Brewery Orchard Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas McKenna, the eldest of 8 known children, 5 sons and 3 daughters, was the son of George McKenna born 1847 in Scotland and Margaret Hardy of Crook, County Durham, born 1854, whom he married in 1874 at Durham. Thomas was born at Cornsay in 1875, his siblings Joseph M in 1877, James 1878, Catherine 1879 and Elizabeth in 1881 at Prince Row, Wolsingham, near Tow Law, where their father George was employed as a coal miner. Bernard McKenna was born at Tow Law in 1882, Arthur in 1885 before they returned to Cornsay settling at 107, Chadwick Street, where daughter Mary A. was born in 1888.
Thomas met Margaret Gannon born 1871 at Winlaton, County Durham, the daughter of Irish immigrants Martin and Mary Gannon. Margaret (30) and her brother Martin Jnr (24) in 1891 were still living at home with their widowed father at 128, Chadwick Street. He and Margaret were married in 1910 in the district of Lanchester and moved into her family home now at 158, Chadwick Street. Coal miner Thomas and his coke drawer brother-in-law Martin supported Martin Gannon Snr, now a retired labourer as well as Margaret who was their house keeper. Living with them was Martin Snr’s nephew Thomas Rowan (15) a dataller (employed on a day to day basis as and when required.) at the colliery.
Despite being 39 years of age when war broke out, Thomas was one of the first to enlist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, January 5th 1915 and was assigned as Private 474 to the 26th (3rd Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers a Pals Battalion. 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 January 1916 where the entire 34th Division concentrated at La Crosse, near St. Omer by January 15th 1916. They underwent a period of trench familiarisation before entering the trenches for the first time.
Although Thomas was killed in action April 8th 1916 he had already risen to the rank of Lance Corporal and been awarded the Military Medal for bravery on land during battle. He is at rest at Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, Nord, France, grave IV. B. 24. The cemetery south of Armentieres was begun by the Dressing Station in that area in 1914. Lance Corporal 474 Thomas McKenna M. M. Northumberland Fusiliers was 41 years of age.
His widow Margaret of 158, Chadwick Street, Cornsay Colliery, County Durham received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal, Victory Medal and Military Medal.
Margaret McKenna nee Gannon died in 1952 aged 82 years of age, registered at Durham Central.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas McKenna is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
