John was born on 4th August 1875 in Salford, Manchester, Lancashire to parents Hugh and Ellen (Riley), the second child of five listed on the 1881 census. The family lived at 84 Queens Street in Hulme, Lancashire, John mentioned as a scholar and his father working as a plasterer’s labourer.
John joined the Navy for an initial twelve years service which then continued after 1907, until his death. He was recorded as being 5’4” tall once fully grown, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a tattoo of his initials, J.C. with a cross on his left arm. His year date of birth (1877) was two years later than he was actually born.
HMS IMPREGNABLE - 16/06/1893 - 03/09/1894, rated as Boy 2nd Class, rising to Boy 1st Class on 14/06/1894
HMS BOSCAWEN - 04/09/1894 - 12/11/1894
HMS PEMBROKE - 13/11/1894 - 22/01/1895
HMS ANSON - 23/01/1895 - 06/11/1896, rising to Ordinary Seaman on 04/08/1895
HMS PEMBROKE - 07/11/1896 - 13/01/1897
HMS EAST OF INDIA - 14/01/1897 - 07/06/1897, rising to Able Seaman on 12/05/1897
HMS JUPITER - 08/06/1897 - 29/08/1897
HMS WILDFIRE - 30/08/1897 - 16/02/1898
HMS PEMBROKE - 17/02/1898 - 18/03/1898
HMS ALECTO - 19/03/1898 - 25/04/1899
HMS PEMBROKE I - 26/04/1899 - 01/09/1899
HMS PEMBROKE III - 02/09/1899 - 14/01/1900
HMS PEMBROKE I - 15/01/1900 - 18/05/1900
HMS FURIOUS - 19/05/1900 - 25/01/1902, aboard the cruiser during the taking of the 1901 census, the ship anchored at number 4 buoy in Sheerness Harbour.
HMS PEMBROKE I - 26/01/1902 - 28/01/1902
HMS WILDFIRE - 29/01/1902 - 23/04/1902
HMS PEMBROKE - 24/04/1902 - 24/11/1902
HMS BACCHANTE - 25/11/1902 - 22/02/1905
HMS PEMBROKE - 23/02/1905 - 04/04/1905
HMS WILDFIRE - 05/04/1905 - 29/11/1905
HMS PEMBROKE - 30/11/1905 - 27/05/1906
HMS RESOLUTION - 28/05/1906 - 11/02/1907
HMS BULWARK - 12/02/1907 - 17/08/1908, rising to Leading Seaman on 05/06/1907
HMS DUNCAN - 18/08/1908 - 08/08/1910
HMS PEMBROKE I - 09/08/1910 - 29/01/1911
HMS ENDYMION - 30/01/1911 - 13/03/1912, listed on the 1911 census aboard the cruiser, anchored in Sheerness Harbour on the night of Sunday 2nd April.
HMS PEMBROKE I - 14/03/1912 - 09/04/1912
HMS VANGUARD - 10/04/1912 - 09/07/1917, rated as Petty Officer on 26/02/1914 and serving aboard during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. He also married Ethel May Davies in the Summer of 1915.
His pension was awarded to his widow Ethel along with his Star, Victory and British war medals.
(#155 - 217/841)
Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free BMD
1881, 1901 & 1911 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 285
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 007 (1914 - 1919)
CWGC Register
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 100
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0980
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers; Reference: 055/0233/Cul-Com
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 100
Photo source: British Newspaper Archives
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