John James Paley
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
John James Paley was born in 1893 at Worksop, he was the son of the late Thomas Partington Paley a cowman and Betsey paley née Stubbs of Chapel Street, Holywell Green, Halifax.
His father Thomas Partington Paley was born in 1865 at Hindethwaite, Yorkshire, he died in 1905 aged 40 yrs, his mother Betsy Stubbs was born in 1873 at Severnscole, Yorkshire, they were married on 20th December 1890 at Coverham, Yorkshire, they went on to have 8 children.
In the 1911 census his family are living at Beech Street, Stainland, hsi widowed mother Betsy is 38 yrs of age she is living with her children, Margaret Alice 15 yrs a spinner, Mary Ann 19 yrs a weaver, Francis 13 yrs a scholar, Roger 1 yrs, Thomas 9 yrs and Emily 7 years of age.
Private John James Paley enlisted at Halifax, he served with the Royal Horse Artillery, he landed in France in April 1915, he was returned to England where he died on 25th February 1917, e is buried at Stainland Congregational Church Cemetery.
Thomas Paley worked as a cowman on the Osberton Estate for several years of the last decade of the 19th century where he lived with his wife Betsy and where his eldest son, John James was born in 1893. Moving to better himself with his family, to which now had been added two daughters, to Layburn in North Yorshire where he died in 1905. His widow Betsy was left to bring up a family of five, who then moved home to Stainland near Halifax. It was here that James joined a Territorial battery of the Royal Horse Artillery going to France in April 1915. His battery was engaged several times in the actions on the Somme in the second half of 1916 when Acting Bombardier Paley was taken seriously ill or received a wound so serious he was returned to hospital in England where he succumbed and died on 25 February 1917. John is buried in the Stainland (Providence) Congregational Cemetery Church Memorial at Stainland.
Courtesy of Robert Illett
research and information Colin Dannatt and Peter Gillings
Photo of John James Paley
Stainland Congregational Cemetery