Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Nevilles, one of 5 children, all of whom survived childhood, was the youngest of 2 sons and had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father William Nevilles was born 1862 at Seaham Harbour, County Durham, but living at Owen Street, Murton Colliery, with his family in 1881 employed as a general labourer. His future wife Elizabeth Lonsdale born, May 16th 1862, at Thornley was living with her widowed mother Moral Lonsdale at 28, William Street, township of Seaham. The couple were married in 1889 in the district of Sunderland, County Durham, and moved in with William’s widowed father, living in 3 rooms at 30, Durham Place, Murton Colliery, where they were both employed as banksmen. Their daughter Hannah was born later that year, sons Joseph and John, 1893 and 1895 respectively, Moral, October 1st 1897 and Edith May, May 29th 1902. William’s father had died, January 6th 1894 but he and his family remained at number 30 and by 1911 Hannah (20) is described as a morning girl, Joseph (18) and John (15) were token boys at the colliery where their father was still working as a banksman, Moral and Edith May were scholars.
When war was declared in 1914 both John and Joseph Nevilles were eligible to serve. John enlisted at Sunderland and was initially posted to the Army Reserve until mobilised and joining the newly raised regiment of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, February 26th 1915 as Guardsman 3462. The battalion initially moved to White City, Shepherd Bush, London, then on to Sandown Park, Surrey, from whence the first wave of men departed, August 18th 1915, landing at Le Havre in France, attached to the 3rd Guards Brigade, Guards Division, their first encounter with the enemy came during the Battle of Loos where they sustained heavy casualties. Guardsman Nevilles was not amongst them, as yet underage for service overseas, he departed as of January 1916, exact date unknown.
The Guards Division spent the entire war on the Western Front participating during the Battle of Loos 1915, the Battles of the Somme at Flers-Courcelette and Morval 1916, the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, March 14th-April 5th 1917, The First and Second Battles of the Somme, and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line 1918 until the Armistice.
Guardsman 3462 John Nevilles was killed in action, April 3rd 1918, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades and marked with a cross bearing his military details. After the Armistice at the request of the French and Belgian Governments the clearing of the battlefields began and went on well into the 1920’s. Isolated graves and smaller concentration were brought into larger cemeteries for permanent burial. The remains of the 4 Guardsmen were found at map reference 51b. S. 11. d. 3. 5. with the crosses still intact, they were exhumed and taken in to Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, Pas de Calais, France, August 16th 1919, which had been used throughout most of the war by the Field Ambulance and Casualty Clearing Stations. With all reverence and honour Guardsman 3462 John Nevilles Welsh Guards was laid to rest by an Army Chaplain, grave VI. E. 24, at the time of his demise in 1918 he was 23 years of age and single. His grave is flanked to the right by those found at the same co-ordinates, Guardsman Sutcliffe, Guardsman William Rutherford of Westerhope, Northumberland, and Guardsman Moore. John’s death in 1918 had come almost a year to the day after that of his brother Gunner Joseph Nevilles, who had died of wounds, March 14th 1917, despite their grief it must have been a huge relief to his family that he had been found.
His family received all monies due to him from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to them at Durham Place, Murton Colliery. His parent received a pension after the death of son Joseph, of 15 shilling a week as of September 25th 1917, increased after the loss of John to 27 shillings 6 pence.
William Nevilles of Durham Place, died suddenly, Monday, September 13th 1937, aged 75 years, and was interred at Murton Holy Trinity Churchyard, Thursday, September 16th, the cortege left his home at 1.45 p.m.
In 1939 Elizabeth was living at Toft Crescent, Easington, County Durham, with her widowed daughter Edith May Scott, whose husband John had died aged 33 years in 1934 and grandson John Nevilles Scott, born November 13th 1934.
Elizabeth Nevilles nee Lonsdale died, April 28th 1942 aged 79 years, registered at Durham Eastern.
With the death of both Nevilles brothers this line of the family ceased to exist.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Nevilles is remembered at Murton on M47.01, M47.06, M47.09 and M47.12
