On Chatham Naval Memorial, is the name of Sub-Lieutenant John William Bolam, serving on S.S. Heatherside with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 24/08/1917.
John William Bolam was born on the 19th March 1877, baptised 19th February 1878, at Elswick Road, Wesleyan Church, New Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of Thomas William Bolam, born 1854, baptised 24th April 1854, and Isabella Bolam. In 1881, John William was residing at Gill Street, West, Benwell, with his grandparents James and Jane Bolam. In 1881, then by 1891, he is at Ryhope Cemetery, as the head of the household Thomas William Bolam was the chief Superintendent of Sunderland’s cemetery. John was a nephew. [Thomas William Bolam married Catherine Metcalf, on the 16th July 1877 at the Congregational Church in Sunderland].
On the 29th June 1900, John William Bolam was certified as a Second Master from the Port of Sunderland.
He married Frances Alice Ross Metcalf, born 9th August 1869, (daughter of the late John Metcalf born 1821, died 1895.a tallow chandler, from Morpeth, and his wife Jane Ross, born 1829, died 1902), on the 29th October 1905 at St John’s Church at Highbury. Islington, London. They resided at 241 Eastbourne Avenue, Gateshead. [Incidentally, in 1891, Frances Alice Ross Metcalf was residing at the same address as her future husband, where she was sister-in-law of Thomas William Bolam and his wife Catherine Bolam]. They had two children Charles Gordon Bolam, born 19th September 1907, and Francis M. Bolam born February 1912.
Residing at Sunderland, he was Initiated into 80 St. Johns Lodge, Masonic Hall, Park Terrace, 8th June 1909; Passed on 11th October 1909 and Raised on 22nd December, 1913. He was the husband of Frances A.R. Bolam of 191 Westbourne Avenue, Gateshead, he died on the 24th August 1917 aged 38. Source: Rev. David Youngson.
The S.S. Heatherside (2767 GRT), ship number 125466, was on a voyage from Milford Haven to Malta with a cargo of coal. She was torpedoed and sunk by the German U Boat U-93, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Helmut Gerlach, in the Atlantic. 27 of the crew were lost.
In 1921, his widow and the two boys were residing at 191, Westbourne Avenue, Gateshead. In 1939, Charles was a Minister of Religion at Daisy Mount, Rawtenstall, Rawtenstall, Lancashire and was married to Mabel V Bolam born 28th January 1901. Frances Alice was residing at Hawcoat Otley Road, Knox, Nidderdale, Yorkshire (West Riding), England.
She died on the 27th December 1962.
Sources; The British Newspaper Archive; Board of Trade;
John William Bolam is remembered at Gateshead in G39.004, at Sunderland on S140.056, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
