Son of
W.P. 'Bill' Richardson's Great Uncle,
James Gilliland
John James was born
on 13th August 1896, he was the second child of
James Gilliland and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee
Gardiner). His birth was registered in the Auckland
Registration District.
His baptism was recorded in the Methodist Register for
Wolsinham and Others. He was baptised on 17th September
1896 and the record shows that his father was a Colliery
Weighman and the family lived in Sunniside. The census of 1901
recorded the family living at Burnopfield Colliery,
Tanfield, Co. Durham. John was 4 years old. His Dad,
James, was 34 and worked as a Checkweigher in the mine.
His Mam. Mary, was 29. John had two brothers
Hugh (6) and David (3), he also had a sister Edith
Evelyn (9 months). Another sister, Annie had been born
in 1899 but had died soon after birth.
John's Mam, Mary, died in 1905 when he was only nine years
old, then his younger brother David, died in 1907.
His father re-married in 1908 and his step mother was
Catherine (nee Gray) By the time of the
1911 census, the family were living in Birtley, at 69
Mitchell Street. John's Dad was 44 and listed as a
Political Registrations Agent, his step Mam, Catherine
was 30.
John was 14 in 1911 and was listed as being at secondary
school. The other children listed were Hugh
(16) Edith Evelyn (10), Ernest (7) and their baby step
brother, George (10 months). John James
enlisted in the army on 2nd January 1915. His service
number was 2418833 and he seems to have served both with
the Northumberland Fusiliers and a Lincolnshire
Regiment. (I think that men were transferred to make up
numbers if a particular regiment had suffered heavy
casualties). He served in France and, thankfully, his
discharge papers show that he was fit upon discharge and
not claiming for any injury sustained.
I don't think John James was too well suited to the
rules and regulations of army life, his service record
shows quite a long list of trangressions such as being
late back from leave, missing parade etc etc. He seems
to have spent a fair time being confined to barracks as
punishment. Nevertheless he fought for his country and
received both the British War medal and the
Victory medal. In the third quarter of
1925, at Birtley Methodist Church, John James married
Minnie Mackey, who was the daughter of George Mackey (a
coal miner) and his wife Mary. John James was 29 and
Minnie was 24. They were to have one
daughter, Vida , who was born in the second quarter of
1926 and her birth was registered in the Chester le St.
Registration District John James died on
4th October 1957, he was 61 years old and his death
was registered in the Durham North Registration
District. His cremation took place at Birtley
Crematorium and he is remembered in their Book of
Remembrance. |
