Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

L/Cpl 23857 Joseph Weston

Age: 26
From: Liverpool
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
K.I.A Saturday 9th June 1917
Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Joseph was born in Liverpool in 1891 the son of John Weston and his wife Mary (nee Wilson).

CWGC shows this soldier as the son of the “late Joseph” and Mary Wilson. However, a thorough search has found no matching baptism or census records. It is possible that the information given by his widow was incorrect, his father having died when Joseph was young. He was most likely the son of John Burton Weston, and Mary (née Wilson), born on 16th June 1891 and he was baptised in St. Alphonsus' Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool, on 30th June 1891, his parents recorded in Latin as Joannis Weston and Mariae Wilson.

His father John was a carpenter, born in 1847 in Birkenhead Cheshire, and his mother was born in Liverpool in about 1858. They married in 1872; Joseph was the ninth of 10 children. He had older siblings Ann, born in 1872, Richard 1875 (died at age 10 in 1885), John Burton 1877, Peter 1879, Henry 1882 (died in 1899 age 18), Elizabeth 1884, Mary 1886 (died in infancy), and Ellen 1888, and a younger brother Thomas, born in 1895.

His father died between 1891 and 1901, although no death record has been found.

IThe 1901 Census Joseph is living at 32 Edinburgh Street, with his widowed mother and five siblings. His brother John, a printer’s compositor, is head of household, his mother is 42, Peter, 20, is a dock labourer, Elizabeth, 15, is a dressmaker, Ellen is 13, Joseph 9, and Thomas 5.

The 1911 Census finds Joseph still living with his elder brother John B., now a licensed victualler, at 116 Copperas Hill. Also in the household are his mother Mary, 53, a housekeeper, his sister Ellen, 23, assisting in the business, and brother Thomas, 14, at school. Joseph is 19, employed as a French polisher. Living with them is his nephew Edward Bell, 11, the son of his married sister Annie (who died in 1914, the mother of five young children).

Joseph married Mary Mulhearn in the fourth quarter of 1912. Their daughter Mary was born on 30th January 1913. Two Weston births were registered in the same quarter of 1914, mother’s maiden name Mulhearn, Joseph G and Thomas G. There is no death record for Joseph, so perhaps he was registered twice, with a change of name. Thomas Gerard was born on 14th May 1914 and a further son, called Joseph, was born on 18th January 1916.

Joseph enlisted in Liverpool and was serving with the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Lance Corporal 23857 when he was killed in action on the 09th June 1917, aged 26. The 17th Battalion diary gives details of his loss:

SUPPORT TRENCHES PEPERINGHE - ABEELE AREA

8TH -9TH

Battalion in Front and Spport lines.(B & D Coys. in front line).

11.30 PM Relief commenced by 2nd Bn R.S.F. Battalion less one coy. marched to Vlamertinghe, and entrained for Poperinghe. Detrained at Poepringhe and marched to Billets in Area between Poepringhe and Abeele.

6.30 AM Arrived in Billets. ("B" Company remained in Front Line attached to 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt).

Casualties 8/9-6-17 killed 4 O.R. Wounded 11 O.R.

Joseph Weston was one of the 4 O.R. killed in action.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, 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.

His children were 4, 3, and 1 and a half years old when Joseph was killed.

Mary, living at 83 Edinburgh Road, received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £11-10s. The pension cards, one giving his unit as 17th K.L.R., the other “89th Brigade Depot”, show that Mary was awarded a pension of £1-6s-3d a week from December 1917.

Joseph is also commemorated on Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, panel 33 right.

In 1939 his widow Mary, 49, is still living at 83 Edinburgh Road, with her widowed father Peter Mulhearn, daughter Mary, 26, a draper’s shop assistant, and son Thomas, 25, employed as a filler (milk cartons).

His widow, Mary, married the following year.

His younger son Joseph, married, is living in Ronald Street, employed in the maintenance of tin plate machines. He died in 1979.

His son Thomas died in Liverpool in 1993.

His widow Mary appears to have lived into the 1960s or 70s.

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

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