His mother died in 1903 and his father remarried in 1906 in Derby. By 1911 he was attending a private school in London.
By 1915 his father was a managing partner of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries and they were living at Burnfoot in Sanquhar. They also appear to have lived in Glaisnock House in Cumnock in 1917.
He was a Lieutenant at Arras and went missing presumed dead. But in fact he was wounded and a POW in Germany (more info in the links below).
His father was so grateful to have him returned that he donated a large sum to St Bride's Church in Sanquhar.
John Samson died at Norwood in Downhill, Glasgow in 1920. He also had an address of Glaisnock House and Hamish was an engineer and died in1971 in Hove, Sussex.
Samson family on Cumnock Connections tree.
POW record
| H W Samson | |
| Rank | Capt. |
|---|---|
| Regiment | 6th Battalion. K.O. Scottish Borderers |
| Date Missing | 3 May 1917 |
| Repatriation Date | 2 Dec 1918 |
| Notes | Attached from Royal Scots. |
| Record Number | 2237 |
Lots of articles appeared on the 3rd of May the anniversary of his supposed demise.
Church of Scotland article with gravestone
ITV with photo of him outside St Bride's Church ca 1917
BBC article
Herald article