George James Morallee
Brown’s Copse Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George James Morallee was the eldest of 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, of whom only 3 had survived by 1890. His father James Morallee was born at Crook, County Durham, March 2nd 1862 and married November13th 1886 in the district of Lanchester to Catherine Galley of Shildon, County Durham born August 10th 1862. George James was born the following year, May 5th 1887 at Cornsay, as was Elizabeth Ann November 9th 1888 who died not yet a year old, August 9th 1889 and William Henry 1890. They were living in 1901 at 186, High Street, Cornsay where James was employed as a coal miner/hewer, George James although only 13 years of age was working as a token boy below ground. George’s sister Catherine was born in 1900.
James Morallee died in the district of Lanchester, August 30th 1907, Catherine moved to 48, Office Street with daughter Catherine (10), they were supported by William (20) employed as a coal hewer. George James had married in the district of Lanchester in 1909 to Jane Ann Cave born September 11th 1891 at High Grange, County Durham and with whom he had a daughter Olive May born at Quebec May 16th 1910. In 1911 they were living at 104, Liddle Street, Cornsay Colliery where George James Jnr was born December 18th 1912 and prior to George James’s departure for the Western Front Irene, March 5th 1916.
On the outbreak of war George James left his employment as a coal miner and enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, November 26th 1914 in order to join the newly raised 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Assigned as Private 940 he trained at Newcastle before the battalion moved to Alnwick camp in the grounds of Alnwick castle, January 29th 1915. The battalion was transferred to Ripon, Yorkshire, in June 1915 where it joined the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division. The regiment moved for final training in late August to Salisbury Plain, and departed to France in January 1916, concentrating at La Crosse near St. Omer. After undergoing a period of trench familiarisation they were moved to the Somme in preparation for the forthcoming offensive due to commence June 29th 1916, which because of bad weather did not take place until July 1st 1916. At 7.28 a.m. July 1st 1916 two huge mines were detonated in the explosive packed tunnels under the German lines, one to the north, the other to the south of the village of La Boisselle, near Albert. The 23rd Battalion was in support of the 20th/21st/22nd Battalions during the attack. In 1917 they fought during the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive, April 9th-May 16th 1917
Private 23/940 George James Morallee was killed in action April 27th 1917. His remains were amongst those cleared from the battlefield during the summer of 1917 and brought into Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, Pas de Calais, France, where he was laid to rest grave III. C. 1.
His widow received all monies due to him, his awards if the British War Medal and Victory Medal and a pension for herself and their children until she remarried in the district of Lanchester in 1919 to Andrew Young born June 14th 1886. Their daughter Elsie was born at Lanchester September 12th 1920. In 1939 Andrew employed as a labourer and Jane Ann were living at Gillam Street, Cornsay Colliery.
George James' brother William also served during WW1 with the Tyneside Scottish Northumberland Fusiliers and was a prisoner of war. He survived the conflict.
Jane Ann Young-Morallee nee Cave died in 1973 aged 81 years registered in the district of Durham Southern.
Olive May Morallee married Henry Splevins in 1930 and died in 1995 aged 84 years, George James Morallee Jnr married Margaret E. Winter in 1939 and died September 14th 1994, aged 75 years, resident at 45, Burnside, Esh Winning, County Durham. Irene Morallee married William B Jordan in 1936 and died in 1980 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, aged 64 years. Their half-sister Irene Young married in 1944 to Arthur Walker, she died in 2003 aged 82 years registered at Durham Northern.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George James Morallee is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec as Morralee on Q2.06
