Silton United Church Saskatchewan

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

John was the eldest son of Bishop Auckland engine fitter Thomas Heckels Ramsay and his wife Janet Askew Pinkney, who had married in St. Barnabas’ Church, Hendon in August 1888; his brother Thomas was born in 1892 and sister Janet a year later. Widowed after the death of her husband in August 1899 Janet married another engine fitter, widowed Robert Hewson from Houghton-le-Spring, and they had two daughters, Gladys and Dorothy Jane, stepsisters for John and Thomas. The 1901 census shows them living with Janet’s parents in Bishopwearmouth, a house they remained in until they left England.

In 1909 John and his brother Thomas sailed to Canada, and John applied for a homestead grant in Saskatchewan, allowing them to build a house and farm in Silton, near Regina. Their mother Janet, her husband Robert, and the three girls Janet, Gladys and Dorothy arrived to join them in July 1912.

On 1st January 1915 both brothers enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Regina, both giving their mother as next of kin, and mentioning the time they had spent in 1st Durham Royal Garrison Artillery based in Sunderland.

John became Private 426223 and was posted with his brother to “B” Company, 46th Battalion based at Moose Jaw Armoury, and then on to Camp Hughes, Manitoba in May before embarking for England on 23rd October 1915 with 36 officers and 1115 men, arriving at Devonport docks on 1st November, and moving on to camp at Bramshott where both brothers were promoted to Corporal. Transferred to the 3rd Battalion together the brothers joined their new unit in the Patricia Lines on 19th June 1916. Moving into the trenches at the beginning of July, the battalion alternated between the support lines and the trenches and in mid August moved to new billets near Tournehem, and then on to the Brickfields near Albert at the start of September.

Corporal John Ramsay was killed in trenches east of Courcelette on 24th September 1916, and has no known grave.

Thomas was killed in action August 1918.

John Pinkney Ramsay is remembered in Sunderland on S140.048 part 9 page 202.

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance and also on a stained glass window in Silton United Church, Saskatchewan. (Name appears on scroll at bottom right of photograph.)

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Corporal Ramsay