Pte 48998 John Batty

In 1881 the family is living at 18 Thomas Street, Worsborough, with six children. His father is a colliery lampman, John is just eight months old.

 

Based on the children’s birthplaces, the family moved from Barnsley to Blackburn in or around 1886.

 

The 1891 census finds them in Lettice Ann Street, Blackburn, with eleven children. His father, 40, is a general labourer, his mother is 39, John is now 10 years of age.

 

When he was 19, John married Margaret Alice Shackleton, 22, on 06th July 1899 in St. Thomas' Church, Blackburn.  John gives his occupation as cardroom hand, and his residence as 5 William Hopwood Street.  Margaret had a daughter May Shackleton, born in 1899, who was raised as Batty.

 

Their first child, Percy, born in 1900, died at a few months old.

 

The 1901 census finds John and Margaret at 25 Millham Street, Blackburn.  John is 21, a grinder in a cotton mill cardroom, Margaret, 23, also works in a cotton mill, as a ring spinner. Daughter May Batty is 1 year old.

His parents and ten siblings live at 19 Enamel Street.

 

A son Owen was born on 15th February 1903 in Warrington, then they returned to Blackburn, where Fred, 1904, and  Richard 1905, (who both died in infancy), and Beatrice (b. 27/4/1908) were born.  

The 1911 Census shows John and his family living at 79 Fisher Street, Blackburn. John is aged 30, born 1881 and is a general labourer for the sanitary department of the local Corporation and was born in Barnsley. His wife Margaret is aged 33, born 1878, occupation Ring Spinner, she was born in Blackburn. They have been married for 11 years and have had six children of which three had died. THose recorded on the Census are; May aged 11, born 1900 and Owen aged 8, born 1903 are at school and Beatrice aged 2, born 1909.

Also in 1911, his parents, ages 59 and 56, and five youngest siblings are living at 41 Brookhouse Lane, Blackburn.  Two of their sixteen children have died. His father is an outdoor labourer; his siblings, even the youngest at 12, work in weaving.

 

John and Margaret had two more sons after the census: Joseph in 1912, died at age 1, and Stanley, b.2/10/1914.

 

His wife Margaret died in the summer of 1916, aged 39, leaving John with four young children.

 

Shortly after her death John remarried, to Rose Priestley (née Gregory), on 10th September 1916 in Blackburn.  Rose was a widow with three children (Winifred born 1909, Edna Margaret 1911, and John Andrew 1913). Her husband, John Andrew Priestley, was a regular soldier (who served under the alias James Barton), Pte 6899, 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade, died of wounds aged 31 on 11th November 1914.  Rose received a pension of £1-0s-6d a week for herself and three children.  On her marriage to John, Rose received a remarriage gratuity of £51.

 

John enlisted in Blackburn and served originally as Private 33985 of the Lancashire Fusiliers before he was transferred to the 17th Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 48998. The medal roll shows that he served overseas with the 9th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers.  It is not known when he was transferred to the 17th K.L.R.

He was killed in action on 21st December 1916.

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial in France.

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July). 

 

John was initially declared Missing, and his death later presumed for official purposes as having occurred on or since 21st December 1916.

 

His daughter Annie was born on 7th January 1917, seventeen days after her father was killed.

 

His Victory Medal and British War Medal were returned (most likely because his next of kin had moved). Unclaimed medals were sent, after one year, to the War Office;  a notation on his Medal Index Card, shows King’s Regulations 1743, which state, “Medals which, at the end of 10 years, still remained unclaimed, will be sent to … the deputy director of ordnance stores, Royal Dockyard (Medal Branch), Woolwich, to be broken up.”  His medals were not reissued.  

 

Rose received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £3. The pension card, giving Rose’s address as 63 Anvil Street, Blackburn, shows that she was awarded a pension of £1-8s-9d for herself and four children.  Her three children by her previous marriage and John’s daughter Annie stayed with Rose. Her three stepchildren, John ‘s children from his first marriage, were taken care of by family members.  

 

Mrs.Alice Shackleton, 38 Pickup Street, Blackburn, became the guardian of Owen and Stanley, receiving a pension of 13/- a week.

 

Beatrice’s guardian was Mrs. Emma Baron (John’s sister), who lived at 17 Whalley New Road, Blackburn; she received a pension of 7/-.

 

However, another pension card shows that on 13/7/1917 Rose was awarded a pension of £2-8s-9d a week for all seven children.

 

His father died in 1920 aged 67, and his mother in 1933, aged 79.

 

John is commemorated on the St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial now situated in the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral and also Blackburn WW1 Book of Remembrance.