The Pulman brothers - siblings missing in action during the Great War

Two brothers - Cuthbert and John Edgar Pulman. They were sons of Fred Pulman, and great-grandsons of Abram Pulman [1794-1863], founder of the well-known iron merchants, at one time in Lister Lane, and later at Weymouth Street. As steel merchants, for many years they operated from Horton Street, and still trade under Abram’s name in Sowerby Bridge.

Fred Pulman’s father John [1822-1903], was a joiner and carpenter, and not involved with the metal business. Fred himself was born at 39 Lister Lane in 1849, and raised at Upper Brunswick Street. He trained as a master joiner, and then ran a successful business. In 1873, he married Martha Hannah Tuley; and they lived for their early married life in St Mary’s Street, but later at 40 Hopwood Lane. They had at least ten children, of whom six were boys. By 1911 Fred and his wife were living at Heath Mount, later they were recorded at Savile Park Street.

John Edgar was the sixth and youngest son of Fred and Martha Pulman, being born in August 1890. Being a younger son he decided to seek his fortune in North America, and in 1906 emigrated to Canada, settling at Regina, Saskatchewan, where he worked initially as a clerk, and later as a machinist. In 1915 he joined the 28th battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment), which was soon deployed to Europe. On 6th June 1916, the Germans detonated four mines under the British trenches at Hooge, following which John Edgar was missing, presumed killed. Much later his name was inscribed on the Menin Gate.