Heslop's Local Advertiser
Menin Gate Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Bell was born at Whitehaven, Cumberland in 1889, one of 5 known children, he was the youngest of 3 sons and had 1 elder and 1 younger sister. His father William Bell of Burnley Lancashire, born 1840, having migrated to Cumberland, met and married at Whitehaven in 1876, local girl, Sarah Ann Mullins born 1859, who had a daughter of her own Lizzie Ann born at Whitehaven in 1873. Their son Thomas was born in 1879, Mary 1881, Edward 1882, then James and finally Jessie in 1893, all at Whitehaven. In 1891 the family were living at 13, Castle Row, William was employed as a coal hewer, Edward (19) as a horse driver, both working below ground. Between 1893 and 1911 they left Cumberland settling at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
James Bell married at Felling parish church, October 29th 1910, to Matilda Drury born May 14th 1890. In 1911 they were living with his parents at 2, Henry Street, Felling, James and his father were employed as coal miners at the local colliery. His wife Matilda had given birth to a child, gender unknown, that had died soon after. Their daughter Ellen was born April 30th 1913.
In 1914 James and Matilda were living at 8, Back John Street, Felling. He enlisted at Gateshead January 2nd 1914 for a duration of 3 years, assigned as Private to the Durham Light Infantry. The first 500 recruits left the DLI’s Depot in Newcastle for Woking in Surrey, where they were formed into the 10th (Service) Battalion DLI. Living in tents, initially without khaki uniforms or modern rifles, the new battalion began to train for war. February 1915, the battalion moved to barracks in Aldershot for final training and May 21st 1915, the 10th Battalion DLI, as part of the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division, sailed for France. Three weeks later, the battalion was in the front line south of Ypres, where it suffered its first casualties, before being moved into the Ypres Salient itself.
Private 23101 James Bell Durham Light Infantry was killed in action June 29th 1915. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 54,395 names inscribed on the Menin Gate to the Missing, Ypres, Belgium which commemorates servicemen from the Commonwealth killed on the salient 1915 to August 15th 1917 and who have no known grave.
His widow Matilda received all monies due to him as per a signed will found in James’s pay book, also his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 8, Back John Street, Felling, Gateshead. She was assigned as of January 16th 1916 a pension of 18 shillings 6 pence for herself and their 2 children. She was pregnant when James departed for the front and was required to produce a birth certificate for their son, whom she named James after his father, who was born, July 29th 1915, little more than 4 weeks after his father’s demise.
Matilda remarried in 1919 to John Lowery and was living at 24, Chaters Street, Gateshead in 1919. Matilda Lowery-Bell died aged 81 years in 1971, registered in the district of Durham NW.
In 1919 William and Sarah Ann Bell were living at 33B Quarry Row, Felling, details of their demise, unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His death was reported in Heslop's Local Advertiser 16/07/1915:
"Pte. James Bell, 10th Battalion, D.L.I., in France, on June 19th, of 8 Back John Street, Felling."
James Bell is remembered at Felling on F32.05 and at Heworth on H92.03 H92.04 and H92.07
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 167
