Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Joseph Moorhouse a domestic coachman, born 1843 in Salford, Lancashire and his wife Sarah Frances Moorhouse (nee Osborne, married in the 4th quarter of 1876 in The Stand, London), born 1856 in Mattisall, Norfolk. Joseph was born on the 13th September 1884 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire and was baptised on the 2nd November 1884 in the Parish Church, Colney St. Peter, Hertfordshire, his siblings were, Arthur, born 1877, Ellen Georgina, born 1879, Walter, born 1881 and Edward Cecil, born 1882 the latter four siblings were all born in St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex, Charles Alexander, born 1888 and Alice, born 1895, the latter two siblings were born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at 34, Leicester Street, Melton Mowbray. In the 2nd quarter of 1898 Joseph’s mother died aged 42 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire District. In March 1901 Joseph was absent from the family home at 34, Leicester Street, Melton Mowbray, residing there was his widowed father, a domestic coachman, and his siblings, Ellen, a school teacher, Edward, an architect’s assistant, Charles and Alice, Joseph was serving as a Boy 2nd Class with the Royal Navy stationed at HMS Ganges, First Class Training Ship, Harwich St. Nicholas, Essex. In April 1911 Joseph was absent from the family home at 34, Leicester Street, Melton Mowbray, residing there was his widowed father, a domestic coachman, and his siblings, Edward, a highway surveyor, Charles and Alice, Joseph was serving with the Royal Navy as an Able Bodied Seaman aboard HMS Superb.
Joseph enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 12 year engagement on the 21st November 1900, his reckonable service to commence on the 13th September 1902, and was allocated the service number 212425 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 6½ inches in height, he had light brown hair and his eyes were grey, his complexion was described as fresh, he gave his trade or calling as clerk, on attaining the age of 18 his re-examination recorded his height as 5 foot 8½ inches. His record of service began when he joined HMS Ganges as a Boy 2nd Class on the 21/11/00 – 1/8/01. HMS Minotaur, 2/8/01 – 15/8/01, when he was promoted to Boy 1st Class. HMS Minotaur, 16/8/01 – 12/9/01. HMS Ganges, 13/9/01 – 14/1/02. HMS Minotaur, 15/1/02 – 25/6/02. HMS Agincourt, 26/6/02 – 5/8/02. HMS Trafalgar, 6/8/02 – 29/8/02. HMS Royal Sovereign, 30/8/02 – 12/9/02, when he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman. HMS Royal Sovereign, 13/9/02 – 10/8/04, when he was promoted to Able Bodied Seaman. HMS Royal Sovereign, 11/8/04 – 2/5/05. HMS Excellent, 3/5/05 – 22/7/05. HMS Victory, 23/7/05 – 14/8/05. HMS Gladiator, 15/8/05 – 22/8/05. HMS Victory I, 23/8/05 – 15/11/05. HMS Victory II, 16/11/05 – 5/6/06. HMS Victory II, 6/6/06 – 1/10/06. HMS Britannia, 2/10/06 – 12/10/08. HMS Victory I, 13/10/08 – 16/1/09. HMS Excellent, 17/1/09 – 18/12/09. HMS Superb, 19/12/09 – 29/5/11. HMS Vernon, 30/5/11 – 17/4/12. HMS Spartiate, 18/4/12 – 24/5/12. HMS Minotaur, 25/5/12 – 13/3/14. HMS Yarmouth, 14/3/14 – 13/4/14. HMS Eclipse, 14/4/14 – 18/5/14. HMS Victory I, 19/5/14 – 20/6/14. HMS Glory, 21/6/14 – 10/4/16. HMS Victory I, 11/4/16 – 25/5/16. HMS Dido, 26/5/16 – 10/6/16. HMS Dido (Milne), 11/6/16 – 30/4/17. HMS Dido (Recruit), 1/5/17 – 9/8/17, when he was lost in HMS Recruit. Joseph had passed educationally for Petty Officer on the 4/6/13.
The background relating to the circumstances in which Joseph lost his life are as follows. In 1914 HMS Recruit was in active commission at the Nore based at Sheerness tendered to HMS Actaeon, a Royal Navy training establishment. With the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 she was assigned to the Nore Local Flotilla. Her duties included anti-submarine and counter mining patrols in the Thames Estuary. The R Class vessel was lost on 9th August 1917 in the North Sea either by mine or torpedo from UB-16 and went down with the loss of 54 officers and men. The UB-16 was herself sunk on the 10th May 1918 after being torpedoed by the British submarine HM submarine E-34 in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth. However, up to then, the UB-16 had sunk 24 British merchant ships with another one damaged and one taken as a prize in addition to the sinking of the British destroyer HMS “Recruit.”
On Friday August 17th 1917 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR” – MELTON SEAMAN LOST ON A DESTROYER. Mr J. Moorhouse, Leicester Street, Melton Mowbray, for many years coachman for Elizabeth Countess of Wilton and Mr A. V. Pryor, received a notification from the Admiralty on Monday afternoon that his son, Able Seaman Joseph Gordon Moorhouse, had gone down on a destroyer in the North Sea on August 9th. Deceased who would have been 33 years of age had he lived until next month, joined the Royal Navy when he was 16, so had done nearly 17 years service. He had received his papers for a commission and was to have been gazetted Petty Officer next month, so anticipated coming home on leave at the end of this month. Deceased was educated at Melton Church school, and played a prominent part in the theatricals which were got up by Mr Horace Plant, who was at that time a teacher in the school. Before joining the navy he was for a short time in the offices of Messrs. Oldham and Marsh. Mr Moorhouse has four other sons serving with the colours. Lieut. E. C. Moorhouse holding a commission in the Labour Battalion in France, Signaller Walter being senior signaller in the Honourable Artillery Coy., Charlie is in the Royal Flying Corps., and Fred in the Oxford and Bucks Regt., at Salonika.
On Friday August 9th 1918 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” – IN MEMORIAM. MOORHOUSE. –In loving memory of Joseph Gordon Moorhouse, son of Joseph Moorhouse, 34, Leicester-street, Melton Mowbray, who lost his life on one of His Majesty’s destroyers, Aug. 9th, 1917.
A loving son, a brother kind.
Loved by all he left behind.
From Father, sisters and brothers abroad.