Pte 59557 John Terrick Jones

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Wednesday 3rd October 1917
• Commemorated at: Etaples Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: XXVII.E.9A

John Terrick Jones was born on 05th January 1887 at Liverpool and was the son of Thomas Terrick Gresley Jones and his wife Elizabeth (nee Dobie). His father, who was born in Cwm, Flintshire had been widowed in 1884 and left with a son, Percival (born 1883). He married John’s mother in 1886. John was baptised a year after his birth, on 04th January 1888, at Christ Church, Everton, his parents’ residence given as 49 Harbell Street, and his father’s occupation as plasterer.

At the time of the 1891 census the family is found at 9 Daisy Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, with four sons, Percy from Thomas' first marriage), John (age 4), Thomas, and William.  His father is a warehouseman (cotton brokers).  All family members are listed as Gresley Jones.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 24, Nixon Street, Liverpool. His father Thomas is aged 43, and his occupation is stated as a slater and plasterer, whilst his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 42, with no occupation listed. At the time of the Census they have four children, Percival aged 18 is an apprentice slater and plasterer, John Terrick aged 14, Thomas Gresley aged 12, William Ernest aged 10, and their niece Louisa Lyon is living at the address aged 12.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 24 Nixon Street, Liverpool. His  father Thomas (Tirriek- mispronunciation by Census collector?) aged 53, born 1858 occupation plasterer., his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 53, born 1858 in Liverpool. They have been married for twenty five years and have had three children. Those children declared ont he Census are; John aged 24, works in a monger shop, Thomas Gresley aged 22, is a salesman and William Ernest aged 20, is a clerk a scholar. Also declared in the household Louisa Lyon, a neice, aged 21, she is employed as a glove cleaner.

John married Lillian Gertrude Hayes on the 07^th August 1911 at St Lawrence’s C. of E. Church, Kirkdale. (His middle name was spelt Terrick). He was aged 24 and Gertrude was aged 20. Their son, also John Terrick, was born on 30th October 1911, followed by a daughter, Muriel Eileen, on 29th October 1916.

His father died in the June quarter of 1913.

Thomas enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59557 when he died of wounds on the 03rd October, 1917 aged 30 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

He now lies in Etaples Military Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD REV.14.13”

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.

The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France, and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His son was 5 years old and his daughter 11 months when John died.

Soldiers Effects to widow Lilian Gertrude and children. She received a War Gratuity of £3 and was awarded a pension of £1-2s-11d a week from April 1918, living at 25 Newburn Street, Walton, Liverpool.

His brother Thomas attested in December 1915 (giving as next of kin his mother Elizabeth at 499 Borough Road, Birkenhead).  He was mobilised the following June and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery in Gibraltar and France. He survived the war.

Thomas is commemorated on the Memorial at Northcote Road Council School, Walton, Liverpool.

Lilian remarried in 1921 and seems to have had a child.

In 1939 Lilian, 48, is living at 17 Sedgemoor Road, off Utting Avenue, with her husband, a tram driver, and son John, 28, a dental mechanic, daughter Muriel, 23, a clerk, plus one younger child.

Lilian died in 1968, aged 76.

We currently have no further information on John Terrick Jones, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.