St. Bartholomew's Churchyard
A family headstone in St Bartholomew's churchyard reads:-
In loving memory of
Jane Maxwell
the beloved wife of
James Maxwell
of North Seaton Colliery
who died March 12th 1890
aged 57 years
The above
James Maxwell
died Jan 29th? 1915
in his 90th year.
John Maxwell their son
late 4th Royal Irish D.G.
died at Marylebone London
Apr. 16th 1931 age 58 years
interred at Brookwood Cemetery Surrey
James Henry Maxwell
Howe Batt. R.N.D. fell in Action
Welch Ridge Cambria Dec. 30th 1917
Pte. James Maxwell 9th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I.
Grandson of the above
fell in Action in France Sept. 9th 1918
Morpeth Herald 01/02/1918 carries a brief obituary:
Mr and Mrs Robert Maxwell, 32 Beach Terrace, Newbiggin, have received official information that their son, Able Seaman James Henry Maxwell, R.N.D., was killed in action on December 30th, 1917. Seaman Maxwell, who was employed at Newbiggin Colliery previous to enlisting in 1914, served in the Dardanelles campaign and afterwards in France.
Margaret Burgess has submitted the following:-
James Henry, born 29th July 1895, was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Jane Maxwell. In 1901 the family lived at Gibson Street and in 1911 were at 1 Seaton Avenue Newbiggin by the Sea. Robert is a coal miner and by 1911 James Henry is an apprentice blacksmith. At some point the family moved to 32 Beach Terrace, Newbiggin by the Sea.
James Henry, by then a miner, enlisted 29th October 1914 and joined the Collingwood Battalion in April 1915. He was transferred to the Howe Battalion in June 1915. His records show problems with enteric fever and diarrhoea. He served in Gallipoli. He spent time in a hospital at Malta and at Haslar Hospital Gosport.
He was killed or died as a direct result of enemy action at Welsh Ridge, Cambrai, on the 30th December 1917 aged 22 years. He has no known grave.
He was a recipient of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
James Maxwell is remembered at Ashington.
James Henry Maxwell is remembered in Newbiggin by the Sea on N10.03, N10.06 and N10.14
