Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Walker was born 1882 in Ireland, was the only known son of Michael and Ellen Walker of Coolbawn, Castlecorner, Co. Kilkenny. He emigrated to England and at the age of 19 was living as a boarder with Irish immigrants Francis and Kate Quinn and family at 18, Stable Street, Cornsay Colliery, County Durham. The Quinns had emigrated to England after the birth of their third child, daughter Sarah Ann born April 20th 1879 and by 1881 had established themselves at Esh near Lanchester, County Durham.
John and Sarah Ann were married in 1905 in the district of Lanchester, in 1911 they were living at 2, Stable Street, Cornsay Colliery, John supported his family employed as a coal miner/hewer. His wife had given birth to 4 children only 3 of whom survived, Ellen born March 5th 1906, Catherine 1907 and Mary Walker 1910, they went on to have a further 3 children, all girls, Susan born in late 1911, Agnes 1913 and Mary Frances born during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1915 just prior to her father’s departure for the Western Front.
Her father John had enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne November 9th 1914, one of the first to be assigned as Private 734 to the newly formed Pals Battalion, 25th (2nd Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. After initial training at home the battalion joined the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division in June 1915 at Ripon in Yorkshire before moving to Salisbury Plain for final training in late August. They proceeded to France in January 1916 where the 34th Division concentrated at La Crosse, near St. Omer. After a period of trench familiarisation they moved to the Somme and saw action during the Battles of the Somme including the capture of Scots and Sausage Redoubts, the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, Pozieres Ridge and as part of the 103rd Brigade with the Divisional Pioneers also at the Battle of Fleurs-Courcelette. The 25th Battalion did not take part in any further major battles, however, they stayed on the Somme engaged in day to day trench warfare.
Private 25/734 John Walker Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action October 26th 1916 and interred at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Nord, France, grave IV. A. 20. He was 34 years of age.
His widow Sarah Ann received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 2, Stable Street, Cornsay Colliery, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 13 shillings 8 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Eternal Rest Give Unto Him O Lord May He Rest In Peace Amen.”
Sarah Ann did not remarry, in 1939 she and her daughter, Ellen listed as an incapacitated invalid and Catherine an auxiliary nurse, High Teams, listed under the surname of Walker then corrected to Brown, were living at Elderwood Gardens, Gateshead, County Durham.
Sarah Ann Walker nee Quinn died aged 72 years in 1952, daughter Ellen Walker in 1983 aged 77 years, both registered in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Walker is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
