Pte 50069 Joseph Lester

• Age: 33
• From: Bolton, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Joseph Lester was born in the Dec. quarter of 1882 in Bolton, Lancashire the son of William & Mary Alice (nee Eckersley) Lester who were married in 1868 in Bolton. His siblings were; 1869 Rachael Ann, 1870 Mary, 1873 Abraham, 1877 William.

On the 1891 census the family are living at 9 Richmond Terrace, Little Bolton.

Father William is aged 43 a general labourer who was born in Bolton, his wife Mary A. is aged 43 who was born in Bacup, Lancs. Their children Rachael A. 22 a cotton piecer, Mary 20 a cotton reeler, Abraham 18 a cotton piecer, William 14 a cotton piecer, and Joseph 8 a scholar, were all born in Bolton.

The mother died aged 49 in 1897.

By 1901 he was an 18 year old farm worker living with the Duxbury family (dairy farmers) at Brown Barn Farm, Turton, Lancs.

The rest of the family are living with married daughter Mary and Walter Whittle at 10 Chester St, Little Bolton.

Head Walter Whittle aged 31 a bricksetters labourer, his wife Mary aged 30, their son Abraham 1, father-in-law William Lester aged 52 an iron foundry labourer, Abraham Lester aged 28 also an iron foundry labourer(everybody born Bolton).

Joseph cannot be located on the 1911 census at present, but his father William, aged 62 is now living with his married son Abraham and wife Mary Alice Lester at 20 Howard St, Bolton. Father died later that year aged 63.

He enlisted in Bolton in November 1915 and shortly after on 01.01.1916 a soldier by the name of Joseph Lester aged 32, resident at 38th Reserve Park, North Camp, Seaford and whose father was William, labourer, married Elizabeth Cook, resident of 8 Dean Road, at St. Andrews, Willesden. Her father being John Cook, farmer. A daughter Mary Alice was born on the 18th May 1916. 


Joseph was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50069 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 33 during the Third Battle of Ypres. He must have originally been declared as Missing as the local press reported him wounded in their edition of 11th September 1917. 

19^th Battalion

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 03^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.  

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects to his widow Elizabeth who was living in Maldon Road, Tiptree, Essex. 

Pension to Elizabeth and child Mary Alice Lester.

Joseph is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Tiptree, Essex Memorial

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