Bastons of Gloster Hill and Amble

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I picked up a couple of WW1 medals the other week to a David R. Baston Northumberland Fusiliers.
Only David R. Baston I can find in the census is a chap from Amble. But checking the absent voters' list (AVL) he's not on it. Not a casualty either. So if the medals are our Amble Baston then he must have been discharged before March 1918, or not be eligible to be on the AVL for some reason.

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Anyway. Did a bit of digging around and built some trees.

Two separate families of Bastons appear to arrive in the mid 19c. One from Boulmer, who head to Moor House farm for a few decades them off to Tritlington.

For sake of completeness, and before I get started on the other Bastons here's a quick summary of the ex-Boulmer family. There are a few discrepancies across the various decades, such as birth years of the seniors changing by a few years, but I'm still confident this is reasonably accurate.

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Then we have the other Bastons from 'out west'. Obviously this could be much larger. I've just added some lines that interest me with regards to David R. Baston.

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I've marked on the above that David R. Baston joined the RAF in 1918. This is certain, a document has survived, his RAF Officers papers. It contains very little information but does confirm the Panhaven Road address. It also shows he was employed by Broomhill Collieries as a Coal Teamer Sept 1916 - Aug 1917.

So what was he doing Sept 1917-May 1918 just before he joined the RAF? Interesting. The existence of the medals to D.R. Baston Northumberland Fusiliers could suggest he joined the Army, but perhaps was discharged under age, although he must have made it to a war zone.

I don't know how long he remained in the RAF, but I don't think he was sent to an operational unit overseas during WW1 as there is no reference on his papers to operational service, just training. Nor does it give a discharge date.

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David Robert Baston appears to be the Manager of the Coquet Hall Cinema in the 30s:

Morpeth Herald 18 November 1938:

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Another snippet mentioning Baston, which is an interesting piece in its own right regarding the threat of a new war in 1939:

Morpeth Herald 26 May 1939


FIRE - PUMP IN AMBLE PARADE

MACHINE GUNS IN CINEMA ENTRANCE

RALLY FOR NATIONAL SERVICE

GENERAL SAYS: "'STAND UP TO BULLIES."

Amble staged a successful National Service Parade on Friday night, when local Territorial and A.R.P. workers marched through the town to the Coquet Hall cinema to see the A.R.P. film "The Warning."
Amongst those taking part in the parade were the members of Amble's Auxiliary Fire service, who, as reported last week, are now up to strength and fully trained. They pulled with them their trailer fire-pump, and another feature of the evening consisted of two Vickers machine guns, with crews, mounted in the vestibule.
Councillor R. Brown, chief A.R.P. control officer for Amble, marshalled the parade, which formed up at the Drill Hall, and marched through the principal streets of the town to the cinema.

IN THE PARADE
The parade was headed by the Amble Military Band, under Bandmaster C. Gillon. The local detachment of the 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers—including n large number of newly-joined recruits in "civvies" were commanded by 2nd. Lieut. Beckingham. Councillor Brown was in charge of the A.R.P. workers, who included wardens (under Chief Warden Roy), A.F.S., and other squads. The local detachment of the British Red Cross were present under their commandant Mrs. W. Ballantyne; the 1st and 2nd Amble Companies Boys' Brigade under Capt. D. Kay and Lieut. Dixon.
Several members and officials of the Amble council headed the A.R.P. section, including the chairman (Councillor A. E. Green), the clerk (Mr. C. J. S. Goodger), and the medical officer (Dr. J. A. Loughridge). At the Coquet Hall those taking part in the parade were admitted free by kindness of the proprietors and the manager. Mr. D. Baston, to see the very graphic A.R.P. film “The Warning.”
Before the showing of the film an address was given by Major General Sir Clement Milward, Alnwick.
Councillor Green, who presided, and introduced General Milward, said that there were still many branches of A.R.P. work to be filled before they could say that they were in a satisfactory position so far as civil defence was concerned.
"To those who have already given their services, I say thank you; with those unable to give their services, I sympathise; to those who have treated the appeal with indifference, I say don’t laugh at those who have joined."…………….