Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Henry Winwood was born May 1st 1879 at Wingate, County Durham.
His father Robert Winwood native of West Stow, Suffolk, born July 23rd 1844, migrated to the north east of England and married for the first time to the widow of Thomas Archibald, Mary Ann Archibald nee Stark aged 31 and 7 years his senior with 2 sons and 2 daughters of her own, December 21st 1868 at Wingate. They were living at Home Row, Shotton Colliery in 1871 where Robert was employed as a coal miner. They had 4 children together 2 sons and 2 daughters, only Eliza survived to adulthood, Sarah Jane died age 2 in 1872, John Robert aged 1 in 1873. His wife Mary Jane died, December 7th 1873 giving birth to Robert Jnr. and leaving Robert Snr. with the responsibility of a new born child and Eliza aged 4 years. Unfortunately the infant Robert died March 31st 1874.
Robert Winwood remarried, July 2nd 1874 at Holy Trinity Church, Wingate Mary Ann Partridge, John Henry’s birth mother. Mary Ann Partridge had a son of her own George Partridge born in 1869. They went on to have 11 children, 8 sons and 3 daughters, only 9 survived, Angelina born June 23rd 1876 died September 22nd 1878 and William Roland born January 14th 1883 died February 18th 1883. Robert who was still employed as a miner-stoneman underground, in 1911, was joined at the colliery by his three unmarried sons, Thomas (22) a hewer, William (19) and Archie (17) as pony driver’s underground.
John Henry Winwood left Wingate in 1901 and moved to Gateshead where he married, July 19th 1902, Jane Ann Elliot born 1883 at Sheriff Hill, Gateshead. They set up home at Windy Nook, Heworth, Gateshead and went on to have 5 children, a son and 4 daughters. Only four of their children survived, Ethel Winwood born February 15th 1909 was either still born or died after a few hours that same day. John Henry found work at Heworth Colliery and was by 1911 a miner deputy overman, he and his family were living at 13, Chapel Square, Heworth.
On the outbreak of war John Henry Winwood enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, October 14th 1914 in the newly formed 18th (Service) Battalion (1st Tyneside Pioneers) Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 345 and began training at Newcastle part of which entailed, after the issue of picks and shovels, marching every day to Benton to dig trenches. The first week was very competitive, the expert miners amongst them managed to dig down 4 feet 6 inches in an hour. After spending time at Rothbury and Cramlington, February 8th 1915 it officially became a Pioneer Battalion and in July joined 34th Division at Kirkby Malzeard. Divisional training continued at Salisbury Plain and Sutton Veny until being taken over by the War Office, November 4th 1915. December 28th preparations were made for embarkation at Southampton and they departed January 7th 1916 arriving at Le Havre, on the 8th. Entrained the Division was sent on to the depot at Etaples and underwent a fortnight of route-marching as preparations were already underway for the commencement of the Battles of the Somme. The 34th Division departed from St. Omer for the Somme April 18th 1916. British attacks began July 1st 1916, the 18th Battalion was engaged at the Battles of Albert, Bapaume, Pozieres, Guillemont and Flers-Courcelette until September 1916 followed by the Arras Offensive, April 1917 and the Battles of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917.
The First Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, commenced in heavy rain October 12th 1917 and was another Allied attempt to gain ground around Passchendaele. Private 18/345 John Henry Winwood Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action, October 18th 1917 and interred at Solferino Farm Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium, grave 1. A. 28. The cemetery was begun in October 1917 and used by the units fighting in the sector until August 1918.
His widow Jane received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children along with his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Jane Ann emigrated with her children to Canada, July 20th 1920, travelling 3rd Class from Liverpool aboard the “Megantic” of the White Star Dominion Line, arriving at Quebec, July 19th. She remarried to expatriate John Wheatley born December 14th 1873 at Sandbach, Cheshire. Jane Anne Wheatley-Winwood nee Elliot died at Burnaby, British Colombia, May 2nd 1957 preceding John Wheatley who died February 16th 1960 at Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
John Henry and Jane Ann’s children all married, Evelyn died aged only 20 years, February 4th 1927 at Vancouver, Doris Lucas nee Winwood of 736, West 60th Avenue, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, died aged 71 years, January 28th 1982, informant, husband Thomas, cremation February 1st, Thomas aged 67 years at Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Details as regards Mary and Jane unknown.
John Henry Winwood’s younger brother also served and perished during WW1. Joseph Winwood born at Wingate, County Durham, April 18th 1881 was married with 5 children. He enlisted, was assigned as Private 22563 to the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and died October 7th 1916 in France. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France, awards 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The death of Private Winwood came only a matter of a few months after the death of his youngest son Joseph Winwood Jnr aged 1 year during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep)1916.
John Henry and Joseph’s mother Mary Ann Winwood nee Partridge died aged 68 years, June 11th 1919 preceding that of her husband Robert Winwood, who lived with his married daughter at 41, Granville Terrace, Binchester, County Durham who died April 20th 1926 aged 82 years.In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Pte. Winwood's death was announced in Heslop's Local Advertiser Dec. 1917.
John Henry Winwood is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 as Windwood, H92.04 and H92.07 and at Windy Nook on W95.01 and W95.02
