John was born on 1 September 1886 in Norley. His parents were Samuel, a farmer, and Elizabeth. John had five siblings, Harry b1876, Hannah b1878, Samuel b1885, Amy b1888 and William Thomas b1891. They lived at Linmere Farm, Hough’s Lane, Norley.
John married Hester Robinson at Northwich Register Office on 7 November 1909. In 1911 they lived in Altrincham, where John was a police constable, before moving to Moore in 1913/14, where they lived in the police house, Lawton’s Cottages.
John and Hester had five children, Robert b 27.1.1910, Joyce b 23.4.1911, Amy b 28.7.1913, John Horace b 7.12.1914, Douglas b 26.5.1916 and Raymond b 21.7.1923.
John enlisted into the Military Foot Police Corps, service number P3291, on 26 January 1916. After six months, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and to Acting Sergeant just a month later. The MFP dealt with issues of law and order, the custody of prisoners of war until they were placed in detention, surveillance and the control and protection of civilians.
On 23 September 1916, John received the awful news that his son Robert, had died from whooping cough.
John embarked from Southampton on 9 November 1916, aboard SS Caesarea, bound for Rouen. He went on to be stationed at Abbeville and Arras and was demobilised from Germany, where he was possibly involved in the dispersal of prisoners of war at a concentration camp near Cologne.
We don’t know whether John returned to his job as a police constable after the war, but by the time of the 1939 register, he and his wife had moved to Green View, Strawberry Cross Road, Chester. John had retired from the police force and was working as a fireman at the oil works.
John died in 1946, aged 60 years.
