Aged 28 years

Died 24th November 1914

Commemorated at Earls Barton Cemetery, NTH
Grave 1155

The Rushden Echo Friday 13 November 1914, transcribed by Jim Hollis.

Rushden Private Wounded - Injury Not Serious
Our best wishes for the speedy recovery of Private Ernest Edward Sawford (Rushden), who is now at a base hospital suffering from a wound he received at the front. We hope that the injury is not dangerous, but not much information is to hand. Private Sawford is known in both Rushden and Bozeat. He is in the 1^st Northants and has served in India.

Rushden Soldier Seriously Ill - Suffering Severely From Wounds
We are extremely sorry to report that Private E. E. Sawford, whose photograph appears in this issue, and whom we reported wounded in our last issue, is now in a very precarious condition and not expected to recover from his wounds. His wife has been with him in the hospital at Sheffield for the past week and yesterday his sister, Mrs. H. Houghton, left Rushden at once on receipt of the bad news that he might pass away at any time. In our last issue we reported that Pte. Sawford was well-known in Bozeat. This, we regret to say, was an error on our part. We should have reported that he was well-known in Earls Barton.

Rushden Soldier Dies of Wounds - Unsuccessful Operations at The Hospital
His Life For His Country
We deeply regret to announce that Private Ernest Edward Sawford, a Rushden “Steelback,” has succumbed to wounds which he received at the front. He was brought to a hospital in Sheffield, where he underwent operations for the wounds. He had a strong constitution, but the doctors despaired of his life from the time he was admitted to the hospital. Mrs. Houghton, of Queen-street, Rushden (Private Sawford’s sister), paid a visit to him yesterday week and the surgeon told her that her brother had lived for longer than they had expected.

The death took place on Tuesday, and it is hoped to bring the body home to be buried at Earls Barton. The deceased was formerly a railway employee.

Military Funeral at Earls Barton
The military funeral of Private Ernest Edward Sawford, of the 1st Northants Regiment took place on Saturday at the Earls Barton Cemetery. Sawford, who before the war had been employed at the Midland Railway shops in Wellingborough, was to rejoin his regiment as Reservist when the war broke out. He went through all the hard fighting until October 31st, when the regiment was fighting in the trenches before Ypres. On that day he was mortally wounded. He was brought home to Sheffield Hospital where he died on died on November 24th. He leaves a wife and two children.

He was only 25 years of age.The funeral procession was headed by a party off sixteen soldiers with reversed arms under a sergeant from the battalion stationed at Wellingborough, who were followed by the coffin which was covered with the Union Jack and a number of wreaths.

The mourners following included a number of workmates, four of whom Messrs A Twelftree, F Breeby, A Tivett and C Lengo, acted as pall bearers. Several members of the Parish Council were also present.At a slow step the procession marched to the Cemetery where the Rev R A Selby pastor of the Baptist Church, Earls Barton conducted the service. At the graveside when the coffin had been committed to the ground, the military escort moved forward and fired three volleys, and the bugler sounded the “Last Post”.The procession included Mrs A Sawford (widow), Mrs Sawford (mother), Mrs H Houghton, Mrs A Moon (sisters), Messrs A W and C Sawford (brothers), Mrs Blackwell (mother-in-law), Mrs A Sawford, Mrs W Sawford, Mrs J Sawford, Mrs C Sawford, Miss Blackwell (sisters-in-law), Messrs H Houghton, F Blackwell and E Perkins (brothers-in-law), Mr and Mrs T Bell of Finedon (cousins), Private W Edmonds of the 1st Northants Regiment (who had been with the deceased in the trenches and was wounded the day before he was), the Rev C J Snowden, Messrs A Barker, J Brown, C Dunkley, F Spencer, J C Cooper, H Hardwick, H Riseley, R W Wilton (manger at the Midland Works), H Palmer (Foreman), C Cooper, H Osborne, M Hales, V W Smith and R C Stocks. Wreaths were received from his wife, his mother, his mother-in-law: To daddy from Aileen and Mabel; from a friend Charles and Bertha; to a soldier Mr and Mrs V W Smith; Eliza and Harry and family; W and H Sawford and children.

Mrs Sawford, of Victoria St, Earls Barton, widow of the late Pte E E Sawford, 1st Northamptonshire Regiment writes: “You have such a lot of news in the ‘Independent’ about the Northamptonshire Regt at the front that I venture to appeal to you to ask if any of your readers know whether my husband who was in ‘A’ Co of the Northamptonshire Regt was made a Sergeant before he was wounded at Ypres. He was conveyed to Sheffield Hospital, and I stayed with him until he passed away on Nov 24th, leaving me with two little children to comfort me, one being nine days old when he was called out, and the other two years. While my late husband was at Sheffield he said he had been promoted to the rank of sergeant, and said so up to the last, and I am naturally anxious to get confirmation of this.”