| The History of Coagh booklet lists Hugh Ashcroft and his brother Albert Ashcroft as having served.
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| Hugh Ashcroft was the son of William and Sarah Ashcroft. William Ashcroft and Sarah Tosh / Toss / McIntosh were married on 28th May 1874 in the district of Cookstown.
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| Hugh Nesbitt Ashcroft was born at Urbal, Coagh, County Tyrone on 19 February 1887. He was one fourteen children, eleven surviving.
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| Known family: William Ashcroft, Sarah Ashcroft, Robert Ashcroft (born 21st May 1875), Margaret Ashcroft (born 24th August 1876), Mary Ashcroft (born 28th April 1878), Maria Ashcroft (born 14th November 1879, 22nd December 1880, age 1), John Ashcroft (born 21st December 1882), Samuel Ashcroft (born 2nd April 1884), Marion Ashcroft (born 11th September 1885), Hugh Nesbitt Ashcroft (born 19th February 1887), Stewart Ashcroft (born 14th August 1888), Albert Ashcroft (born about 1891), Edith Ashcroft (born 25th July 1891), Gladys Ashcroft (born 26th June 1894, died 3rd August 1900, age 6), Violet / Elsie Ashcroft (born 15th March 1897).
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| The 1901 census lists Hugh as age 13 living with the family at house 5 in Great Georges Street, Coagh. His father was a horse trainer. Hugh was still at school.
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| Philip Tardiff’s extensive research on the North Irish Horse records that Hugh Ashcroft enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 6th July 1908. The regiment was formed on that day from its predecessor - the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry.
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| The 1911 census lists Hugh as age 24, living with the family at house 1 in Ballygoney Beg, Springhill, County Londonderry. They were a farming family and Hugh is described as a farmer’s son.
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| 1914
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| Sergeant Ashcroft embarked for France on 20th August 1914 as part of C Squadron, North Irish Horse. He served with the regiment through the war.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 28th November 1914: Driver W J Arbuthnot
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| Driver W J Arbuthnot, of the North Irish Horse, son of Mr W J Arbuthnot, Drumbonaway, writing to a friend says:-
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| ‘I am quite well, but I do not know the minute I may be laid low. Still I keep a brave heart and take everything light-heartedly and gay, and as long as the Lord spares me, I will do my duty as a soldier and a man. Taking God for my guide I fear no foe. I have come through a few battles safely. All the rest of the boys are doing well and doing goog work at the front, especially the Cookstown chaps. We are very well looked after with food and clothes, and we never want for anything, and not one of the Cookstown party with the North Irish Horse has got a wound, though all have shown up bravely at the post of duty. Sergeant Ashcroft, John Maxwell, Samuel Espey, Willie Crooks, Willie Anderson, George Henry and Albert McKenna are the Cookstown fellows in the same troop with me. The French people are very kind to us. Almost all the work on the farms is done by bullocks and the carting by dogs. It seems wonderful to us how bullocks and dogs could be trained for such work. The main crops are wheat and sugar beet, with lots of vineyards. I have seen the Indian troops in action. They are doing good work, but are very hard to keep back. They run up and down charging the enemy with bayonets.’
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 12th December 1914: Trooper Robert Averall
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| Trooper Robert Averall, of the North Irish Horse, writing to Mr John G Gamble, of Magherafelt, on 2nd December last, says:-
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| ‘We are having a badly needed rest right now, as our horses were nearly played out. Cavalry is not much use in the trenches, but we hope to get plenty of work when the Germans get on the move again, and I hope the next halt will be in Berlin. It is hardly likely we will be home for Christmas, but I hope we will be there for the Twelfth! Four Cookstown fellows are here in my troop, Sergeant Ashcroft, Corporal Espey, Lance Corporal Henry and Trooper Willie Crooks. We are visited by the enemy’s airplanes almost every day. They fly over our lines and drop bombs all over the place but do not do much damage, and we manage to bring them down in the end. We were on guard during the King’s visit, and were on the lookout for spies. We succeeded in capturing two disguised as shepherds. They had some sheep and a dog. We are getting tired of mutton chops, so we will perhaps try dog flesh for a change! Remember me to all the comrades in the U.V.F. and tell them I am hoping to rejoin their ranks soon.’
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| From the Belfast Newsletter dated 31st December 1914: North Irish Horse
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| Sergeant Hugh Ashcroft, of the North Irish Horse, spent a week’s furlough with his father and friends at Carryhill, Coagh. The sergeant, who has been on duty in France since August, was one of the troop who formed the escort to the King when in France, and he was one of the two sergeants who were presented by his Majesty with pipes as souvenirs of his visit, the other recipient being Sergeant Munford, a Ballymena man. Sergeant Ashcroft told our representative that he had felt very fit during his four months campaigning. The North Irish Horse had an early experience of active service when they formed the rear-guard to a column of infantry in the retreat from Mons. Since then they had been on outpost duty, securing the woods at Uhlans, one squadron forming the bodyguard to Sir John French and another squadron – to which Sergeant Ashcroft is attached - being bodyguard to General Smith-Dorrien.
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| 1915
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 2nd January 1915: One of the King’s Escort
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| Sergeant Hugh Ashcroft, of the North Irish Horse, spent a week’s holidays with his father and friends at Carryhill, Coagh. The sergeant, who has been on duty in France since August, was one of the troop who formed the escort to His Majesty the King when in France, and he was one of the two sergeants who were presented by his Majesty with pipes as souvenirs of his visit. The other recipient of the Royal gift was Sergeant Munford, a Ballymena man. Sergeant Ashcroft, who looks in fine form, told our representative that he has felt fit during his four months campaigning. The North Irish Horse had an early experience of active service when they formed the rear-guard to a column of infantry in the retreat from Mons. Since then they had been on outpost duty, securing the woods at Uhlans, one squadron forming the bodyguard to Sir John French and another squadron – to which Sergeant Ashcroft is attached is bodyguard to General Smith-Dorrien. Corporal George Henry and Samuel Espie are in Sergeant Ashcroft’s troop and he hinted it was probable that they would also be getting a short holiday at an early date, and that early in the year they might all see more of active warfare.
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| 1916
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 25th March 1916: Tamalaghmore Comforts
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| Sergeant H Ashcroft, of C Squadron, North Irish Horse, at the front, writes as follows to Mr Thomas Ferguson in acknowledgement of a parcel of comforts, provided by a recent concert at Tamalaghmore:-
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| ‘Just a line to thank you for your welcome parcel. The cigarettes were great, and the boys from Coagh and Cookstown district appreciated them very much.’ There is no stuff we get out here like the Irish stuff we get from home, so I am thanking you on behalf of the boys of my troop and myself.’
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| Sergeant Ashcroft served with both the North Irish Horse (Service No 137) and with the Corps of Hussars (Service No 71007).
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| In the latter part of 1918 he was awarded a Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
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| Post War
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| Sergeant Ashcroft was transferred to Class Z Army Reserve on 7 February 1919. He wold have been about 31 when the war finished.
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| Hugh’s brother, Albert Ashcroft, also served with the North Irish Horse during the war. He too survived.
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