Ben had been born and raised in Filey, where he had been a ‘Vanman’ for many years since his marriage to Elizabeth on 16^th April 1904.  They lived at 22, Providence Place until mid-1916 when a house fire forced them to move to other premises (apparently a papered-over fireplace in an upper room caught light from sparks coming from the fire in a lower room).  Ben had been conscripted in Beverley in January 1916, where even though he didn’t have to serve due to poor hearing and eyesight, he went because he felt it was his duty to.  He was sent to ‘B’ Company, 2^nd South Staffordshire Regt. when he arrived in France and served for several months before being killed in action and laid to rest  in Gorre British and Indian Cemetery.

          He was also a keen footballer in is younger days and was Filey Town's outside left for many years, as well as playing for Scarborough Football Club.