Thiepval Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Skea, one of 7 children of whom only 6 survived, was the 3rd born of 6 sons and one daughter. His father William Scott Skea was born at Leith, Edinburghshire, Scotland in 1854. Post 1871 he moved to the north east and was married in 1878 at Sunderland, County Durham, to local girl Mary Jane Kelly born 1858. In 1881 they were living at 9, Trinity Place, Sunderland where William was employed as a boiler maker supporting his wife, 1-year old Thomas born May 4th 1879 and new born William Jnr, born September 21st 1880. Over the next 10 years they had a further 4 children James in 1883 was the last of their children born in England as they returned to Scotland where Peter was born in 1886, Elizabeth 1888, Frederick, November 4th 1891 and Joseph, November 18th 1893.
They returned to England after 1893 and occupied a shared property at 23, Hartley Street, Sunderland in 1891. William had returned to his previous occupation as a boiler maker, Thomas (21) was employed as a ship yard labourer, William Jnr (20) a labourer at the boiler shop, Peter (15), Elizabeth (13), Frederick (9) and Joseph (7) although of school age are not listed as scholars, James (18) was living as a boarder at 32 Burleigh Street, Sunderland, the home of mariner Luke Kelly and wife Jane, employed as a grocer’s assistant.
James Skea was married at Sunderland, January 4th 1909, to a local girl, Elizabeth Thompson born 1882. Their son Norman was born December 26th 1910 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne as after their marriage they had settled in 3 rooms at 137, Fairholm Road, Benwell Grove, Newcastle. James was an assistant at a grocery and provisions store, living with them was Ethel Thompson, listed as a visitor, a fruiter’s assistant.
They had returned to 31, Addeson Street, Sunderland between 1911 and 1915, within 6 months of the commencement of war his wife gave birth to their second child, Mary, January 5th 1915. Prior to the war James had been employed for a short time with Lipton’s Limited of Sunderland and seven years as manager with the Maypole Dairy Company in Newcastle.
James enlisted at Sunderland, May 26th 1915, he was assigned as Private 1570 to the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry making his way to their camp at Cocken Hall, home of Lord Durham which had been offered to the Army as a training camp with trenches and a firing range to simulate conditions at the front. Fully trained by the end of 1915 the 18th Battalion departed to Egypt assigned to the defence of the Suez Canal until its recall in March 1916. The 18th Battalion D.L.I. as part of the 31st Division departed from Egypt and was posted to France during the run-up to the commencements of the Battles of the Somme.
Private Skea had remained in England, however, he was drafted to France departing from Folkestone, April 26th 1916 arriving at Boulogne where he was posted to the 14th Battalion D.L.I. Machine Gun Section joining his regiment in the field, May 6th 1916, attached to the 6th Division on the Ypres salient in Belgium.
August 16th the division was moved south to the Somme although it did not take part in any major offensives. During day to day trench warfare, September 18th 1916 Private 1570 James Skea Durham Light Infantry was reported as, “missing,” and after extensive investigations as to his whereabouts, October 8th 1916, he was declared to have been killed in action.
His sacrifice is recorded as one of over 72,000 names of servicemen from Britain and South Africa inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating those who died on the Somme before March 20th 1918 who have no known grave. Private Skea was 34 years of age.
James had made a will prior to his departure for the front leaving, in the event of his death, all property and effects to his wife Elizabeth of 21, Lawrence Street, Hendon, Sunderland. She received all monies owed to him from the Army, his personal effects, February 29th 1917, was awarded a pension for herself and their two children of 22 shillings 11 pence a week as of May 7th 1917 and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal during 1920/21. Elizabeth after her husband’s death moved to 20, Co-operative Terrace, Chester Road, Sunderland.
Their son Norman married at Tunbridge Wells in 1944 to Gwendolyn J Purvis. Norman Skea of 95, Tottenham Lane, Hornsey, London N.8. died February 23rd 1959 on the way to Hornsey Central Hospital. London, death registered at Wood Green. He was 48 years of age.
Mary Skea married Charles F. Oakley in 1949 at Claro, Harrogate, Yorkshire West Riding and died in 2003 aged 88 years, North Yorkshire.
Elizabeth Skea nee Thompson of 61, Franklin Street, Harrogate, died at the General Hospital, Sunderland, January 7th 1964, aged 82 years.
James’s mother Mary Jane Skea nee Kelly had died in 1929 aged 72 years, William Scott Skea aged 79 years in 1933, both registered in the district of Sunderland.
All the Skea brothers served during WW1, however, only the record of Private 15767 Frederick Skea Durham Light Infantry, who died of wounds in Belgium, September 16th 1918, almost two years to the day after the demise of his brother James, have been found.
Thomas, William, Peter and Joseph Skea served in France and survived the conflict.
Thomas Skea (Tom) married at Sunderland in 1923 to Mary J. Cowe and died at Sunderland in 1937.
William Skea (Willie) died at Sunderland in 1946.
Peter Skea had married prior to the commencement of WW1 in 1907 at Sunderland to Sarah Ann Pescod with whom he had 7 children between 1910 and 1923, Edna, Lilian, Peter, William, Stanley, Gordon and Lorna. He died December 13th 1928.
Joseph Skea (Joe) married Margaret F. Swalwell in 1929 with whom he had 3 children between 1930 and 1933, Joseph, Raymond and Elizabeth. He died at Sunderland in 1950.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Skea is remembered at Sunderland in S140.48 part 2
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 252
