John William Fletcher
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Recorded on Mansfield Bridge Street memorial as John William. No other record has the second name William. John served as John Fletcher but two records suggests that his birth name was John Fletcher Marriott. His birth in Cairo, Egypt, has been identified from Royal Navy records and also the 1901 Census which gives his age as 7 years ie born c. 1893/4. The RN has his date of birth of 7 September 1892, the year that his sister was born in Aldershot, Hampshire (1892 J/A/S). John joined the RN in February 1911 and it is likely that he gave a year of birth that made him 18 years old so that he avoided 'boy time' which did not count toward his service engagement. His mother was born in Liskeard, Cornwall, to Elizabeth Doney; the most likely record of her birth is Irena (sic) Doney, registered 1857 (A/M/J Liskeard Cornwall). According to the WW1 Pension Ledgers record, it seems she was called Miranda Minnie although her name on other records is variously: Marinda (1861), Meranda (1871), Mary (1886), Miranda (1891) and Minnie (1897). The name Minnie is used on records from 1897 including the resistration of her death in 1935. In 1861 Miranda Dorey (4) was living at Trevethy Stone, St Cleer, Liskeard, with her mother Elizabeth and Elizabeth's husband William Masters (21); Elizabeth had married William in 1859 (O/N/D Liskeard Cornwall). Although Miranda was described on the census as William's daughter-in-law [step-daughter] the registrations of the births of her children of her first and third marriages give her maiden name as Masters. The family was still living at the same address in 1871. Elizabeth was widowed by 1881 having had four children by William, but her first child Miranda was no longer living with her and it is likely that she was already married. No record has yet been found of Miranda's first marriage, but information about her husband has been drawn from the 1871 Census, birth registrations and baptisms. Her husband David Bunday was a private (1172) in the 80th (Staffordshire Volunteers) Regiment of Foot, later 2nd Bn South Staffordshire Regiment) and in 1871 was serving in Belfast, Ireland. David would have had to have had permission from his commanding officer to marry and to have his wife accompany him on postings. Miranda and David had at least three sons: Frederick (Fred) b. Ireland 1883 (A/M/J Tralee Kerry Ireland), William F. b. Manchester 1885 (regimental record 80th Foot) and George b. Plymouth 30 September1886 (O/N/D Plymouth-Masters, and regimental record 80th Foot) bap. Royal Chapel St Katherine upon The Hoe 24 October 1886 (regimental record of the 80th Foot and baptisms register - parents David Bunday and Mary). A newspaper article about their half-brother John's death in 1914 reported that his three brothers ie Frederick, William and George, were serving in the South Staffordshire Regiment. David Bunday (b. abt. 1849) probably died in 1888 (J/F/M Stoke Damerel, Devonshire) and Miranda Bunday married John Fletcher Marriott in 1891 (J/F/M Plymouth). It is possible that her husband John Fletcher Marriott was born in Mansfield, the son of William and Mary Marriott, and baptised at Mansfield St John the Evangelist on 10 August 1864. In 1871 and 1881 the Marriott family was living on Wood Street, Mansfield, although John was not in the house on the night of the 1881 Census. John and Miranda had at least two children: Flossie (Florrie) Miranda b. Aldershot 1892 (J/A/S Hartley Wintney Hants, Marriott-Bunday) and John, born Cairo (no record traced). Their places of birth suggest that Miranda's husband was in the army. In 1891, shortly after her marriage to John Marriott and before the births of their two children, Miranda, a laundress, was living at Melbourne Cottages, Melbourne Place, Plymouth, with her three sons by her first marriage, Fred (8), William (6) and George (4), surnames Bunday. Miranda was described as a 'wife' but not as head of household. Her husband has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census. Miranda - now Minnie - married John Ostle (b. 11 November 1866) in Nottinghamshire in 1897 (O/N/D Mansfield, Ostle/Marriott) and they had two children, Kate b. 1899 (O/N/D Mansfield/Masters) and David b. 1903 (J/A/S Mansfield/Masters) who were both born in Mansfield. In 1901 John Ostle (30 b. Broughton Cumberland), a coal miner, and Minnie were living at 55 Victoria Street Mansfield with their daughter Kate (1) and four of Minnie's children by her previous marriages: William (16) an iron moulder, George (14) a coal miner/pony driver, Florrie (9) and John (7); all her children had the surname Bunday. Minnie's oldest boy, Frederick, who would have been about 17 years old, may have already joined the army. By 1911 John and Minnie were living at 23 Bancroft Lane, Mansfield, with only their own children, Kate and David, still at home. Minnie died in 1935 (O/N/D Mansfield). John was still living at 23 Bancroft Lane in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled; he was described as a 'retired miner-OAP'. He died in 1942 (J/F/M Mansfield).
John joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 28 February 1911 on a 12 year short service engagement (5 years RN 7 years in the Reserve). He gave his date of birth as 7 September 1892, but this was probably incorrect and he actually joined before his 18th birthday. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Victory II, 28 February 1911-8 April 1911 (Stoker 2nd Class); HMS Renown 9 April 1911-10 June 1911, Victory II, 11 June 1911-22 August 1911; HMS Grafton, 23 August 1911-9 March 1912 (Stoker 1st Class 7 March 1912); Victory II, 10 March 1912-18 March 1912; HMS Duke of Edinburgh, 19 March 1912-10 April 1912; (3 Days Cells), 14 April 1912-2 March 1904; Victory II, 3 March 1912-31 July 1914; HMS Hogue, 1 August 1914-22 September 1914. His service record was annotated: ‘NP2259. DD [Discharged Dead] 22 September 1914. Drowned in North Sea when HMS Hogue was sunk by German submarine.’ HMS Hogue, a Cressy-class armoured cruiser, was patrolling the North Sea with her sister ships HMS Aboukir and HMS Cressy when they were attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-9 with great loss of life. (See 'Extra information'). John William's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
CWGC: John Fletcher, no next of kin details RN Registers of Seamen's Services: John Fletcher b. Cairo RN&RM War Graves Roll: John Fletcher b. Cairo, mother Minnie, 23 Bancroft Lane WW1 Pension Ledgers: J Fletcher Marriott, mother Miranda Minnie Ostler 1901 Census: 55 Victoria Street, Mansfield. John Bunday (7) b. Cairo, mother Minnie Ostle WW1 Pension Ledgers: his mother, Miranda Minnie Ostle was awarded a pension of:3/6d [three shillings and six pence] from 4 October 1917 for life. The award was 'Under new 1 September 1917.' HMS Aboukir, HMS Cressy and HMS Hogue of the 7th Cruiser Squadron, had been patrolling the Dogger area of the North Sea to deter ships of the Imperial Germany Navy, especially mine layers and torpedo craft, and also to protect troop movements to France. Although able to maintain patrols in the bad weather which frequently affected this sea area, the cruisers were large and slow, and thus not the most suitable ships for this task being a perfect target for submarines, the new and dangerous underwater threat to surface shipping. Their vulnerability was highlighted by a description of the three cruisers as the 'Live Bait Squadron'. At 0625 on 22 September HMS Aboukir was hit by a torpedo fired by the German submarine U-9 (Lt Otto Weddigen). Aboukir's captain, in command, thinking that his ship had hit a drifting mine, ordered Hogue and Cressy to close to pick up survivors. Both ships were in turn hit by torpedoes; all three ships were severely damaged and sank within two hours of the first attack. Many of those lost were Naval reservists mobilized on the outbreak of war. Lt Weddigen was killed the following year when his submarine U-29 was rammed by HMS Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth on 18 March. More than 1400 were lost including over a dozen men from Nottinghamshire. (Position: off the Maas lightvessel, 52-18N, 03-41E). Mansfield Reporter, 25 September 1914: ‘One of the men in the disaster which befell the three British cruisers this week is a Mansfield man – John Fletcher, whose home is at 23, Bancroft-lane. He was a stoker on the Hogue, on which vessel he had only been a few months having previously served on the Duke of Edinburgh. He is 21 years of age. His relatives are very anxious concerning him. And so far have received no news. Fletcher has three other brothers at the front with the South Staffordshire Regiment.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Mansfield Reporter, 2 October 1914 (extract): ‘Mansfield Men On The ‘Hogue’. One Taken, The Other Left. The Survivor’s Story. There were two Mansfield men on the Hogue, both stokers – John Fletcher, of Bancroft-lane, and Joseph Walker, of 57, Old Mill-lane, Mansfield Woodhouse. Fletcher’s name was not amongst the published list of survivors, and his mother, Mrs Ostle (who has married a second time) communicated with the Admiralty during the week end asking for information. On Sunday she received a telegram regretting that her son was not amongst the list of survivors. Walker was amongst those who were picked up by a Lowestoft fishing boat, and he arrived hom on Saturday night. He states that he saw Fletcher jump off the Hogue when the order was given, ‘Every man for himself’, and as he has not since seen him he fears that his comrade is drowned.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
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