Tyneside Irish Badge
Derek Johnstone and Carole Fife have provided the following:
James’s original name was James Bonner Archbold and he was born at Bedlington, Northumberland in 1886. His parents were James Bonner Archbold, born at Tweedmouth in 1835 and Elizabeth. James Bonner Archbold appears in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 Censuses under this name.
In 1888, his father died and his mother Elizabeth married Frederick Bufton from Norfolk. In 1891 the family were resident at Bells Place, Bedlington with Alice 8, James 5, Ellen 3, and half-brother Fred aged 1. There were three other half siblings in the house: Norman (1893) Florence (1895) and Martha (1899).
The family was still at Bells Place in 1901 and James aged 15 was shown to be working in the coal mines.
In 1911, James was living at 34, Victoria Terrace, Bedlington Station, boarding with his sister Alice who had married William Dodds.
James enlisted on the 3rd September 1914 at Blyth as James Bonner Archbold into the Northumberland Fusiliers with the service number 27430. His military documents show he was 28 years old, 5 foot eight inches tall, weighed 147 lbs, had brown hair and blue eyes. He was discharged in October 1914 for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. This is the last reference to James Bonner Archbold.
A record exists for a James Bonner who enlisted in the Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish) 24th Battalion where he was allocated the service number 24/395. He enlisted at Newcastle and informed the recruitment staff he was born in Morpeth. (Soldiers Died in the Great War )
In 1915, he married Margaret Miller while living in a barracks when holding the rank of Corporal but James went Absent Without Leave for a long period. On returning he went to France with his unit, having been demoted.
In John Sheen's book Tyneside Irish there is a reference to a Corporal James Bonner who was involved with Sergeant Patrick Butler of 'D' Company at the Battle of the Somme to get their Commanding Officer, Colonel Howard into a shell hole and safety and from there to the Lochnagar crater. James Bonner and Patrick Butler died on the 1st July 1916; Colonel Howard died the following day. James’s relationship with the Army was not ideal but in the end this brave man laid his life down for his country. CWGC records show James having the rank of Private when he died.
James Bonner Archbold is remembered in Bedlington on B15.20
