Blaydon Cemetery

John Bates Shanley was the eldest of his siblings, 2 sons and a daughter, offspring of Francis Shanley Snr born, September 16th 1855 at Milburngate, Durham City, County Durham, baptised September 30th at St. Cuthbert’s and Elizabeth Bates native of Gateshead, County Durham born 1866.

The couple were married at Gateshead, in 1884, their son John Bates Shanley was born at Blaydon, December 9th 1883 and baptised December 13th, however, they had transferred to Walbottle Northumberland, by 1888, birthplace of Sarah Winifred in 1888, their youngest child, Francis, was born at Scotswood, in 1889.

Elizabeth Shanley nee Bates, aged 26 years, died January 21st 1891, leaving Francis Snr with a 10, 3 and 2 year old to care for as well as holding down his job as a coal miner/hewer. He re-married in 1894, Isabella Elliott in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland.

In 1901 they were living at Denton Square, East Denton, where he and John (17), a putter, were employed at the colliery. To increment the family income they had taken in 2 relatives as boarders, nephews Thomas (27) and Peter Murphy (26) employed at the shell filling factory of W. G. Armstrong and Whitworth.

By 1911 their son John had married and left the family home, Francis had joined his father at the colliery, he worked above ground tipping the stones brought to the surface, and Sarah was an unmarried mother of a new born baby girl Frances Elizabeth, they were living together in 3 rooms at Benson’s Buildings, Westerhope.

John Bates Shanley was married, April 20th 1907, at Bell’s Close, Northumberland, to Elizabeth Convery Dunn. Elizabeth was born at Whitehaven in 1887 but baptised at Bell’s Close, Northumberland, March 20th 1887. Her father James who originated from Washington, County Durham had migrated to Cumberland where he married local girl Elizabeth Convery and spent several years moving between the two counties before finally settling with his family in Denton Burn, near Newcastle upon Tyne, where she and John met, their son John Jnr was born September 15th 1908. Employed as a coal miner/hewer John had settled with his family by 1911 at 9, Malton Row, Benwell Village, near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Just prior to the commencement of war John became a father for the third time, Elizabeth had given birth to a daughter Elizabeth, May 10th 1911, their son, James was born, February 17th 1914.

When war was declared with Germany John Bates Shanley enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne assigned as Private 10727 to the Northumberland Fusiliers. The date of his arrival in France, September 9th 1915, indicates he was posted to either the 12th/13th or 14th (Service) Battalion part of Kitchener’s New Armies, under the orders of the 21st Division, which upon its arrival in France congregated near Tilques and was at full strength by September 13th.

Their first encounter with the enemy was at the Battle of Loos which raged from September 25th-October 3rd. Initially in reserve they entered the assault September 26th suffering more than 3,800 casualties with very little gain. During 1916 the division was on the Somme where it participated during the opening Battle of Albert, which due to commence June 29th was postponed by bad weather until July 1st 1916 and raged until July 13th. This was followed by Bazentin Ridge, July 14th-17th, Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd, Morval, September 25th-28th and Le Transloy, October 1st-18th then the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917.

Private Shanley received a gunshot wound to the left leg and having been evacuated back through the lines and receiving initial treatment in France, he was shipped back to the United Kingdom. Examined by the Medical Board it was concluded that his injury had caused 100% disability, he was discharged, April 4th 1917, under King’s Regulations 392(xvi), “no longer physically fit for service,” and awarded a pension of 29 shillings 6 pence a week as of February 3rd 1920 which had decreased to 14 shillings 9 pence by December 20th 1923 as his condition had bettered, however he was left with 40% disability. Awards 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

The war years took a heavy toll on the Shanley family, John’s brother Private Francis Shanley was killed in 1917 and his brother in law Richard Boyle died “at home,” as a consequence of his war service in 1921.

Post war he and his wife were still living at Malton Row and welcomed Francis, March 21st 1918, William, August 16th 1920, Isabella, October 3rd 1922, Thomas, April 7th 1927.

In 1939 John Bates Shanley was employed as a coal hewer below ground living at 85, Springfield Road, Blakelaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, with his wife Elizabeth, their son James (24), employed as a general labourer, Thomas was a scholar and they had taken into their home widow Elizabeth Dunn whose husband had died in 1922. The name of their son Francis, although included in the 1939 census, is obliterated, as Francis Shanley aged 21 years died in 1939, registered in Newcastle upon Tyne.

John Bates Shanley died aged 70 years in 1954, his widow Elizabeth Convery Shanley nee Dunn died aged 68 years in 1955.

John’s father Francis Shanley Snr died in 1933 aged 76 years, registered at Castle Ward, his step-mother, Isabella Shanley nee Elliott aged 76 years in 1940 at Newcastle North, Northumberland.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

In Blaydon Cemetery Gateshead, there is a family headstone which includes John’s mother, it reads;

In loving memory of
My dear husband
THOMAS BATES
Who died January 18th 1900
Aged 60 years
SARAH JANE daughter of the above
Died March 29th 1888 aged 26 years
ELIZABETH daughter died
January 21st 1891 aged 26 years
JAMES LOWDON BATES
Died September 10th 1898 aged 17 years
PETER BATES
Died October 22nd 1880 aged 8 years
BENJAMIN RIDLEY BATES
Died November 7th 1880 aged 5 years
JAMES LOWDON BATES
Died November 27th 1881 aged 3 years
THOMAS BATES
Died June 10th 1906 aged 39 years
Also MARY ANN COLQUHOUN
Daughter of the above
Died May 20th 1914 aged 30 years
Also Betsy wife of the above
THOMAS BATES
Died December 26th 1916 aged 73 years.