John Warham was born in Burslem in 1883. His parents were William Warham (born c.1841 at Tunstall, Staffordshire) and Mary née Trivett (born1843 Newport, Isle of Wight.) It appears Mary moved to Burslem with her parents James and Lydia Trivett when she was a young child. William and Mary married in 1865. They had nine children but sadly three died. Their surviving children were Mary (born c.1868), Thomas (born c.1871), Margaret (born c.1874), Annie (born c.1878), Amy (born c.1881) and the youngest John (born c.1883), all born in Burslem.
Census Records.
The 1881 census shows the Warham family living at 48 Back Stych, Burslem. William (42) worked as a Potter's Ovenman. Living with him were Mary (38) and their children: Mary (12), Thomas (9), Margaret (7) all of whom were at school, alongside Annie (2) and baby Amy.
The 1891 census indicates that John, a 7 year old scholar, was living at 66 Back Stytch, Stych Court, Burslem, with both parents. William was employed as a Potters Biscuit Placer, while his daughters Mary (21) and Margaret (17) were employed as Potter’s Spongers. Annie (12) and Amy (10) were both at school.
The 1901 census indicates the whole family are living as lodgers with the Boulton family at Lower Woodland Street, Tunstall. John's sister Margaret had married Henry Boulton, a Potter’s Placer in 1899. Although working in the potteries Margaret had a one year old daughter, Amy. No occupation shown for William (60) or Mary (58). Sisters Mary (30) and Annie (23) are employed as Potter’s Spongers, while Amy (20) had no occupation. John, now 17, was employed as a Potter’s Hollowware Presser.
The 1911 census shows us John living at 64 Rathbone Street, Tunstall. He was married to Elizabeth née Goodwin (born June 23,1883 in Tunstall) and they had two children: Gladys (born Nov 7, 1908. Tunstall) and John William (born May 6,1910. Burslem). John (29) was employed as a General Hollowware Presser. John and Elizabeth had married in the second quarter of 1908 in Wolstanton, Staffordshire.
The rest of John's family are as follows in the 1911 census;
Mary (68), widowed in 1901 living at 97 Reid Street, Burslem with daughter Mary (43), single working as a Sponger Jiggerer in a Pottery and Annie (8) was classed as granddaughter.
Thomas Warham (40) was living at 2 Haughmond View, Mountfields, Shrewsbury, he was working as a Shop Assistant Earthenware. Living with him, his wife Clara Jane (40, born in Lincoln), their children Edith Lilian (17 born in Leicestershire) working as a tailoress, Claude William (16 also born in Leicester) working as a Printer Compositor and Thomas Percy (14 born Leicester) at school.
Henry and Maggie Boulton (37) were living at 15 Woodland Street, Tunstall with daughters Amy (11), Margaret (9), Sarah (8) and son Alfred Henry (6).
Annie (33) married William Barlow a Potter’s Jiggerer from Burslem in 1902 and was living at 28 Hall Street, Burslem, working as a Potter’s Thrower, they had two children Mary Florence (8) and Laura Annie (3).
Amy Warham (30) was single working as a Potter’s Sponger living as a boarder at 49 Freehold Terrace, Middleport, Burslem with Thomas Millwood aged 32 a Coal Miner from Bilston Staffs, his wife Elizabeth (36) a Potter’s Sponger from Kidsgrove and their children Doris (10), Margaret (8), Elizabeth (4), Joseph (2) all born in Burslem. Also living with them was Thomas Burgess (33), married, working as a Potters Placer.
Military Service and the Great War.
John enlisted with the North Staffordshire Regiment at Stoke On Trent on September 1, 1914. His records describe him as being 32 years and 3 months old, 5’10” tall, weighing 121lbs, with a 34.5”chest. He was employed as a Potter. His address was given as 8 Watergate Street, Tunstall, though other records list 15 Nash Peake Street. His mother’s address was 3 Reid Street, Burslem.
His attestation papers name his siblings as Tom Warham, Shrewsbury, Mrs Boulton of Woodland St, Tunstall, Mrs Barlow, Burslem, Amy Warham and Mary Ann Warham.
He was given the service number 16931 and rank of Private. Between September 1,1914 and September 20, 1915 he remained on “HOME” service. On September 21,1915 he was posted to the 7th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. There is little else in his records to say where exactly he was after this point but we can follow the diary of the 7th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment that formed in 1914.
The 7th battalion North Staffordshire Regiment first entered Gallipoli at Cape Helles on July 6,1915. They took part in battles at Sari Bair, Russells Top and Hill 60. They were evacuated from Suvla Bay over the 19th and 20th December 1915 to Helles, where they took part in the final battles of Gallipoli during January of 1916 before again being evacuated. This time to Port Said and the Suez Canal defences. On February 12, 1916 they moved to Mesopotamia to take part in the battle to relieve a besieged garrison at Kut Almara.
It is here that John was reported wounded and missing, later presumed killed in action.
The Court of Inquiry.
A document stamp dated January 25,1918 found in John Warham's service records details a court hearing held at Victoria War Hospital, Bombay, on November 18, 1917. The court examined Private H.Goodwin 8345, John's brother in law. Goodwin stated that during an attack on April 9,1916, he saw Private Warham laying on the ground with a head wound. He believed the wound to be mortal, though he could only observe from a few yards away.
The report reads, by order of THE ADJUTANT GENERAL for the purpose of examining No 8345 Pte Goodwin H. 7th North Staffords reported wounded and missing 9-4-16.
PRESIDENT: Lieut. Col. A.H. Nott, I.M.S
MEMBERS: Major A.W. Greig, I.M.S. Capt.H.N.Eccles, R.A.M.C.
The court having assembled pursuant to order, proceed to examine No 8345 Pte. Goodwin H. 7th North Staffords, a patient in the Victoria war Hospital, Bombay, who states that he is the Brother in law of No.16931 Pte Warham John of the 7th North Staffords, and he knew him very intimately. On the morning of 9.4.16 the regiment attacked and while retiring later on the day, Pte Goodwin saw Pte. Warham lying on the ground wounded in the head. It appeared to him that the wound was a mortal one, but of course he was unable to examine further and so make any other than a superficial judgement by a hurried observation from a few yards distance. The circumstances were such that it is extremely unlikely that he could have been carried off as a wounded prisoner. Pte Goodwin considers that an enquiry in the Regiment would be more satisfactory. Amongst others who knew Pte Warham J. and who were present at that time is one Cpl Oakes of B Coy.
The court is of the opinion that the evidence given by Pte. Goodwin is true and reliable . But he has given it with great reluctance, and he much desires that the fact of death should be established by someone else, as he has several times communicated this that he knows to his sister, who seems to be unwilling to accept the fact that her husband is dead.
Under the circumstances known to them the court of inquiry think it advisable that enquiry into the Regiment should be instituted prior to final conclusion.
Reports in the Staffordshire Sentinel confirmed he was missing as of April 9, 1916 and that prior to military service he had been employed by Royal Doulton, Burslem.
In March 1917, Elizabeth was awarded a widow’s pension of 18 shillings and sixpence. In 1919, she married Thomas William Fallows. The 1921 census shows Elizabeth (39) living at 15 Nash Peake Street with Thomas Fallows (54) an out of work Collier/ Stone Miner born Chesterton, Staffs with Thomas’s five children and Elizabeth's two children, William and Gladys Warham.
John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
John Warham is remembered on the Basra Memorial Panel 34 as well as the Royal Doulton Memorial Burslem.
Sources:
FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2162; Folio: 36; Page: 28; GSU roll: 6097272
Class: RG13; Piece: 2590; Folio: 125; Page: 23
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
The National Archives; London, England, UK; War Office: Soldiers' Documents, First World War Wo363
Western Front Association; London, England; WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers; Reference: 185/0973/War-War
National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 707501-709000; Reference: 423
Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/863860/john-warham/
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12608, ED 21, Sch 188; Book: 12608
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000347/19160926/057/0003
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000347/19160523/069/0004
Open source internet - MEMORIAL BASRA.
