2016: Graham Smith, this soldier's great-nephew, tells us that the surname should be Cleathero. The memorial incorrectly gives it as Cleathers.
Following the above report our colleague, Andrew Behan, conducted some research on this man.
Private Leonard Arthur Cleathero was born on 28 November 1881 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, the third of the seven children of William Cleathero (1854-1929) and Betsy Cleathero née Godthard (1852-1902). His father was an engineering pattern maker.
On the 1891 census he is shown as a scholar living at 37 Barnby Street, West Ham, with his parents and five siblings: William Edley Cleathero (1872-1940), Frank Cleathero (1879-1953), Minnie Maria Cleathero (1883-1951), Edward Cleathero (b.1886) and Mary Ann B. Cleathero (b.1888). The 1901 census shows him as a slate mason living at 47 Rosher Road, West Ham, with his parents and six siblings: William, Frank, Minnie, Edward, Mary and Lily May Cleathero (b.1893).
In 1902 his mother died and the following year his father emigrated to Canada where he was remarried to Emily Dale (1873-1962) and they had two children: Dorsie Cleathero (1910-1988) and John Edmund Cleathero (1912-1991).
On 3 August 1903 he married Mabel Matilda Motton (1881-1948) in the West Ham registration district and they had four children: Leonard Edmund Cleathero (1904-1964), Mabel Betsy Cleathero (b.1906), Bernard Eric Cleathero (1910-1986) and Lily Florence Cleathero (b.1912).
According to the Roll of Honour for the WW1 memorial at Liverpool Street Station he joined the Great Eastern Railway on 3 March 1906 and was a panel cutter. In the 1911 census he is shown as a saw mill labourer employed by the Great Eastern Railway living at 41 Hartland Road, West Ham, with his wife and their three children.
He enlisted at Stratford in November 1914 into the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, service number 2594, and this was subsequently renumbered to 15873. He entered France on 5 March 1916 and died, aged 34 years, as a prisoner of war on 16 August 1916 and was buried in Grave 294 in the German Military Cemetery, Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. After the war his body was exhumed and re-interred in Plot 62, Row C, Grave 7, in the Tyne Cot Cemetery, Vijfwegestraat, Zonnebeke, Belgium.
On 17 March 1917 his widow was sent his army effects totalling seventeen shillings and six pence and on on 4 October 1919 she received his £7-10s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
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