J.W. Jacques sitting R Jacques standing
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Wilson Jacques was born November 28th 1879 in Black Hall Mill, County Durham, one of 8 known children, 4 boys and 4 girls, born to James Jacques 1846 Pittington and Sarah Jane Wilson 1846 Giiesgate Durham. His parents were married 1867 in Durham setting up home in Pittington, moving later to Colt Park Haugh (the site of what became Hamsterley Colliery Village), James worked as a coal miner as he had all his life. Robert’s father died in 1888 when he was 8 years old, his mother had the support of her three younger boys as they grew older, all worked as putters below ground.
Robert Wilson Jacques married, the widow Matilda Theobald, December 1902 in the district of Chester le Street, she had a son from her previous marriage, John William who was 9 years old. In 1911 they were living at 8 Ladysmith, Craghead, Matilda had given birth to 4 children, George Robert 1904, Ernest Robert 1909 and Margaret Ann 1911, their other child, (sex unknown) had died in infancy. Robert worked as a hewer at the local colliery, his step son was a pony driver below ground.
Robert Wilson Jacques enlisted in Newcastle upon Tyne 1915 declaring himself as a miner living at 51 Queen Street, Grange Villa. He was assigned as Private 23574 to the newly formed 12th Service Battalion South Wales Borderers, formed by the Welsh National Executive Committee as a Bantam Battalion. The battalion came under orders of the Welsh Bantam Brigade made up of a mixture of bantam units and of regulation height and shorter men. Weeding out of the very undersized or unfit men delayed training until late spring. It was moved to Prees Heath, July 1915 and in September on to Aldershot, where they were renamed as 119th Brigade, 40th Division. Mobilised they landed in Le Havre June 2nd 1916 and took part in the Battle of Ancre, one of the final phases of the Battle of the Somme. March 1917 they fought during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, participated in the capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plough, Beauchamp and La Vacquerie in April and early May. The next major attack was around Cambrai which was launched November 20th 1917 at 6.20 a.m. November 22nd Pte Jacques was reported as missing.
Private 23574 Robert Wilson Jacques 12th Battalion South Wales Borderers was officially declared to have been killed in action November 25th 1917. He has no known grave, his sacrifice is recorded on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing, Louverval, France, panel 5, commemorating the missing soldiers who fought in the Battle of Cambrai on the Western Front., WW1. Robert was 37 years old.
His widow Matilda received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and his dependents along with his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. She not only had to bear the loss of her husband in 1917 but also the death of their daughter Margaret Ann aged 6 years. Their son Ernest Robert Jacques died in 1975 and George Robert Jacques in 1977. Matilda Jacques nee Theobald died February 21st 1938 and was laid to rest in Pelton Cemetery, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robert Wilson Jacques is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04 and at Pelton on P26.01 and at West Pelton on W112.01
