Sergeant Thomas Seawright
Thomas Seawright was born in 1887 or 1888 at Donaghcloney, Lurgan, County Down, the first of thirteen children of weaver (later butcher) Joseph Henry Seawright and his wife Martha Jane (nee Livingstone). By 1911 he was living with his maternal grandmother and her son and granddaughter at Magherana, Waringstown, and working as a damask weaver.
Seawright enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Portadown on 29 September 1910 (No.544). He gave his occupation as butcher.
He married Elizabeth McKenna of Corcreeny, Waringstown, at Christ Church in Belfast on 17 December 1913. By then he had moved to Belfast. He was living at 5 Salisbury Street and working as a butcher. Later the couple lived at 12 Bryansford Street, Woodstock Road.
Seawright was promoted to lance corporal on 8 April 1913, corporal on 21 August 1914, lance sergeant on 13 October 1914, and sergeant on 16 December 1914.
He embarked for France with C Squadron on 20 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.
When Seawright's term of service ended he chose to leave the army. He left France on 22 September 1915 and was discharged at Antrim as 'time expired' six days later. His record of service was marked as "very good".