Leo Richmond was born in 1892 in Silverdale, to the north of Carnforth, Lancashire. Leo was the third of five children of Charles Richmond, who was from that area, and his Welsh wife Catherine Durkin who married on 15 December 1886 at St Peter, Oldham.
After their marriage, Charles and Catherine lived in Silverdale where their first child, William Edwin (known as Billy) was born on 9 March 1888. Daughter Mary Winifred followed in 1890. In the 1891 Census, the Richmond family were recorded at Waithmans Cottage at nearby Warton with Lindeth. Charles was a farmer at the time of his marriage but he had now become a "paint miner", extracting low grade iron oxide ore at Warton Crag to make "Warton Red" paint.
The paint mining business was short lived and the Richmond family moved back to Silverdale where Leo was born and where Billy started school in September 1893. After a move to Lakeside, south Windermere where daughter Kathleen Victoria was born on 10 July 1897, the Richmonds returned once again to Silverdale and were recorded in Emsgate House in the 1901 Census. Charles had become a gardener, an occupation he would pursue for the rest of his working life. Another son, George Edward, was born on 26 January 1908 in Silverdale.
When the next Census was taken on 2 April 1911, Charles, Catherine and their three youngest children were living in a gardener's cottage at Leighton Hall, Yealand Conyers. Catherine's father, Thomas Durkin, had been a gardener at the same hall and now his grandson Leo was also working in the garden. Billy Richmond had married Alice Maria Burton on 15 March in Lancaster and was living in Warton as a cab driver. Mary may have gone abroad; she later married John Joseph Cannon in Bengal, India.
Leo enlisted in Blackpool after his parents and sister Victoria moved to Woodley Place, Victoria Road, Thornton (now 1-7 Victoria Road East). Unfortunately little is known about his military service. As he was not awarded the 1914 or 1914-1915 Star, he is unlikely to have seen service abroad until 1916.
Leo was at first reported as missing on 19 November 1916. By 8 January 1917 his death had been confirmed by the German Government. Leo was aged 24 and unmarried. Pte. Charles Leo Richmond, 8855, 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards is remembered on Pier and Face 7D of the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Billy served with the Royal Army Service Corps during the war and survived. George served in World War II. He died whilst on active service on 5 September 1945 and is buried in New Hall Lane Cemetery, Preston.
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