Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
John, the son of William Kelly and his wife Sarah was born at Middlesbrough in 1896.
The 1901 census shows John and his brother Ernest living with their widowed mother at 4 Well Yard Cockermouth. His other siblings were James and Lilian. His mother came from Keswick and was working as a charlady to support her family.
By 1911 Lilian (a thread winder), John (15 Gardener) and James (11 at school) are living with their mother Sarah (now a hawker) and her husband of four years William Hamilton (brick layer labourer). Brother Ernest has left home by now to join the army. The family lived in 2 rooms at 4 Browns Yard Barnard Castle.
John originally joined the army and served with the Durham Light Infantry as service number 2199. It was whilst serving with the Durhams' that John was wounded on April 16th 1916 for which he was entitled to wear a wound stripe.
He later transferred to 7th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I. and it was whilst fighting with them he was killed in action. His death probably occurred during the capture of Rainbow Trench and Cloudy Trench located east of Gueudecourtat.
A year earlier John’s elder brother, Ernest was also killed in action whilst serving in the Dardenelles.
John Kelly is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
