Born: 24 July 1885, Bradford
Died: 30 July 1916
Buried: NKG
Address: 19 Chapel Walk, Eccleshill
Parents: John & Sarah Ann, nee Hudson
Spouse: Mary Jane, nee Child
Siblings:
Occupation: Alice, Joseph, Hannah, Emily
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill Park; Thiepval Memorial
Children: Clara, Joseph, Jennie
Regiment: West Yorkshire
John Marsden
John Marsden was born on the 24th July 1885
in Bradford the fourth of five children of John
Marsden and Sarah Ann, nee Hudson.
By 1891 the family were living in Charnwood
Road, Eccleshill and they were still there in
1901 with 15-year-old John working as a
millhand in worsted spinning.
On the 1st of December 1906 at St Luke’s
Church, Eccleshill, John married Mary Jane
Child, 22 years of age, a weaver of 10 Haigh
Hall Road, Greengates and the daughter of
Thomas Child, an engine driver. John was 21
years of age, a millhand of 17 Charnwood
Road.
They went to live in Calverley where two
children were born, Clara in 1908 and Joseph in
1909. By 1911 the family had returned to live
in Eccleshill at 19 Chapel Walk and John was
working as a worsted millhand . Another child
was born to them, Jennie in 1916.
John enlisted on the 19th December 1914 as
Private 17/429 in the 17th Battalion of the West
Yorkshire Regiment.
This Battalion was raised in Leeds in December
1914 as a bantam battalion from men who were
under the normal minimum height of 5 foot 3
inches.
They went to France on the 1st of February
1916 landing at Le Havre and concentrated on
the area east of St Omer.
John’s Regiment was in action during the
Battles of the Somme fighting at Bazentin
Ridge from the 14th to the 17th of July and also
at Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and
Falfemont Farm and it was during one of these
battles that he was killed in action on the 30th
July 1916. He was 31 years of age.
John is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial
which records the names of men who fell on the
Somme Battlefields but who have no known
graves.
He left his effects to his widow Mary who
received £2.14.1d on the 6th December 1916
and a War Gratuity of £7.0.0d on the 23rd
September 1919.
.
Researched and written by Jean Britteon,
to whom many thanks
