WE are looking back a century to the death on the Somme of Barrow-born Fred Rigby whose career and military service took him far from home.

His family history in Furness and Canada has been researched by James Rigby, of St Saviour, Jersey.

He writes: “This year is the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme during the First World War and recorded on the many cenotaphs are the names of those that fell.

“My great uncle John Gillard died aged 18 and is on the war memorial in St Mary’s Church, Dalton.

“Another great uncle Fred Eccles is buried in Barrow cemetery Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave.”

Fred Rigby, a third great uncle, died on September 4 in 1916, aged 23.

He was number 23223, serving with the 13th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry and is buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

Pte Rigby was the son of Ruth Rigby, of Birch Street, Sherbrooke, in Quebec, Canada, and the late Hugh James Rigby.

He is not mentioned on any memorial in the United Kingdom but is listed on the Sherbrooke memorial.

The Rigby family links with Barrow go back to 1872 when Hugh James with wife Mary and five children moved from Chorley to 35 Cheltenham Street.

He ran a coal and limestone business in Hindpool Road.

The family eventually expanded to 11 children, 10 sons and a daughter.

Eldest son Joseph was a mechanical engineer for Vickers-Armstrongs and Samuel ran the Wellington Hotel in Dalton to around 1914.

Rigby Rigby was a Barrow plumber, James was a machinist and Hugh was an engineer who moved to the Vickers site at Portsmouth.

Beatrice assisted at an off-licence and took over the Wellington Hotel after her brother died.

Hugh James’ wife died and due to ill health he sold the business and bought an off-licence at 40 Bath Street.

In 1890 he employed Ruth Banks, married her and they had a son called Frederick.

Ruth, Frederick – then aged 14 - and her step son Henry Banks, boarded the SS Virginia to Canada in March 1907.

James Rigby, youngest son from the first marriage, also made the move and died in Canada in 1945.

Great uncle Fred Eccles was a corporal, number 25296, with H Company of the Royal Engineers and died on March 2 in 1919, aged 30.

He was the son of William Eccles, of 3 Back Smeaton Street, Barrow, and was aged 30.

His death was after the Armistice which ended the fighting in November 1918 but would have been war related as he was given a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone at Barrow cemetery.

For some reason his name was not put on the Barrow war memorial.

The other great uncle, Pte John Gillard, number 18934, served with the 8th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment and was killed on March 2 in 1916, aged just 17.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.

Pte Gillard was the son of John and Mary, of Napier Street, Dalton.

His father was an iron ore miner.