and was educated at Waverley School, Nottingham, Ledberg School, and Sandhurst. He received his commission in the Sherwood Foresters just over 12 months ago and went out to France in December. He was slightly wounded a little more than two months since. His brother Gilbert is a surgeon probationer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and was in the Jutland battle, in which he had a miraculous escape.” Notice 15th May 1918, Nottingham Evening Post: 'BLURTON. Missing on October 22nd inst, now from evidence received known to be killed in action on that date, Second-Lieut. Cyril E. Blurton, aged 20, younger son of Dr. and Mrs. Blurton, West Bridgford.' His brother Surgeon-Probationer Gilbert Blurton, R.N.V.R., survived the sinking of H.M.S. Tipperary at Jutland on 1st June 1916. Picked up by a Dutch trawler, he was interned in Holland, news of which was published locally, together with his photograph, on 5th June 1916. The following report was published in the Dundee Courier on 8th September 1931 after Gilbert Blurton died in an accident, apparently whilst testing a piece of medical equipment: “DOCTOR'S FATAL EXPERIMENT. “Asphyxiated While Trying Anaesthetic Apparatus. “Dr Gilbert Blurton, a well-known Nottingham medical man, has been asphyxiated while experimenting with a new form of oxygen gas mask. “He was conducting the experiments alone in a bedroom in his surgery at Radcliffe Road, Nottingham. “A maidservant, who heard no sound of him for long time, went to the room, and found him dead. Near him was new apparatus for administering oxygen and gas which he had been testing. “Dr Blurton was a keen experimentalist in everything connected with his profession," stated his brother-in-law, “and was experimenting with new anaesthetic apparatus he had just received when, we presume, something went wrong." “His father, Dr J. F. Lee Blurton, with whom he was in practice, is hurrying back from Scotland. “Dr Gilbert Blurton, although he had not fully qualified the time, served as a surgeon at the Battle of Jutland, and was in a destroyer sunk by enemy shell fire. “He was thrown into the sea and swam about for some hours until he was picked by a passing Dutch vessel and taken to Holland. There was kept for some time before he was able to return to England. “Dr Blurton, who was 39 years of age, had been house surgeon of Bradford Royal Infirmary, ear and throat house surgeon of Birmingham General Hospital, and obstetric and ophthalmic house surgeon of Queen's Hospital, Birmingham. “He took his M.B. and B.S. degrees London University in 1920, after having qualified M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. 1918.” Above courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918