James Northage Hall
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James Northage was the son of William and Mary Hall (née Northage). His father William Hall was born in Bedford in about 1861. His mother Mary was born in Pleasley Hill, Nottinghamshire, in 1861, the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Northage. William and Mary were married in 1885 (J/F/M Mansfield) and had seven children, James and Sarah born at Pleasley Hill and the five younger children at Hucknall Torkard: James Northage b. 1885 bap. Pleasley parish church 18 October 1885; Sarah Emma b. 1887 bap. Pleasley 17 April 1887; William b. 1890; George Richard Baker birth registered 1893 (J/F/M Basford); Harold b. 1895; Samuel b. 1897 and Mary b 1900. In 1891 William, a colliery labourer, and Mary were living in Pleasley Hill with their three children, James (5), Sarah (4) and William (under 1 year). Also in the household were three boarders, including Mary's brother, Thomas Woodward Northage (42), a farm labourer. Their five youngest children were born in Hucknall Torkard between 1890 (William) and 1900 (Mary), although at the time of the 1891 census the family was living at Pleasley Hill. William and Mary were living at 19 Gas Hill, Pleasley Hill, in 1901 along with six of their children; Sarah (14) was living in Bedford with her paternal aunt Emma Woodcock and her husband Alfred. Sarah probably married William Spencer in 1907 (J/F/M Mansfield). The Hall family was still at Pleasley Hill in 1911; William was now working as a colliery banksman. All their children were in the home on the night of the census, including Sarah Hall (sic) described as their married daughter. James, William and George (18) were colliery banksman, Harold (15) and Samuel (13) were collier/drivers below ground and Mary was still at school. A report in the local paper of a memorial service for their son George in 1916 gave William and Mary's address as Mansfield Road, Pleasley, but they later lived at New Yard, Crow Hill, Pleasley Hill, Mansfield (CWGC). James married Ada Margaret Bodell in 1913 (J/A/S Mansfield). Ada was born in Hartshorne, Derbyshire, on 15 June 1894, the daughter of James, a collier, and Elizabeth Bodell. She was baptised at Hartshorne parish church on 26 August 1894, James and Ada (known as 'Mag') had two children, Mary Elizabeth born 21 December 1913 and James William born 20 September 1915, two months after his father had landed in Gallipoli. His widow married Ernest Metcalf in 1918 (J/F/M Mansfield) and they lived at 4 Farrands Yard, Stockwell Gate, Mansfield.
Private James Hall enlisted at Mansfield. He served initially with the Sherwood Foresters (24181) but transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers. James landed with the reinforcement to the 1st Battalion on the Gallipoli peninsula on 22nd July 1915. He died, reportedly of frostbite, on 9th December 1915 and is buried on Portianos Military Cemetery, Lemnos. CWGC - Portianos Military Cemetery (extract): 'Because of its position, the island of Lemnos played an important part in the campaigns against Turkey during the First World War. It was occupied by a force of marines on 23 February 1915 in preparation for the military attack on Gallipoli, and Mudros became a considerable Allied camp. The 1st and 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospitals, the 3rd Australian General Hospital and other medical units were stationed on both sides of Mudros bay and a considerable Egyptian Labour Corps detachment was employed. After the evacuation of Gallipoli, a garrison remained on the island and the 1st Royal Naval Brigade was on Lemnos, Imbros and Tenedos for the first few months of 1916 ... Portianos Military Cemetery was begun in August 1915 and used until August 1920.'
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Gone but not forgotten' His brother, George Richard Baker Hall, was killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, while serving with the 11th Bn Sherwood Foresters, 16347 Private. (See record on this Roll of Honour) Mansfield Chronicle advertiser, 23/12/1915: Photograph printed. Pte James Northage Hall, 87 Mansfield Road, Pleasley. Serving with Lancashire Fusiliers. Pte. James Hall, 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, wrote what was probably his last letter home from Gallipoli on 15th November 1915. He described how cold the weather had become, letter was published 24th December 1915 in the Mansfield and North Notts Advertiser. “Mediterranean Expeditionary Force “November 15th, 1915 “Dear mother and father, “Just a few lines to you in answer to your loving letter I received the day after the box arrived you and Mag. sent, and was glad to hear you are going on all right. I am all right myself at present, but it is getting cold here now. I expect you are having it cold as well. It has been a bit wet this last day or two, so that makes it bad for us in the trenches, in which we have been since October 1st, so we shall have earned a rest when we come out. I would sooner be in France than here. George does see a bit when he gets a rest, but we don’t; here there is nothing but desert. Glad to see one of his letters in the paper, and let’s hope we shall have to the good luck to get home again safe. We get nothing but shells; I am hoping to bring a piece home with me, and will then tell you all about it. I was sorry to hear about the children being so ill, but hope they are better now. Also sorry about Willie’s boy too. Mag. told me about him having to go into the hospital, but I hope they will make him all right. I don’t know what we should we do if it was not for you at times. I often think about you and dad. Mag. said how nice our little boy looked when he went to church in his ribbons. I should like to have seen him. Tell Willie to write to me; I don’t know his address. Dear mother, I have about read that Bible you gave me, and it does one good to read it here. I hope to bring it back again to show you. Let’s hope it won’t be long. With best wishes to all, from Jim.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
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