John Beech was born on the 20th August 1875 at 3 Newcastle Street, Stoke-on-Trent. He was baptised on the 7th November 1875 at St Thomas’ Church, Penkhull. His parents were Henry Beech, a manager of a tile works born c.1848 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and Catherine (née Jones), born c.1848 in Conwy, Carmarthenshire. They were married on the 12th September 1874 at what is now Stoke Minster (St Peter ad Vincula).

The 1871 census shows 24-year-old Catherine Jones, single, working as a Nurse for the Hollins family at Whitmore Hall, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Meanwhile, Henry (23), also single and working as a potter's presser, was living at Ives Lane, Penkhull, with his parents, Joseph and Mary Beech, and his siblings Charles (31), Joseph (21), Alfred (18), and Hannah (15).

John was the eldest of seven children: Harry Llewellyn Beech, born 1876; christened 22nd December 1876 at Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Mabel Beech: Born 1879; christened 9th March 1879 at Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Joseph Beech: Born 1880; christened 3rd October 1880 at Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Kate Beech: Born 1882 in Stoke-on-Trent. Alfred Beech: Born 1885; christened 8th March 1885 at Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Gladys Beech: Born 23rd August 1892; christened 27th September 1892 in Stoke-on-Trent.

In the 1881 Census, we see John is a five-year-old, and his father, Henry (33), is employed as a foreman tile maker. They lived at Brisley Hill, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Also present were Catherine (33), Harry (4), Mabel (2), baby Joseph, and a servant, Jane Wright (aged 13).

In the 1891 Census, we find John, now 15, living at 13 Stone Street, Stoke-on-Trent. John is described as an apprentice potter's gilder. His father, Henry (43), is still a foreman tile maker. Also present were Catherine (43), Harry (14), an apprentice potter's painter, Mabel (13), Joseph (10), Kate (8), and Alfred (6). Sadly, on the 27th December 1891, Joseph died aged 11 of “Exhaustion”. This term was commonly used as a cause of death for a child of his age when the underlying problems might have been tuberculosis or complications from having survived a disease like scarlet fever or diphtheria, which left the child too weak to recover. From his death certificate, we can see the family was living at 13 Stone Street, his father was Henry Beech (Foreman Tile Maker), and Joseph died at home.

The 1901 Census tells us that John is now living at 66 Copeland Street, Stoke-on-Trent, and is a 25-year-old earthenware and china gilder. His father, Henry (53), is still a foreman tile maker. Catherine (53) is now a self-employed grocer and beer/wine dealer. Also present were Harry (24), a china painter, Mabel (22), now a dressmaker, Kate (18), now a grocery assistant, Alfred (16), working at the Post Office, and Gladys (8) at school.

The 1911 Census shows Catherine Beech (65), now widowed, living at 6 Daintry Street, Stoke-on-Trent, with her grown children: Harry (34), a tram conductor, Alfred (26), a postal clerk, and Gladys (17), a student teacher. The census shows that Catherine had seven children, of whom one had died.

The 1911 Census reveals that John was married to Agnes, aged 33. They were living at 1 Blackwell Street, Cobridge. John is described as a 35-year-old potter's decorator. They had four children: Joseph Beech, born on 15th September 1902 at Wolstanton; Henry Thomas Beech, born on 10th March 1904 at Stone; Agnes Mary Beech, born on 8th February 1906 at Stone; and Kate (Kathleen) Beech, born on 3rd December 1910 at Burslem. 

John and Agnes were married on 1st August 1901. Agnes was born on 3rd July 1878, and her full birth name was Agnes Mary Lloyd, registered at Wolstanton. They went on to have one further child, Mabel Beech, born on 28th May 1915 at Burslem.

John entered military service on an unknown date, but he was certainly serving as early as 1914 because he is named on the Royal Doulton Roll of Men Serving in 1914. Numerous official military documents provide specific details about John. He carried the service number 19323, achieved the rank of Acting Company Sergeant Major, and was a member of the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

15th Battalion (1st Birkenhead) Cheshire Regiment 

Volunteers converged on Birkenhead Town Hall on 30 November 1914 to enlist in the nation's first Bantam Battalions for men between 5 ft and 5 ft 3 inches tall. The Birkenhead Bantams, as they were known, were adopted by the War Office in 1915 and became the 15th and 16th (Service) Battalions of the Cheshire Regiment. 

This battalion remained in training within the UK until late January 1916, when they were deployed to the Western Front. 

John is recorded as being killed in action on the 4th October 1916.

The battalion war diary for the date of John's death reports that the day was uneventful. The author writes that it was a very wet day, men were provided with hot drinks, trenches were repaired under cover of friendly fire in the form of Vickers machine guns, rifles, grenades, and trench mortars. No casualties are reported.

The register of soldiers' effects tells us his sole legit was his wife, Agnes. Pension records also tell us Agnes received a dependent pension of 36 shillings and 3 pennies from the 30th April 1917. Her address is first recorded as 1 Blackwell Street, Cobridge, and then 16 Douglas Street, Burslem.

John's death is reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel dated the 11th November 1916, where it says that the wife of John Beech, Company Sergeant Major, is informed of his death and that before service he had worked at Royal Doulton Ltd.

The Sentinel newspaper dated May 31st, 1918 reports.

Mrs. E. Beech, 6, Neville-street, Oakhill, Stoke, has received a postcard from her husband, Pte. H. L. Beech, stating that he is a prisoner of war in Germany. He had been missing since the 16th of April. Pte. Beech has had a brother killed in action. A brother is on active service. 

John's brother Henry Llewellyn Beech was Private 49535 of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was taken prisoner at Messines, Belgium, on 16 April 1918. He was entitled to the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. 

As yet, we have been unable to find Alfred Beech's service records or any further information about his service.  

John Beech is buried in the Faubourg D’Amiens Military Cemetery in France, plot number 1.G.29.

John is remembered on the Burslem Royal Doulton Memorial and the War Memorial at Christ Church, Hanley.

For his service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Agnes remarried in 1919 to Benjamin Toft. Benjamin was initially in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, Private 20132, then transferred to the labour corps as Private 109621. He was discharged on 10.11.1918 with Bronchitis and an appendix scar. From hospital records, he was treated in October 1916 with appendicitis, returning to duty in November 1916. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. 

The 1921 census sees Benjamin (33) working as a general labourer living at 14 Blackwell Street, Burslem, with Agnes (43), Joseph Beech (18), coal miner Henry Thomas Beech (17), coal miner, Agnes Beech (15 ), dressmaker, Kathleen Beech  (11), Mabel Beech l (6), and William Toft, aged 1 year. 

The 1939 register sees Benjamin Toft, date of birth 7 December 1889, general labourer living at 1 Blackwell Street with his wife Agnes Toft, date of birth 3 July 1878, Stepdaughter Agnes Beech, date of birth 18 February 1906, single, dressmaker, and son William, date of birth 12 February 1920, single, CT rate maker machinist. in 

The 1939 register sees Joseph Beech, date of birth 15 September 1902, working as a general labourer, living with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Margaret E Beech. 

Sources: 

• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 2830; Folio: 9; Page: 11; GSU roll: 836372 (Catherine Jones ) 
• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 2870; Folio: 110; Page: 36; GSU roll: 836385 ( Henry Beech) 
• Indexes created from Anglican Parish Registers held at Staffordshire Record Office; Stafford, Staffordshire, England. 
• Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008.
• ANCESTRY CENSUS 1881 Class: RG11; Piece: 2728; Folio: 97; Page: 24; GSU roll: 1341654. 
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2177; Folio: 42; Page: 10; GSU roll: 6097287
• ANCESTRY CENSUS 1901 Class: RG13; Piece: 2604; Folio: 39; Page: 15
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
• https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=495 
• Army Medal Office (In the Care of the Western Front Association Website); London, England; WWI Medal Index Cards
• Western Front Association; London, England; WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers; Reference: 018/0065/Bec-Bee
• National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 677501-679000; Reference: 403
• Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Author: Peter Singlehurst; Series Title: British Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1918; Archive Name: London, United Kingdom
• Ancestry.com. Global, Find a Grave® Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
• Staffordshire Sentinel - Friday 31 May 1918. 
• NATIONAL ARCHIVES WAR DIARIES WO95
• Catherine Beech death General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6b; Page: 391
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12639, ED 25, Sch 274; Book: 12639
• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5294H.
• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5284J