Ian Murray has submitted the following:-
James was born in 1890 in Browney, Durham, to parents James and Jane Harwood, who themselves were born in Evenwood and St Andrews Auckland respectively.
In 1891 the family lived at Browney and in 1901 they lived at Middlestone Moor. In 1911 James was a boarder with the Graham family living at 3 East Wood Row, Burnhope and he was (like his father) a miner (putter below ground).
In the spring of 1911 James married Mary Rebecca Geddes, a domestic servant who lived with her family in Percy Crescent, Lanchester.
James served with the 8th Battalion of the DLI and died on 5th November 1916 and is buried in Warlencourt British Cemetery. The headstone inscription chosen by the family is “At Rest” and in the Headstone Inscription Report, the name attached to the record is Mr J Geddes, 6, Ford Street, Lanchester who is most likely John Geddes, the brother-in-law of James.
The CWGC gives his wife’s address at the time as 6 New Houses, Lanchester.
Awards: British War Medal; Victory Medal.
James Harwood is remembered at Lanchester on L62.01 L62.02 and L62.04 and in the Battlion History D47.156a
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 307
