John Allsop
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John was the eldest child of John and Violetta Allsop who were both born in Tamworth. John and Violetta were to have nine children of whom eight were still living at the time of the 1911 Census: John, Thomas (b. Tamworth), Henry (b. Brownhills), Albert (b. Brownhills), Agnes Jane (b. Brownhills), Alice Minnie (b. Brownhills), Violetta (b. Tamworth) and Emily (b. Mansfield). John was a coal miner hewer. In 1901 he and Violetta and their four sons, John (8), Thomas (6), Henry (2) and Albert (3 months) were living in Catshill, Staffordshire. Ten years later in 1911 they were living at 216 New Victoria Street, Mansfield, with their eight children. In the ten years since the previous census they had had four more children; Agnes Jane (8), Alice Minnie (5), Violetta (3) and Emily (1). Emily was the only one of their children to be born in Mansfield so it suggests that the family had only moved there a few years prior to the census. John joined the Royal Navy in December 1911. He married Margaret Hudson in Mansfield in February 1916 just a few months before his death; they lived at 46 Harcourt Street, Mansfield. The Royal Navy records that both John's wife and his mother were notified of his death. Violetta Allsop was living at 16 Harcourt Street, Mansfield at the time of her son's death. His brother, Thomas, a former miner, was killed on 26 September 1916 while serving with the 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters.
John joined the Royal Navy on a 12 year engagement (5+7 years) on 6 September 1911 when he was 18 years old. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Victory II 6 September 1911-30 September 1911 (Stoker 2nd Class); HMS Renown 1 October 1911-25 November 1911; Victory II 26 November 1911-12 March 1912; HMS Hecla 13 March 1912-30 April 1912; Topaze II 1 March 1912-31 July 1912; Minerva II 1 August 1912-15 August 1913 (Stoker 1st Class 30 November 1913); Victory II 16 August 1913-3 September 1913; HMS Queen Mary 4 September 1913-31 May 1916. Record annotated ‘NP 3925/1916 DD 31st ay 1916 Killed in Action.’ He died at the Battle of Jutland when HMS Queen Mary was sunk by shellfire. His body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Battle of Jutland. HMS Queen Mary (Captain CI Prowse) put to sea with the Battlecruiser Fleet (Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty in HMS Lion) to intercept a sortie by the German High Seas Fleet into the North Sea. ‘As the Queen Mary fought back under the concentrated fire of Sydlitz and Derfflinger, observers saw three shells of a salvo of four strike home on her at 4.26, followed quickly by two more shells from the next salvo. As a tremendous flame of dark red burst from her and a pillar of smoke rose high into the air, she was rent apart by a shattering concussion as her magazines exploded … Her back broken, the gallant Queen Mary threw her stern into the air, her propellers still slowly revolving … then as further underwater explosions shook her, she plunged to the bottom.’ (‘Jutland’, Captain Donald MacIntyre RN, 1957) There were only a few survivors from a ship’s company of nearly 1300 men. The wreck was discovered in the North Sea in 1991; she is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 22/6/1916. Had only married Margaret Hudson in February. Drowned when Queen Mary sank on 31/05/1916. Chronicle Advertiser: 04/01/1917: Photograph. First Class Stoker and lost at sea on the HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland. Had been in the Navy for 5 years. A photograph of his brother, Thomas, was also printed.
No Photos