Jane Few

War Service

Jane was a munitions worker at the National Shell Filling Factory No 1 (aka Barnbow Munitions Factory) in East Leeds. On the 5 December 1916 Jane Few was badly injured, in Room 42, when a shell exploded as its fuse was being screwed in at the munitions factory; she died 6 December 1916 in Leeds Infirmary. The Coroner for Leeds, Jno E Malcolm, was responsible for issuing the death certificate.
Her funeral was held on Sunday afternoon 10 Dec 1916; the Pontefract & Castleford Advertiser 16 December 1916 reported:
… The remains of Mrs Jane Few, daughter of Mr and Mrs W H Handley, of Newtown, and recently the bride of RFA Gunner Charles Harry Few were interred at the Pontefract Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, amidst an attendance of mourners and sympathising friends which marked one of the largest local gatherings of recent years, for the deceased lady and her friends are all highly respected…
… Many hundreds of deceased’s fellow-workers, as well as representatives of the staff, and the directors, who, like many relatives and other friends sent floral tokens. There is no doubt that the deceased was very highly esteemed as a skilled worker- for she could have ceased her labours on her marriage had she not been persuaded to continue to place her valued services at the disposal of her country…
ane Few is commemorated on various memorials including the Pontefract Roll Of Honour; All Saint’s, Pontefract (see image below); Manston Park near Barnbow and The Women Of The Empire in York Minster. Jane Few House on a 21st century housing development in LS15 is named after her.
Jane Few is buried Section L, Grave 609 in Pontefract Cemetery; currently the plot is unmarked. The burial register records she died at Newtown, Pontefract which contradicts both her death certificate and All Saint’s, Pontefract, Memorial.

Family Life

Mrs Jane Few née Handley was born on 7th September 1896 at 61 St John’s Terrace, Normanton; the daughter of Coal Miner William Handley and his wife Emma.
By the 1901 census the four year old Jane was living with her parents and siblings in New Town, Pontefract.
Jane married Charles Harry Few (a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery) at Pontefract Register Office in November 1916 whilst he was convalescing from wounds received in France. The occupation for Jane is left blank though she was a munitions worker at the National Shell Filling Factory No 1 (aka Barnbow Munitions Factory) in East Leeds.

Jane Few's death certificate

War Memorial