John William Watson
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John William Watson was born on 11th December 1881 at Lowdham and was baptised on 5th March 1882 at St Marys Church, Lowdham, he was the eldest son of James a general labourer and Ellen Watson née Sanday of Lowdham. His father James was born in 1854 at Lowdham and died on 15th June 1896 , his mother Ellen Sanay was born in 1858 at Gunthorpe they were married in 1878 they had three other children; Mary Elizabeth (also known as Lizzie), b1879 Emily b1884 and Ernest b1887 all were born in Lowdham By 1901 John's widowed mother, Ellen (43), was working as a seamstress and living on Main Street, Lowdham, with her four children. By 1911 Ellen's children were still unmarried and living with her in Lowdham; Mary Elizabeth (32), a seamstress, John William (29), an agricultural labourer, Emily (27), a seamstress, and Ernest (24), a carter on a farm.
John William Watson entered theatre (France) after 1 January 1916. He only served with 9th Battalion and enlisted or was called up around the end of July 1916. He fought at Messines and during 3rd Ypres in 1917. After the battalion's period at Loos in December 1917 it moved to the Hulluch area. John was possibly wounded at Loos or taken seriously ill and had to be evacuated to England where he died in a war hospital in St Albans on 12 February 1918. He was buried next to his parents in the west part of Lowdham (St Mary's) Churchyard extension. John Morse His pension card stated he died at the War Hospital (Nasbury) St Alban's, Hertfordshire cause of death was acute melancholia and a cut throat.
Register of Soldiers' Effects: sister Mary Elizabeth sole legatee.
