Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Meehan, one of 3 children of whom only 2 survived was the only son of Patrick Meehan and Elizabeth Stanley. There are no birth details as regards his father, however he was a carpenter by trade, his mother was born August 15th 1860 in Ireland, daughter of Arthur and Catherine Stanley. Brought to the north east of England between 1864 and 1871, her family were living at Medomsley Road, Consett, County Durham, in 1871, where her younger brother William (20) was employed at the iron and steel works as a puddler, however they moved to Northumberland over the next 10 years where her father died in 1880, whilst they were living at 5, Wood Row, Denton Burn. Widow Catherine, Elizabeth (19) and her younger brother John (9) were supported by Arthur (25), Edward (21) and Richard (17) employed as coal miners, also in the household was Catherine’s nephew, 10-year-old James Burns.
Patrick Meehan and Elizabeth Stanley were married in 1887, district of Castle Ward, John was born in 1888, his sister Catherine known as Kate in 1891. Listed as married, in 1901 Catherine, her children and brother Arthur were still listed at Wood Row, head of the household a Matthew Stanley (65) listed in error as grandfather to her children. The whereabouts of Patrick Meehan is unknown, however he may have been serving overseas with the Army during the Boar War 1899-1902.
Patrick Meehan seems to have died, exact date unknown, as Catherine in the 1911 census is listed as a widow, living in 4 rooms at West Avenue, Westerhope, the home of her brother Arthur, a colliery hewer, John Meehan (22) was also employed there as an assistant deputy.
John Meehan enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, assigned as Private 1090 to the 25th (2nd Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, one of four new Pals Battalions raised during November 1914. The 24th/25th/26th and 27th Tyneside Irish Battalions were posted to Woolsingham where they formed the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division in June 1915, once taken over by the War Office, August 27th, they moved to Salisbury Plain for final training, crossing to France, January 9th 1916.
The 34th Division concentrated at La Crosse neat St Omer and after a period of trench familiarisation was sent to the Somme as plans were already underway for a major attack. Due to commence June 29th but delayed by bad weather, the division participated during the opening Battle of Albert, July 1st-13th 1916 and were ordered to hold the village of La Boisselle which at the time was little more than rubble, also capturing Scotts and Sausage Redoubts, the Battle of Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Pozieres July 23rd-September 3rd and Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd 1916.
In 1917 they fought in the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux, phases of the Battles of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917. Private 1090 John Meehan Northumberland Fusiliers was reported as wounded or missing at the conclusion of the Battle of Arleux, April 28th-29th 1917. After extensive enquires as to his whereabouts he was declared to be dead, the date of April 28th 1917 adopted as the official date of his demise. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 34,818 names inscribed on the Arras Memorial which lies within Fambourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France, commemorating soldiers of the British, South African and New Zealand forces who were killed during the Battles of Arras and have no known grave. He was 39 years of age and single.
His mother Elizabeth received all monies owed to him from the Army and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at Stanley Gardens, Westerhope, Northumberland.
In 1939 Elizabeth Meehan was living as one of 4 occupants at 34, North Avenue, Newburn. Elizabeth Meehan nee Stanley died post 1939, a person of the same name is listed as having died in the district of Northumberland South (including Newburn) in 1944, listed as 80 years of age, this is the only match available and could be an error on the part of the informant as she would have been 84-years of age.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Meehan is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01 as Meeham
