John Williams was born at Oswestry in 1889. In the 1891 census he is recorded living at Orchard Street as a grandson to Thomas and Mary Williams. His grandparents had seven children Thomas, Sarah, Hugh, Catherine Maggie, Elizabeth, Florence and Charles. John’s mother is not given, but based on birth and christening records (baptised 22 March 1889 Holy Trinity) his mother was Sarah Williams. No father is recorded. His grandfather, Thomas, was a former soldier and bandsman who had served in India – three of his children, Thomas, Sarah and Hugh had been born there. By 1891 the family was in Oswestry where his grandfather was working as a railway porter and living at Orchard Street.

By 1901 John was living in Cheltenham – he is recorded as living with his married sister Sarah, (now Hunt) his sister Florence and niece Violet. Sarah had married Timothy Hunt on 12 April 1897 at Cheltenham. Timothy was a coachman. It is possible that ‘sister’ is either an error or (possibly) his ‘mother’ had married Timothy Hunt and the true nature of John’s status was being hidden and recorded as ‘brother’ rather than ‘son’. John’s obituary also records that his stepmother was living at Cambrian Place, Beatrice Street, Oswestry.

Whilst in Cheltenham, probably around 1908/09, he joined the regular army enlisting in 1 Bn  Gloucestershire Regiment. In 1911 he was stationed in barracks at Portsmouth – it is possible that at this time he met his fiancée, Isabella Mabel Luke, originally from Gosport. John was also a Bandsman in the battalion. He went over to France with his battalion on 13 August 1914 and served through all the engagements of the first months of the war.

John was KIA on 22 December 1914 during the Battle of Givenchy at Festubert during an attempt to recapture a section of German held trenches. His body was lost and he is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.

A few days before his death his fiancée, Isabella Mabel Luke, had received a letter from him. He thanked her for all the parcels and letters he had received. He wrote that they had been having a hard time of it but now things were a bit easier. He continued that he was in the best of health and quite comfortable given the conditions but he would be ‘….glad when this lot is over so that I can come and see you.‘ It would also seem he was also a collector of war souvenirs – ‘ If I get a chance of a German helmet I will bring one. I have had dozens but could not carry them about with me for months.’ although how much his fiancée would appreciate this is questionable. He thanked her for her recent letter and Christmas parcel and wished everyone ‘a right Merry Christmas’. John was also mentioned in Sir John French’s (C in C) Despatches for February 1915 and had been recommended for promotion during First Ypres, when the Gloucestershire’s were involved in heavy fighting.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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