Private Andrew Hoey

 

Andrew Hoey (or Hooey) was born around 1872 in County Tyrone, one of at least three children of cottier James Hooey and his wife Ellen (née Young). At the time of the 1901 Census he was living in Main Street, Dromore, with his widowed mother and a brother, and working as a horse trainer. Later that year he moved to Enniskillen, where on 17 June he married Mary Louisa Hodgins in the Church of Ireland Parish Church. The couple had eleven children over the next eighteen years. At the time of the 1911 Census they were living in Townhall Street, Enniskillen, with their children and both their mothers, Andrew working as a car driver.

Hoey enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron at Enniskillen on 2 October 1914 – the day recruiting opened for the squadron. He was issued regimental number UD/11. Records suggest that he understated his age, at 35 rather than his true age of about 42.

The Inniskilling squadron embarked for France in October 1915 as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division. Britton, however, remained with the reserves at Enniskillen probably due to his age. On 4 October 1916 he was discharged, being 'Overage; general physical unfitness and debility.' He was awarded a pension as his condition was found to have been aggravated by his military service.

Soon after this Hoey and his family moved to Scotland, living in Rutherglen near Glasgow. At the time of the 1921 Census Andrew, his wife, his mother-in-law and their ten surviving children were living at King Street, Rutherglen, he employed as a general labourer for the cleaning department of the Rutherglen Corporation. He died at the Hartwood Asylum, Shotts, Lanarkshire, on 19 March 1926, having suffered from 'delerious mania' for ten days.

 

This page last updated 11 January 2023.