Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
James was born at Teesdale on December 30th 1884 and was the son of Thomas and Lydia (nee) Longstaff who married in 1871.
The 1891 census shows James living with his parents and siblings. Mary and Esther were both employed as linen flax reelers whilst the boys John Thomas, William, and Ernest were all at school. Their father was a stonemason.
By 1901 a new sister, Lydia, was welcomed into the family. At this time John Thomas was a grocer’s cartman, William a mason, whilst James was a grocer’s assistant. Their mother died in 1903.
On September 26th 1908 James married Margaret Annie Elizabeth Charlton at Barnard Castle. When the 1911 census came around the new family was well established with the arrival of a little girl, Lydia 12th April 1909. Father James worked as a deliverer of coal from a cart. Then along came Doris, who unfortunately died as an infant, and James Parker Jones born 13th March 1914.
James enlisted into the Northumberland Fusiliers. The circumstances of James’ demise were very difficult for the family.
A party of men was ordered to go up the line on patrol. They were ambushed and surrounded by the enemy. The order was given to “get back” as fast as possible. Later James was reported as missing. Checks were made over the following weeks and months. No one had seen him dead or alive, he was not reported to have been in hospital and released prisoners had been questioned for information. Some twenty months later a letter saying that the facts seem to support the assumption that he had died and that he lay in an unmarked grave.
The Soissons memorial commemorates almost 4,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom Forces who died during the Battle of Aisne and the Marne in 1918 who have no known graves.
Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
James' widow married Jonathan Copeland at Sunderland in 1921.
James Jones is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
He is also remembered at Walker in 5th N.F. Book
