John William Brown was born 2nd September 1880, at 55 Newgate Street, Morpeth, Northumberland,son of the late Robert born 1850, Embleton, (cabinet maker), and Elizabeth Brown, born 1853, Killingworth. They had five children, John William the eldest, Alice born 1884 and Isabella born 1886, at Morpeth. Sadly two others died.

John was educated at the Morpeth Council School, Goosehill, Morpeth. From 1894 to 1900 at the King Edward VI School in Morpeth. He then was employed as a solicitor's clerk at Alnwick.

By 1911, the family minus Alice, were now residing at 3 Fenwick Grove, Morpeth, Northumberland.

John William emigrated to Canada after 1911. He was a Barrister.

He attested on the 29th May 1917 at Winnipeg, Canada.

He was 5 feet 7 inches (1.702m) tall, grey eyes and dark brown hair, weight 150lbs, age 37 years and 9 months. Given the service number of 2181328, and was sent to the no 1 Draft Manitoba Depot, for the 78th Battalion.

The 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion was organized in July 1915 under authorization published in General Order 103a of the 15th August 1915. The battalion was commanded initially by Lieutenant-Colonel J.B. Mitchell who was soon succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Kircaldy. The battalion was mobilized in Winnipeg and recruited in the Winnipeg district.

An initial draft of 5 officers and 250 other ranks was sent to England on the 25th September 1915. The battalion itself embarked at Halifax on the 22nd May 1916, aboard the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, disembarking in England on the 29th May 1916. Its strength was 37 officers and 1097 other ranks. The battalion arrived in France on the 12th August 1916, becoming part of the 4th Canadian Division, 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade. It was later reinforced by the 11th Canadian Reserve Battalion and, after the 5th September 1918, by the 18th Canadian Reserve Battalion. The battalion returned to England on the 1st May 1919, disembarked in Canada on the 7th June 1919, was demobilized on the 12th June 1919, and was disbanded by General Order 149 of the 15th September 1920.

Source: From Library and Archives Canada Textual Records:

John was admitted to Hospital on the 20th August 1917 for one day with an infected vaccination. His dental record showed ten teeth missing, and 4 crowns. Religion stated as agnostic.

John married Ruby May Brown. They were residing at 308 Kenmore Apartments, Broadway, Winnipeg, Canada. Prior to this they were residing at 87 Smith Street, Winnipeg, Canada, and 116 Bryce Street, Fort Rouge Winnipeg, Canada.

John had been in the Canadian Officer Training Cops for about 18 months with the rank of Captain.

He embarked from Halifax on the 24th November 1917, and arrived in the UK at Liverpool, on the 7th December 1917, on the SS Megantic. Then Struck of Strength posting to the 11th Reserve on the 8th December 1917 at Dibgate. On the 14th December, he is Taken on Strength for the M.E.D Battalion. On the 26th April he was transferred into the 78th Battalion in the field.

On the 19th July 1918 he was diagnosed with P.U.O., [P.U.O is Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin. A temperature/fever where there is no wound or infection visible and the cause is unknown. Often trench fever was diagnosed as PUO], and taken by the 12th Canadian Field Ambulance unit to the 13th Canadian Field Ambulance. He returned to the Battalion on the 29th July.

In his will he made Ruby May Brown, his wife sole legate.

John William Brown was killed in action on the 2nd September 1918.

His widow had moved to another address at 1308-5 Street, Santa Monica, California, USA. Ruby moved again to 211, Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.

His memorial Scroll and plaque were sent to his widow in the United States, and John's mother still residing at 3 Fenwick Grove, Morpeth, Northumberland, received his medals in December 1920.

Christopher Teasdale has provided the following:

Thank you to all who rang this the bells in Morpeth Clock Tower this afternoon to commemorate the centenary of the death of John William Brown on the 2nd September 1918.. John was a Morpeth ringer and was killed in action on 2nd September 1918 in France in WWI. I attach two photos of John. The first comes from a newspaper clipping that was published at the time of his death. He can be seen, aged 21, in the 1902 bellringers' photograph which I also attach. He is second from the left on the back row.

Here is a short biography of John's life.

John was born in Morpeth on 2nd September 1880, the eldest of three children to Robert and Elizabeth Brown. The family lived at 3 Fenwick Grove and John had two younger sisters, Alice and Isabella. He was educated at the King Edward VI School and trained to be a solicitor with George and Francis Brumell (of Brumell and Sample). After training at Brumell and Sample, John went on to work for two solicitors firms in Newcastle, Dees & Thompson and Leadbitter & Harvey. From a young age he is said to have identified as an agnostic and a liberal in politics. He was a great admirer of The Right Honourable Thomas Burt, the MP for Morpeth at that time. An accomplished public speaker, he frequently addressed political meetings and was secretary of the Morpeth Liberal Society as well as being a member of the Newcastle Liberal Club. In addition to his activities in politics he was a keen bellringer at Morpeth. He appears in the Morpeth Clock Tower Bellringers' photograph taken on 9th August 1902 on Coronation Day of King Edward VII. He joined the Durham & Newcastle Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers in 1906.

In April 1912 he emigrated to Winnipeg in Canada. His passage to North America was aboard the SS Megantic (A White Star Line ship). Arriving in Portland, Maine on 26th April 1912 from Liverpool, he then travelled onto Winnipeg, Manitoba. Incidentally, his voyage to North American occurred within days of the sinking of the RMS Titanic (15th April 1912). While in Winnipeg he resided at 87 Smith Street and served his articles with MacDonald, Craig, Tarr and Ross. He is reputed to have been a skilled barrister (as well as solicitor). On 11th May 1917 he married Ruby May Richardson. That same month he enlisted in the Canadian Army (29th May 1917). His battalion left for the UK from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 24th November 1917 meaning John had to leave his wife of 6 months who was pregnant with their only child. His daughter, Dorothy Lee Brown, was born on 27th February 1918.

He enlisted in the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers) of the Manitoba Regiment in the Canadian Infantry (service number 2181328). Unusually for someone of his stature in society at that time, he decided not to wait for a commissioned office. He arrived back in Liverpool on 7th December 1917. His battalion embarked for France from Seaford on 29th April 1918. His battalion was involved in the 2nd Battle of Arras and on 2nd September 1918 (his 38th birthday) was involved in the first part of the Scarpe Operation. During these exchanges we was wounded in the leg and while making his way to the dressing station, he was fatally shot in the stomach three times by enemy machine gun fire and died almost immediately. He is interred in Plot I. B. 20. in Dury Mill British Cemetery, France. John would never have known his daughter, Dorothy. Sadly his father, Robert, died aged 69 on 1st September 1919, the day before the anniversary of his son's death.

As an interesting side note, John would not have met the other Morpeth bellringer who was killed in WWI. Sidney Arthur Wright who died on 1st March 1917, moved to Morpeth in August 1912 to take up the position of music teacher at the King Edward VI School which was four months after John had emigrated to Canada.

John William Brown is remembered in Morpeth on M17.02, M17.09 and M17.12, also at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on NUT098

Durham & Newcastle Diocesan Association of Church Bellringers
78th Battalion History
Canadian Book of Remembrance
The CWGC entry for Private Brown