On Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent is the name of Engineer Lieutenant John James Sparkes serving on H.M.S. Portwood with the Royal Naval Reserve  who died 08/08/1918.

He was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Sparkes, of Seaham Harbour, Co. Durham and the husband of Ann Sparkes, of 4, Harold Street, Sunderland.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following;

John James Sparkes was one of 3 known children and had 1 half sibling. 

His father Henry Sparkes was born September 27th 1837 at Wandsworth, Surrey and had a son from his previous marriage to Sarah Bateman, George Henry Sparkes born in 1863. Sarah Sparkes nee Bateman died in 1865.

Henry married again in Monkwearmouth, County Durham, May 25th 1868 to Elizabeth Crowder a native of West Auckland, County Durham born in 1849. Elizabeth gave birth at Seaham, County Durham in June 1870 to John Sparkes who died in June 1870. Seaham in the district of Easington was also the birthplace of John James, September 18th 1879.

In 1881 the family, listed under the surname Sparks, was living at 43, Engine Row, in the village of Sherburn Hill where Henry was a coal miner and their daughter Sarah Jane was born in 1882. 

Henry Sparkes changed employment and went to sea as a steward aboard the Vane Tempest owned by the Marquis of Londonderry, Seaham Harbour. The ship had departed from Sunderland, he died October 24th 1885 when he was washed overboard in the North Sea off Flamborough, North Yorkshire.

Elizabeth and her daughter in 1891 were living at 7, William Street, Seaham Harbour, County Durham, she had also taken into her home her widowed mother Mary Crowder. Elizabeth and her mother made ends meet sewing shirts. Sarah Ann Sparkes (9) was a scholar meanwhile John James (11) was a ward at the Merchant Seaman’s Orphan Asylum, Sharesbrook, North London, Essex, the institution was created to care for the children of men lost at sea.

At the age of 21 John James was living as a boarder in the home of widow Annie Baker and her 6 year old child at 32, St. Luck’s Road, Sunderland employed as a marine engine fitter. During the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1901 he was married to Ann Kemp. A native of Sunderland she was the daughter of Alexander Kemp and Mary Johnston, born July 1st 1884.

In 1911 Ann was living in 5 rooms at 12, Roxborough Street, Sunderland and had taken into her home her sister Jane Kemp, John James Sparkes was at sea.

Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany August 4th 1914. In 1915 John James Sparkes was serving as Chief Engineer aboard the H.M.S. Portwood of the Royal Naval Reserve but by September 19th 1916 he had been raised to the rank of Temporary Engineer Lieutenant.

The German submarine UC49 left Zeebrugge August 1st 1918, passed through the Dover Barrage and on her way down the Channel torpedoed and sunk the Hospital Ship Warilda which was carrying 801 wounded and sick men from Le Havre to Southampton. Warilda tried to ram the sub which returned a torpedo striking the ship between the engine room and number 4 hold killing 101 men.

August 8th 1918 at 11.40 H.M.S. Portwood was off Berry Head when she was intercepted by UC49 and torpedoed. The explosion damaged the ship killing Engine Lieutenant John James Sparkes and two others. UC49 was detected later that day by H.M.S. Opossum and 7 motor launches 4 miles of Berry Head, Devon. Having laid all her mines UC49 attempted to escape but was caught in a hail of depth charges while on the seabed and destroyed, other records say she was mined. 

Engineer Lieutenant John James Sparkes was the recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

The C.W.G.C. have listed his name as Engineer Lieutenant John James Sparkes on the Chatham Naval Memorial dedicated to those lost at sea who have no known grave but the story does not end here.

An article in the Monday addition of the Sunderland Echo,  28/08/1918 reports:-
LOCAL CHIEF ENGINEER’S DEATH.
The body of John James Sparkes, R.N.R. (39) of Harold Street, Sunderland was recovered on Friday from a vessel of which he was chief engineer. The ship was brought safely into a southern port after a torpedo explosion, which killed the chief engineer and others, August 8th.

The, “others,” referred to in the article were 25 year old Donkeyman Musseleh Yahia born at Aden, a city in Yemen  but living at 7, Sophia Street, Cardiff and 30 year old Fireman Abdullah Mabrook born at Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa bur living at the Asiatic Sailors Home, Poplar, London. 

H.M.S. Portwood was damaged but brought into Dart Harbour, Dartmouth, Devon where his  death was registered as Chief Engineer John James Sparks at Dartmouth, Devon by G. H. Lawson, Master of H.M.S. Portwood, August 24th 1918. A note on the certificate records as, ”Entry cancelled, death at sea and should not have been registered.” 

Following the assumption the body of John James Sparkes would have been buried somewhere in England the trail took me to Bishopwearmouth Cemetery where there is a headstone which reads;-

In Loving Memory Of
my dear husband
JOHN J. SPARKES. Eng. Lieut. R.N.R.
Who was killed by enemy action,
Aug. 8th 1918, Aged 39 years.

The evidence I have gathered has been presented to the C.W.G.C. for their attention and in due course I will know if they accept that although the death of John James Sparkes was accurately registered as, “ at sea,” he does have a grave and is in fact buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery and may correct the entry on their website.

John James’ widow Ann was awarded a pension, December 23rd 1921. During the war years she had returned to her widowed mother Mary Kemp’s home at 4, Harold Street where she was surrounded and supported by her brothers John and James Andrew and sister Mary. It was also home to her brother in law Frederick Forster and his son Alexander.

Ann Sparkes never remarried, in 1939 she and her brother John Kemp, a cabinet maker, were living at 2, Park Road in the home of widow Margaret Forster. Ann Sparkes nee Kemp died at Sunderland in 1970. 

The marriage of John James and Ann was childless with his demise in 1918 this branch of the Sparkes family ceased to exist.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Acknowledgments: Barney Rice

John James Sparkes is remembered at Hendon on H123.02, in Sunderland in S140.48 Part 8 page 154 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.