Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Joseph was born at Darlington in 1885 the son of John and Elizabeth (nee Henderson). The couple had married at St Cuthbert’s Darlington on 12 February 1871 and went on to have 9 children all of whom survived childhood. The siblings included John junior, Frederick, Edward, Henderson, Annie Joseph and Elizabeth. By 1901 another daughter, Mary, had arrived.
The 1891 census shows the family living at 14 Zetland Street where they remained for several years. John senior worked as a loco engine fitter as did his son also named John. Son Frederick was employed as a labourer at the iron works, the other children were at school.
By 1901 John senior and junior were both were still working as fitters for the railway company. Frederick was now a watchman, Henderson an iron moulder, Annie a dressmaker and Joseph an apprentice bread baker. A grandson, yet another John, had been born into the family.
1911 records Joseph now boarding with a widow, Mary Elliott, who was a boarding house keeper. He had joined the firm of Harrison Thompson & Sons in 1906 and was still working for them in 1911.
Joseph married his Norwegian Rebecca Milde at Darlington on January 20th 1912. The couple had 2 children, Greta who was born in 1913 then a son John Henderson Dent who his father never saw as he was born on 5 July 1916 which is 6 months after his father’s death. Rebecca had been born in Bergen in 1886.
The couple had a business at Galgate in Barnard Castle. It was known as the Norek cafe.
Joseph enlisted into the army at Barnard Castle on January 26th 1914. He joined the DLI and was issued with several numbers during his service. His numbers were 17746 and 6502 but finally he served as 20151.
His records show him to be 5’11” tall, 164 lbs in weight, light complexion, fair hair and was a Quaker by religion.
Joseph was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) many members of which did not fight during the war due to their pacifist beliefs. Joseph resigned his membership of the Quakers in order to fight. He continued to worship as part of the Wesleyan Congregation.
He was sent to France on October 9th 1915 but only survived for 3 months as he was killed on January 23rd 1916 by shell fire.
His brother, Henderson also serving with the DLI’s in the same battalion lost his life only 4 days later. He received a gunshot wound to the right arm on 26th which was subsequently amputated. It was recorded that Henderson died of wounds at 12.05am the following day, January 27th 1916. His service number was 23241. Henderson has a Commonwealth War Grave at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension located in France.
After Joseph’s death Rebecca went back to Norway to live with her parents in Bergen. From August 7th 1916 she was entitled to a weekly pension of 18/6d for herself and 2 children.
Joseph Dent is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25 and at Darlington on D40.001 and D47.067
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 11
