Howcutt was the youngest of twelve children. His parents were Thomas Burdett, a baker
and Eliza Lee who had married in Arnesby on 3rd February 1862. Although the couple were from Leicestershire, they settled in Alcaster in Warwickshire. By 1901 they had moved back to Leicester, living at no. 13 Knighton Fields Road East with their two youngest sons, Beaumont who was born in 1976 and Howcutt born 1882 in Holdborrow in Worcestershire, both were working as Clickers.
When he was living at no 20 Lord Byron Street, Howcutt married Annie Elizabeth Neale on 18th May 1907, she was living around the corner at 50 Knighton Fields Road East. The 1911 census shows that the couple were living at 34 Rydal Street, Howcutt was still working as a Boot & Shoe Clicker and Annie was working as a Hosiery Machinist. His Parents were living at 41 Windermere Street.
On the 11th December 1915 Howcutt attested to the Army Reserves at the age of 33. He was Mobilized in January 1917 and eventually Posted to France on 3rd May 1917, he Disembarked from Folkstone to Boulogne on the 4th May, three months later on the 1st August 1917 he was Killed in Action.
The Leicester Daily Post, dated 14th August 1917 reported that Mrs Burdett, 10 West Bridge, had received news that her husband, in the Cheshire Regiment, was killed in a recent action in France, whilst helping to bring in wounded. He was 35 years of age and enlisted six months ago having previously worked for C.W.S Dunn’s Lane (Co-op Wholesale Society, Shoe Works), also being in business as a tobacconist. His brother Private Beaumont Burdett, Staffs Regiment is in France.
He is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres in Belgium, which is one of the worlds most famous war memorials. The simple inscription written by Rudyard Kipling at the top of the memorial reads ‘To The Armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and to those of their dead who have no known grave’.
With effect from 18th February 1918, Annie was granted a pension of 13/9 a week. Howcutt left his estate to his ‘dear wife Annie Elizabeth Burdett ‘ in his will dated 24/6/1914. The probate was granted in May 1918 and his estate was worth £512 gross. She never remarried, and was living in Birstall when she died in the General Hospital on the 19th September 1965.
Howcutt’s older brother Beaumont survived the war, he never married and in 1939 he was still living at 41 Windermere Road, his parents had died during the war. 1963 in hospital at Market Bosworth.
