Driver William Jago 92269

There were 5 possible entries for William Jago on the CWGC, one of them had 'other information' that showed he was from Liverpool, I used the parents' names from this information to identify him in the census returns.

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William Jago was born in Bootle baptised on 12th February 1893 in Liverpool St George. His parents were Sydney George and Sarah Jago. Stanley George was a cabinet maker and they lived at 9 Essex Street, Bootle.

The 1901 census shows that the Jago family lived at 244 Whitefield Road in West Derby, Liverpool. Sydney George was enumerated as George Jago.

The 1911 census shows the family lived at 38 Upper Stanhope Street (next to St James' Church).  Sydney was again enumerated as George. William John Jago was an only child, aged 18 on this census and working as a fishmonger's assistant.

William's medal card (below) shows that he was a driver in the Royal Field Artillery with the regimental number 92269. He was awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and the 1915 Star.

It also shows that William first entered the war in France on 18th July 1915.

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Name:	William Jago
Birth Place:	Liverpool, Lancs
Death Date:	4 Oct 1918
Death Location:	Salonika
Enlistment Location:	Liverpool
Rank:	DVR.
Regiment:	Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
Number:	92269
Type of Casualty:	Died
Theatre of War:	Balkan Theatre

Click here to see the CWGC database entry for William Jago

A family notice placed in the Liverpool Evening Express said "Dvr. William Jago R.F.A., aged 21, who died of malarial fever at Salonika, was the only son of Mr and Mrs Jago, 66 Low Hill (W Derby Labour Club). Deceased volunteered on Aug. 26th 1914, served in France and was drafted to Salonika. Previously he was employed by Mr Hill, West Kirby and was a member of the Lorretonian society of St James, Toxteth. 

2nd Lieutenant Alfred Mortenson 4716, 104216

There is only one Alfred Mortenson in the CWGC database, although there is no other information about his place of birth the WW1 medal roll index cards show only one Alfred Mortenson and he was in the Liverpool Regiment so I am confident that this is the right man. The medal card also gives the address of his mother so I can be sure I have the correct man on the census records.

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Alfred Mortenson was born on June 28 1895 and baptised on 31st March the same year in St James Church. His parents were Christian and Mary Ann Mortenson of 45 Upper Hill Street which is in the area of St James' Church. Christian Mortenson was a Dock Gate man.

The 1901 census shows the Mortenson family living at 45 Canning Pierhead.

http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=conMediaFile.768

This image (dated 1919 and out of copyright) is of the Pilotage Office at Canning Pierhead. Source: Port Cities Mersey Gateway Partnership Canning Dock is adjacent to the Albert Dock. I surmise that there were houses for the Dock officials as the neighbours were also Dock Gatemen and the Dock Master (and a Publican!)

The census shows that Alfred was the 3rd of 4 children and his father was from Sweden.

 

At the time of the 1911 census the family had moved to 42 Canning Pierhead, Christian was still a Dock Gateman. Alfred, aged 16, was working as an office boy for a shipping company.

 

The census shows that their house was not large, with 4 rooms (plus any bathroom) but this was more than adequate by the standards of the time for the 4 people who lived there.

 

The Medal Roll Index Card for Alfred Mortenson (below) shows that he was a Private in the Liverpool Regiment with the regimental number 4716 then a Private in the Machine Gun Corps with the regimental number 104216, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant.

The main body of the card has the medal roll references for his Victory Medal and British War Medal. It also shows that the theatre of war first served in was France on 1st February 1917. He was commisioned as a Second Lieutenant on 27th November 1917 and deceased 15th April 1918.

(click here to go to a website which explains the ranks of the British Army - I have found it very useful)

The reverse of the card gives the address for correspondence as 42 Rundle Road. It says it is his mother but the initial C would be for his father Christian.

 

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Name:	Alfred Mortenson
Death Date:	15 Apr 1918
Rank:	T/2/Lieutenant
Regiment:	Machine Gun Corps
Battalion:	59th
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action

 

click here to open the CWGC database entry for Alfred Mortenson (new window)

 

Guardsman Matthew Jones 23830

Identification

As you might expect, this is a common name, however there were only 4 Mathew or Matthew Jones on the CWGC and of the 22 records for M Jones, only 3 of them turned out to be Matthew when checked against medal cards.

Of these Matthew Jones, only one of them had a mention of Liverpool in their 'other information' the others could be traced to other areas of the country or to Wales.

There was also only one Matthew Jones in UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 with place of birth as Liverpool and it matched the one I had identified.

So, as far as I can ascertain, this Matthew Jones is the right one. As always when I've had to make assumptions to narrow it down, I will be looking for corroboration.

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Family Information

Matthew Jones was born on 20th Sept 1891 and christened in St Matthew's, Toxteth on 11th October the same year. His parents were James and Margaret Jones. His father's occupation was tramway guard and they lived at 6 Devonport Street.




At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at 1 house, 2 court, Hampton Street. Part of the notoriously bad court housing system. (link to further info) They have 4 rooms for 6 people though so are not in the worst  sourt situations of some families who had a single room. Matthew was the eldest of the 4 children listed on the census.
James was working as an 'electric motor driver' which was probably connected with the trams.

At the time of the 1911 census the family are living at 120 Northumberland St, not far from St James' Church. This area is all modern housing now. There were 8 children at home and the census shows that they are the 8 surviving from 10 children. Matthew's occupation was listed as Clerk (at present out of employment) and his father's as electric car driver for Liverpool Corporation.

An article entitled “Liverpool Policemen Killed in Action” printed in the Liverpool Echo on 26^th October 1916 shows a policeman named Matt Jones died with the Grenadier Guards, a quick check shows that our Matthew Jones was the only man of that name to die with the Grenadier Guards.  So, sometime after the 1911 census it appears that Matthew Jones joined the Liverpool Police, the article names a total of 4 police constables from “B” division who had recently been killed and says:

 “Private Matt Jones (ex Police-constable 51B) He joined up early in the war, and was attached to the Grenadier Guards. All four were quite young but most promising policemen and deservedly popular with their officers and comrades. They were all members of the Police Athletic Society… Jones was also a promising boxer, a footballer and good sprinter.”

Military Information

The Medal Index Card for Matthew Jones confirms that he was a private in the Grenadier Guards with the regimental number 23830. He received the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. His name is misspelled as 'Mathew' on the card.

Death and Commemoration

UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919

Name: Matthew Jones Birth Place: Liverpool Death Date: 25 Sep 1916 Death Location: France & Flanders Enlistment Location: Liverpool Rank: GDSN. Regiment: Grenadier Guards Battalion: 4th Battalion Number: 23830 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

The medal card and CWGC both have his rank as private, but the information above seems to be the correct rank: Guardsman, this rank is also used in the medal rolls.

At the time of Guardsman Jones' death the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards was part of the 3rd Guards Brigade, The Guards Division. The date that he died was the first day of the Battle of Morval, part of the Battle of the Somme.

The following notice was printed in the Liverpool Echo on 25th Sept 1917

JONES - In ever-loving memory of Private M.Jones, Grenadier Guards, killed in action September 25 1916.
Yet did I love thee to the last
As fervently as thou,
Who did not change in all the past,
And cannot alter now.
(sadly missed by Mattie)
He gave his life for those he loved.
He did not shirk, but did his duty well;
A British hero, he nobly fought and fell,
And was beloved by all.
Ever remembered by George, Willie and Jim (in France)
We loved him, yes, not tongue can tell,
How deep, how dearly, and how well;
For him we weep in silence unseen,
And sweet is the memory of days that have been.
(Always remembered by all at 24, Great George Street, Liverpool)

A family notice, printed in the Liverpool Echo on 25^th Sept 1918:

JONES – In loving memory of our dear brother Private MATTHEW JONES. Grenadier Guards, killed in action, September 25^th 1916.For us he always did his bestGod grant him eternal rest.-         From Father, Mother, Sisters and Brothers, 120 Northumberland Street.

Matthew Jones has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Click here to go to the CWGC database entry for Matthew Jones

Lieutenant Thomas Stanley Reay PS/3182

There were 5 Thomas Reays in the CWGC database, only one had the middle initial S and he was from Liverpool.

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photo from entry in Liverpool's Scroll of Fame

Thomas Stanley Reay was born on 3rd February 1894 and baptised in St James Church on 1st April the same year. The baptism record (below) shows that his parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Thornley Reay. They lived at 27 Mount Street and Thomas Snr was a baker. This photograph is of Thomas Senior circa 1881.

image source ancestry.co.uk

Thomas's mother was formerly Elizabeth Thornley Stephenson.

The 1901 census shows the family still lived at 27 Mount Street, Thomas Snr was now a baker shopkeeper and an employer. Thomas Stanley has been enumerated as Stanley Reay and he was the youngest of their 5 children on the census return.

In the 1911 census Thomas Stanley again used his middle name (and transcribed by ancestry.co.uk as Manley) Aged 17, he was a theological student. He was living at 18 Cumberland Street with his parents and 3 siblings.

The census also shows us that Thomas Snr was at this time a flour dealer and shop keeper and employer. It also shows that the Reay family had 5 surviving children out of 8 and their house had 8 rooms for 6 people.

The following text is from Liverpool Scroll of Fame Part I: commissioned officers which was published in 1920, unfortunately no further volumes were published due to lack of demand.

Lieutenant Thomas Stanley Reay,

10^th Battalion,

Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

The Church sustained a severe deprivation by the loss of so many young men who had ordinarily been destined for its ministry. Lieutenant Thomas Stanley Reay was especially well-equipped for his chosen vocation by reason both of his upright and manly character and his intellectual gifts. For some years he had looked forward to ordination as the entry to that fuller service to which he aspired. But then the war intervened and he went forth immediately as a Christian warrior, moved by that high conscientiousness that always distinguished him, and ready to give his life for the freedom of England.

He was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Reay and he lived with them at 18 Cumberland Avenue, Sefton Park. His father was a prominent member of St James Church, Toxteth and had been vicar’s warden during his son’s boyhood. Stanley was thus brought into close touch with the vicar, and had spent his holidays with the Rev. Mr Watt, Vicar of St Dunstan’s Earle Road, after the latter had gone to Peebles, that clergyman having developed a very strong friendship with him.

Up to the age of seventeen his education was at Liverpool Institute, and it was in furtherance of his desire to seek Holy Orders that he then entered Selwyn College, Cambridge. Not only was assiduous in his studies, but he brought the same keenness and relish into the sporting fields, where he was an athlete of some versatility. He was a member of various teams connected with his College, and was particularly devoted to rowing. Having gained his colours in 1914 he rowed for his college in the Lent races of that year. 

Such were his happy “varsity” days and he was nearing the time when, in accordance with his long cherished hopes, he would begin his clerical career, when the call to arms resounded through Europe. For him that call had an inevitable and immediate reply. He had no hesitation about following the hard pathway of duty. Straight away he joined the Public School Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers – he was one of the original members – and went to France with them in November, 1915.  So gallantly did he conduct himself that after a few months of active service he was sent home to train for a commission, and in due course he was gazetted to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. 

Lieutenant Reay went abroad once more in October, 1916, and for eighteen further months he was engaged in a great deal of hard fighting on the Western Front. No officer could have had a clearer or more manly appreciation of his duty as the holder of a commission of His Majesty. No doubt it is to this that one can attribute the extraordinary faith of his men in his leadership. No once, but many times, they confessed that they felt a certain amount of additional security when following him, and his invariable thoughtfulness for them won their unbounded respect. Even when he had been wounded – so seriously that he died the next day – his concern was for those subordinates who had also been injured. 

It happened on the 28^th February, 1918. Lieutenant Reay was showing a small party of men what work they had to do, when the enemy sent over several shells, which fell quite near to where the group was standing, and he and three others were wounded. Stretcher-bearers went out at once, and the young officer allowed them to carry him so far, then insisting that the other cases should be brought in and their injuries bandaged. Reay talked quite cheerfully to one of his chums, sent back messages praising the work of the stretcher-bearers, and professed to be suffering no pain. Thus the news of his death came as a shock, and it was also an occasion of sincere grief on the part of those many friends, military and civilian, who knew so well his sterling worth. 

No one, indeed, who knew anything about Reay would doubt that, had he survived the perils of warfare and fulfilled his vocation, he would have been a fine example of manly Christianity. Sport, as we have shown already, appealed to him in an exceptional way, and he always loved any other activity that stimulated and invigorated either the mind or the body. In his outlook on life there was nothing in the least degree mean or cramping. He was in some measure an idealist, but he was also intensely practical, and his was invariably a happy and sunny disposition. Thus was he a typical Englishman – an Englishman who lived with a robust ardour and geniality of spirit and who died with that uncomplaining fortitude that befitted such a true son of the Empire.

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Thomas Stanley Reay's medal card (below) shows that he was a private in the 21st Royal Fusiliers and became a Lieutenant in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. He The first entered the theatre of war France 14.11.15 and died of wounds 1/3/18. His father's name and address are on the reverse.

The card shows his regimental number to be PS/3182.
Thanks to information on The Long Long Trail, I believe the prefix denotes it was a public schools Battalion which suggests he was still a theological student when he enlisted.

The following information from The Long Long Trail may explain why he changed regiment and rank.

21st (Service) Battalion (4th Public Schools)Formed at Epsom on 11 September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Men's Force.
26 June 1915 : attached to 98th Brigade, 33rd Division.
Landed in France in November 1915.
27 February 1916 : transferred to GHQ; disbanded on 24 April 1916 with many of the men being commissioned as officers.

source: ancestry.co.uk

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Name:	Thomas Stanley Reay
Death Date:	1 Mar 1918
Rank:	Lieutenant
Regiment:	Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Battalion:	3rd Battalion
Type of Casualty:	Died of wounds
Comments:	Att 10 B

the comments section indicates that he was attached to the 10th Battalion.

The 3rd Battalion was a reserve Battalion, and the 10th a Service Battalion (see details at The Long Long Trail)

click here to see the CWGC entry for Thomas Stanley Reay (opens in new window)

Probate calendar entry:

A list of soldiers commemorated on family headstones in Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool compiled by Richard Daglish can be viewed at the Allerton Cemetery website. It contains the following information:

 REAY, THOMAS STANLEY, Lieutenant, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 3rd Bn. attd. 10th Bn., 24, 01/03/1918, Son of Thomas and Elizabeth T. Reay, of 18, Cumberland Avenue, Sefton Park, Liverpool.

X. A. 23., , ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT,   Somme, France.   ^

5. CE ??  

Corporal Robert Isherwood 2232

There were 4 CWGC results for Robert Isherwood, one of them was in the King's Liverpool Regiment and the 'other information' gave his address as Gwendoline Street, very close to St James' church

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Robert Isherwood was born in West Derby in 1875 to parents Peter and Mary Ann Isherwood. They lived at 44 Howe St, Bootle and Robert and his sister Florence were baptised together on 26th Sept 1875. Peter Isherwood was a Labourer.

source ancestry.co.uk

In the 1881census the family were living at 44 Howe St, Peter Isherwood was working as a 'lime man'. Robert was 5 years old and it says he was born in Ireland.

In the 1891 census they were living at 58 St John's Road,Bootle. Peter Isherwood was working as a foreman stevedore and Robert, aged 15,was a dock labourer. This census says that he was born in Bootle.

At the time of the 1901 census they were living at 47 Keble Rd. Peter's occupation was joiner and Robert was a carpenter's labourer.

In 1901 Robert Isherwood married Isabella Gutcher in St Matthew's Church, Bootle. Robert was 25 and his address was 6 Miranda Rd. Peter's occupation on the marriage certificate was labourer.

Robert and Isabella's daughter, Isabella Mary, was born on 8th Dec 1902. 

Robert's wife Isabella died on 19th Dec and was buried, aged 25, on 22nd Dec 1902.

Isabella Mary was then baptised twice, first on 29th Dec 1902 in St Paul's North Shore in Liverpool then on 6th Jan 1903 at St John's Church, Bootle. Both were private baptisms. For both baptisms their address was 6 Miranda Rd, Bootle.

16th Dec 1910 Robert's mother died and the national probate calendar of wills shows that she lived at St James Place, Liverpool and left £120 12s to her husband Peter, retired licensed victualler.

In the 1911 census Peter Isherwood was living on his own in Bootle and the house at 15 St James place was now the home of his married daughter Agnes Wood.  Robert and Isabella Mary were enumerated at Agnes's house. This is adjacent to St James Church and explains why he was included on the memorial.  Robert's occupation was Merchant Mariner.

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On 11th August 1914, Robert Isherwood volunteered for the Territorial Force. His papers have survived in the pensions collection.

His attestation paper shows that he lived at 69 Windsor St (right by St James Church) He enlisted for 4 years.

Robert was 38 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall.

He was placed in the 7th Battn the King's Liverpool Regiment with the regimental number 2232.

He was examined for field services 3rd Feb 1915 and found fit.

He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France from 07/02/15 to 16/05/15

On 8.5.1915 he was promoted in the field to corporal

On 16th May 1915 Robert Isherwood was reported wounded and missing. It is noted on his military history sheet 'having died on or since 16.05.15'

Several papers in the file show that Robert's daughter Isabella then lived with her aunt Agnes Wood at 69 Windsor Street and Agnes completed the forms to receive Isabella's 'separation allowance' as a motherless child of a deceased soldier.

His medal card (source: ancestry.co.uk)

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Name:	Robert Isherwood
Birth Place:	Bootle, Liverpool
Residence:	Liverpool
Death Date:	16 May 1915
Death Location:	France & Flanders
Enlistment Location:	Bootle
Rank:	Corporal
Regiment:	King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Battalion:	7th Battalion
Number:	2232
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action
Theatre of War:	Western European Theatre

click here to see the CWGC entry for Robert Isherwood (opens in new window)

Owen Owen - help please!

Here's one that I need some help with:

Owen Owen

That's all I have! Surprisingly, this is a very common name.

the CWGC has 3 results for Owen Owen with Liverpool in the 'other information' these men are:
Owen Owen
Owen Hugh Owen and
Owen Rawson Owen

Assuming that the family would have included a middle name on the memorial, this gives us only one result, Owen Owen who was in the Mercantile Marine and was lost with the SS Stuart Prince on 22 March 1917, a cargo ship which was torpedoed.
This Owen Owen was living with his parents (Amy and William) in Wales at the time of the 1911 census but was married and living in Liverpool by the time of his death.

This is based on several large assumptions though so I am looking for more information before continuing.

Bertie L Hill

This one is a bit tenuous, I will be looking for more information to confirm it...

There are no records of a Bertie L Hill so I assumed his name was Bert, Albert, Robert, Hubert, Herbert or Bertram. Using these names and the middle inital L to narrow it down I came up with one person who I can link to Liverpool but not (yet!) to the Parish of St James.

Herbert Lloyd Hill

click here to view the CWGC entry for Herbert Lloyd Hill

Herbert Lloyd Hill was born in Liverpool in 1881 to parents Herbert William and Mary Ann

Census records show that the family lived at 51 Phoebe Ann St in 1891, 1901 and 1911 and presumably for all the years in between.
Herbert's father was a tailor, born in Welshpool. His mother was from Liverpool, Herbert and his 7 siblings were born in Liverpool.

I can find no other information about Herbert Lloyd Hill until his death which is commemorated on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy Memorial.

His entry in the CWGC files shows that he was a Pantry Steward and was killed on 19th August 1915 aged 34 when the White Star Line Steamer SS Arabic was sunk. Additional information states  Son of William Herbert and Mary Ann Hill, of 51, Phoebe Anne St., Everton, Lancs.

The SS Arabic, photograph from a webpage with more information about the ship. Click here to visit.

There was plenty of press coverage of this sinking, despite the relatively low casualty numbers, as it happened within 50 miles of where the Lusitania had been sunk 3 months previously and in similar circumstances.  It was the outrage caused by the sinking of these two ships which prompted American intervention. This lead to a change in German U-boat regulations requiring warning to be given to passenger ships and all passengers and crew to be removed before sinking of the ships (compensation was paid to America for the sinking of the Lusitania and the Arabic)


These sites have more information on the sinking:
http://www.genealogybuff.com/misc/misc-arabic-shipwreck.htm

http://www.merseysiderollofhonour.co.uk/obits/ships/arabicss.htm

James Irvine 359540

I made the assumption that if James Irvine had a middle name it would have been on the war memorial, so only counted results for James or J Irvine. This gave me 31 results on the CWGC database.

This seemed like too large a pool of men but a closer look revealed that most of them were in Scottish regiments. Checking the 'other information' on their entries meant that I could discount 29 of the men. Of the 2 left one was in the King's (Liverpool Regiment) and lived on the same street as St James' Church, the other was in the Welsh fusiliers with no other information.

It seemed likely that I had found the right man, to check the likelihood of there being another James Irvine I checked the 1911 census and found only one result for a James Irvine born in the most likely year range of 1880-1900 and living in Liverpool.  The street address from the CWGC and the census matched.

James Irvine

Born in 1885 (I do not has his date of birth yet) Son of William and Catherine Irvine. The 1891 census shows that William was a boat-builder's labourer and James was one of 7 children. The family lived at 34 Clarke Street (which was near St James)

1891 census: crown copyright

The 1901 census return shows the family now at 32 Clarke Street. William was working as a Ship Smith's Hammer Man and their 8 children range in age from 23 to 7

1901 census: crown copyright



The 1911 census return shows James to be 27 years old and employed as a Cooper, as were his brothers John and Charles. The family were living at 84 Upper Stanhope Street (Adjacent to St James' Church)

1911 census: crown copyright

James' medal card shows that he was in the Liverpool Regiment with the number 359540 and was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.

source: crown copyright

James' entry in UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1918

Name: James Irvine Birth Place: Liverpool Residence: Liverpool Death Date: 9 Apr 1918 Death Location: France & Flanders Enlistment Location: Liverpool Rank: Private Regiment: King's (Liverpool Regiment) Battalion: 10th Battalion Number: 359540 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre Click here to open a website dedicated to the Liverpool Scottish which includes photographs of a beautiful book of remembrance which of course includes the name of Private James Irvine. Click here to see James Irvine's entry in the CWGC database.

There is also  a plaque dedicated to James by his fellow choristers at Christ Church, Aigburth:

copyright Amanda Taylor 2013

Finally, the probate record for James' will is shown below. Army records show that the pay he was owed, plus a war gratuity of £3 10s were also paid to his mother Catherine.