In Killingworth (St. John) Churchyard is a special headstone which reads:

Buried in this Churchyard
309090 A/Bombardier
J.W. Smith
Royal Garrison Artillery
20th July 1917

J. Bunton served as
11200 J. Fenton
West Yorkshire Regiment
29th December 1917

Joseph Bunton was the husband of Mrs. Bunton, of 147, The Avenue, Wallsend on Tyne.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Joseph Bunton was the youngest of 2 children and the only son of Robert Bunton born in 1844 at Heworth, Gateshead, historically in County Durham and Margaret Dodsworth nee Weir born 1839 at Hexham, Northumberland. 

Margaret was the widow of John Dodsworth and had 3 children, all of whom were adults and had gone their separate ways by the time she married Robert in 1876. Their daughter Catherine Bunton was born in 1876, Joseph Bunton in 1877 at Chester le Street, County Durham. Robert supported his family employed as a coal miner, in 1881 they were living in the village of Chester Moor. To increment the family income they had taken into their home two boarders, coal miners Thomas Rutherford and Charles Job.

By 1891 they had moved to Cotfield Street, Bensham Road, Gateshead. Whilst Catherine (15) remained at home, Joseph (13) had joined his father working at the colliery as a coal miner, their mother Margaret Bunton was employed as a general domestic servant. Later that year Robert Bunton died aged 77 years.

Joseph Bunton was married at the parish church Whickham, Gateshead in 1899 to Maria Sherwood. Maria was born, March 29th 1878 at Normanton, Yorkshire, she was the daughter of coal miner John Sherwood and Roseanna Miller, both of whom were natives of Staffordshire. In 1901 Joseph Bunton listed as married, was living with his widowed mother at Eton Street, Gateshead, employed as a coal miner, the whereabouts of his wife is unknown. His wife gave birth to their first child, Ernest, October 15th 1901, at Gateshead.

Between 1899 and 1902 the British Empire was at war with the two Boer Republics over the Empire’s influence in Southern Africa. January 10th 1902 at Newcastle upon Tyne, Joseph Bunton, described as 25 years of age, 5 feet 6 and a half inches tall, sallow complexion, grey eyes, sandy hair, residing at 22, Eton Street, Gateshead, was enrolled as Private 41320, 33rd Battalion, 148th Company Imperial Yeomanry. Joseph had enlisted for only one year unless the War in South Africa lasted longer and consented to three fifths of his pay being left to his wife

Private Bunton’s final training took place at Aldershot, however, April 4th 1902 he was discharged under King’s Regulations, “not likely to become an efficient soldier.” It was noted that his conduct and character whilst with the Colours was, according to records, “indifference during his 85 days service.” After his discharge within a very short time Joseph Bunton was in trouble with the law. July 25th 1902 he was sentenced to 3 months hard labour at HMP Wakefield for assaulting a police officer.

Having returned to his home Joseph fathered a further two children. Edith was born at Blyth in 1903 and Emily Sherwood Bunton, January 14th 1909 at Dinnington Colliery in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland, where he was employed as a coal miner.

Joseph left his employment at the colliery and journeyed from the port of Liverpool, January 25th 1910, aboard the S.S. Ivernia, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., February 3rd 1910. Joseph stated his final destination was Marion in the state of Illinois, an area of coal fields. Strangely he gave his mother’s name as next of kin, resident at 15, Single Dinnington Row, Dinnington Colliery.

Joseph’s name does not appear on the 1911 census with that of his family. His wife and children aged 9. 7 and 2, were living at 1, Nicholson’s Terrace, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne. Maria supported her children and a 14 year old niece Elsie Tate working as a seamstress for her own account from home.

By the time war was declared with Germany, Joseph Bunton had returned to England. He enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne using the alias Joseph Fenton and was assigned as Private 11200 Prince of Wales’s Own West Yorkshire Regiment. Why he chose not to use his true name is unknown. Could it have been he wanted to hide the fact he had been rejected by the Army in 1902? In the absence of a military record it is also impossible to follow his exact movements.

Joseph’s medal index card indicates he departed to the front as of January 1916 where he joined the 9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, 32nd Brigade, 11th Northern Division, which had arrived in France having been withdrawn from the Suez Canal in Egypt, as reinforcement for the Battles of the Somme. They had landed at Marseilles, July 1st 1916 and remained on the Somme for the rest of 1916, then moved in 1917 to the Ancre then on to  Belgium where they participated during the Battle of Messines, June 7th-14th 1917, and the Third Battle of Ypres which ragged from July 3rd -November 10th 1917. 

Private Fenton/Bunton was repatriated to the United Kingdom and posted to Class W Reserve, October 10th 1917. Class W Reserve was for soldiers whose services were deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment.

Joseph Bunton died, “at home,” December 29th 1917 and was interred within St. John’s The Evangelist Churchyard, West Lane, Killingworth Village, Northumberland. The exact location of his grave is unknown but his burial is recorded in the Church Register. 

Considered a casualty of war and recorded as Private Joseph Bunton, Special Memorial “A” was authorised in the form of a military headstone, March 12th 1930. Erected September 29th 1937, 20 years after Joseph Bunton’s demise, it stands close to and backing on to the South boundary wall, facing the East path of the churchyard.

His widow Maria received all monies due to her late husband from the Army and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 147, The Avenue, Wallsend, a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne.

In 1939 Maria Bunton was living in the home of her married daughter Emily Flockton at 40, Beechwood Avenue, Gosforth, in the suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Joseph and Maria’s only son enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1927. Petty Officer Stoker Ernest Bunton was killed in action, July 9th 1940, and interred July 12th at Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Hampshire. He was 38 years of age and left a widow Sarah Jane and a daughter Janet.

Maria Button nee Sherwood died in 1962 aged 83 years, registered at Newcastle upon Tyne.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Joseph Bunton is remembered at Killingworth on K9.07 and as having served in South Africa at Newcastle on NUT195.