Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Stewart Pearson Jnr. known as James, was born at Heworth in 1894, one of 7 children, 5 sons and 2 daughters. His father Joseph Stewart Pearson native of Moseley, County Durham was born in 1851 and married in the district of Sunderland during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1876 to Susan Wilson born 1857 at Monkwearmouth, County Durham. By 1881 they were living at Smokey Row, Heworth with two children Sarah Jane (4) born at Wardley and Thomas William (1) born at Hebburn, James Snr. was employed at the colliery as a coal miner, they later moved to Waggonway Street. Susan Pearson nee Wilson died in December 1893 aged 37 years, the following year also the eldest daughter Sarah Jane aged only 17 years. James Stewart Pearson remarried in 1894 to widow Mary Ann Marr who originated from Southwark, London, born 1860 and who had a 9 year old son of her own named Benjamin. Mary Ann gave birth to a daughter in 1895 who was baptised Sarah Jane, possibly in remembrance of the daughter James had lost. In 1901 the family was living at 67, Third Street, Heworth, James Stewart worked as a hewer, step son Benjamin (16), sons Robert (17) and William (14), all worked as drivers at the colliery. By 1911 only James (17) the youngest son from his first marriage and Sarah Jane (15) were still living at home.
James enlisted and was assessed at Felling, November 30th 1914, declaring he was a miner living at 9, Blindburn Street, Hebburn, County Durham, this was the address of his paternal aunt Mary Ann Watkin with whom he lived. Assigned as Private 22335 Durham Light Infantry he joined the regiment the following day at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and by December 13th had been transferred to the 15th (Service) Battalion. The 14th and 15th Battalions moved to Halton Park in Buckinghamshire as part of the 64th Brigade, 21st Division. Halton Park had been offered to the War Office by Alfred de Rothschild as a training camp. The bad weather, lack of khaki uniforms, dummy rifles and too few officers meant training was little more than basic drill, however in December 1914 both battalions moved to High Wycombe where they were issued with uniforms and rifles and proper training began. Early April 1915 they returned to Halton Park to occupy newly built wooden huts, their training intensified and finally they were moved in July 1915 to Whitley Camp near Aldershot for final training. September 10th 1915 the 15th Battalion departed as part of the British Expeditionary Force landing at Boulogne in France still attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division. Two weeks later still inexperienced and unprepared the 14th and 15th Battalions were sent into battle at Loos, September 25th 1915, in the first major offensive by the British on the Western Front.
September 25th after a long march, wet, tired and hungry the 14th and 15th moved forward across the old British front line reaching the old German line the following morning at about 2 a.m. Later that morning they attacked only to be driven back by machine gun fire. During the first two days of battle the 15th Battalion lost over 450 men, Private Pearson was not present at roll call and was declared missing.
By December 10th 1916 his aunt Mary Ann Watkin had received all his personal possessions but there was still no news as to the whereabouts of Private Pearson. The months went by, March 30th his father had still no news, August 28th 1916 his aunt wrote to the War Office the following letter, which I have transcribed as it was written; “Dear Sirs, I write these few lines to let you know that I have received a card from some of the German Camp’s regarding my nephew Private James Pearson 22335 15th Batt D.L.I I received it 5 weeks ago and I wrote straight back to them along with his photo and other identification marks to see if it was him or not but Ive never got any answer to it yet so I enclose you the card they sent me to see if you would be so kind as to try and get me some information if possible about him but will you be so kind and return it back to me when you are finished with it as I would be most thankful to you if you could you get to know some news of him as its 12 months now on Sept 25th since I got news of him been missing and Im anxious to know if he is prisoner or not so will you be so good as do your best for me by making inquiries if it is him, Yours Truly, his Aunt Mrs M.A. Watkins. p.s. Please return to me the card when finished with it.”
Unfortunately James had not been taken prisoner by the Germans and August 31st 1916 was, “regarded for official purposes as dead”. The date of September 25th 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos, has been adopted by the CWGC as the date of his demise. Private 22335 James Pearson Durham Light Infantry is commemorated as one of over 20,000 names of the missing who have no known grave inscribed on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. The memorial includes the names of those who fell in the area from the first day of the Battle of Loos until the end of the war. He was 21 years old and single.
As his sole legitimate beneficiary, his aunt Mary Ann Watkin received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 9, Blindburn Street, Hebburn, County Durham. All legal documentation was not completed until 1919 and as James Stewart Pearson Snr. had died aged 67 years during the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/Jun) 1918, within months also his stepmother Mary Ann Pearson nee Marr aged 57 years during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep)1918, his aunt also received an Army pension.
James’s brother William Pearson also enlisted for the duration of the war firstly as Private 21972 D.L.I. transferred as Private 24529 Northumberland Fusiliers but was discharged, “no longer physically fit for service”, September 26th 1916 and died at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February 10th 1919. Although he is not included by the CWGC as a casualty of war either because he did not qualify as having died as a consequence of war or his family did not inform the commission, he is remembered on a marble plaque within Heworth St. Mary’s Church in recognition of having served his country. He was 33 years old and left a widow Margaret Ann (30) and a daughter Susan (9).
In God’s safe keeping. Rest in Peace.
James Pearson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 262
