Henrietta Simmons
James Simmons, one of 12 children of whom only 11 survived, was the 4th born of 6 sons and had 1 elder and 5 younger sisters. His father John Simmons was born 1866 in Scotland, his mother Henrietta Gould was the daughter of Irish parents, Sergeant George Gould and his wife Elizabeth. Her parents were married November 26th 1861 at St. John’s Church, Kilkenny, Ireland, four years later her father was serving in India with the 36th Foot, she was born, April 5th 1867 in Moradabad, Bengal. Her parents returned to Ireland in 1873 before transferring the following year to Scotland.
John and Henrietta’s son John Jnr was born in 1885 at Wellshott Place, Rutherglen, Glasgow and William in 1887, however, they did not marry until October 1st 1888 just prior to the birth of George, born at Silverback, Cambuslang, Glasgow, October 8th 1888. In 1891 John, his wife, their 3 sons and new born daughter Elizabeth were living at Silverbacks Lorne Rest Buildings with his in-laws and Henrietta’s 5 siblings. The Simmons family had moved to the north east of England by 1900 having had a further 4 children James born May 15th 1892, Mary, March 31st 1894, Henrietta, March 2nd 1896, all born in Scotland, and Rhoda, June 23rd 1900 at Hebburn, County Durham. In 1901, living at 40, William Street, Hebburn, John supported his family employed as a copper smith’s labourer, John Jnr (16) worked as a rivet heater at the shipyard and William (14) was a shipyard messenger boy. Their family was complete by 1911 with the birth of Margaret, May 19th 1902, Albert, April 24th 1906, Agnes, January 1st 1908 and William, June 8th 1911 whilst they were living at 39, High Street, Hebburn. George’s father was employed as a plumber’s labourer at the shipyard, his wife ran her own laundry business from home, George (22) was an apprentice plater, James (18) a grocer’s assistant, Mary (17) worked as a domestic servant and with the exception of Albert (4) and Agnes (3) the younger children were scholars.
James was living with his family at 13, Aln Street, Sunderland, employed as a grocer, when war was declared in 1914. He enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, October 4th 1915 and joined the 28th (Tyneside Scottish) Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 30549 at Barden Moor Camp, Yorkshire, October 12th. April 8th 1916, he transferred to the 122nd Company Machine Gun Corps, attached to the 122nd Brigade, 41st Division. and departed with the Division, September 13th 1916 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. They were immediately moved to the battlefields of the Somme, 2 days later they saw action for the first time at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd, he then transferred to the 124th Company M.G.C. 124th Brigade, 41st Division participating during the Battle of Le Transloy, October 1st-18th 1916, where, October 7th he was wounded, details unspecified.
Private 30549 James Simmons Machine Gun Corps was repatriated, October 12th 1916 and did not return to active service, he was discharged as, “time served”, January 31st 1918. He received as of February 2nd 1918 a pension of 27 shillings 6 pence for a period of 13 weeks. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Although all his elder brothers would have been eligible for war service only the details of his brother George exist. Private George Simmons Durham Light Infantry was killed in action in 1917 whilst on active service in Belgium. His death came 5 months after that of his mother Henrietta Simmons nee Gould, who died aged 50 years, April 28th 1917.
James was married in 1920 to Alice Maud Harding born February 26th 1892 and with whom he had a son, John James Simmons, born January 8th 1925. at Sunderland. In 1939 they were living at 12, Elizabeth Street, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. James was employed as a confectionary factory watchman, John Jnr as a sugar boiler apprentice, Alice was a housewife.
John Simmons died aged 76 years in 1942 at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Alice Maud Simmons nee Harding in 1966 aged 73 years and James in 1967 aged 75 years, both registered in the district of Durham North, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.