James was my wife's great-uncle, the third son of Patrick and Bridget (nee Duffy). He was born in Aspull and baptised on 14th December at the Roman Catholic church. He appears on the 1891 census aged 3 months, and 1901 aged 9. He may be the James Murphy in 1911 lodging at 45 Winter Street – a crane driver in the loco works, although shown as born in Leigh. He married Elizabeth Ann Longley at St Edmund’s church in Eccles. She was born in Horwich. He followed his brother into the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and enlisted as a private (no.3655) at Wigan. There has been a family story that Patrick’s two sons, John and James Murphy, were both killed in World War I within a fortnight of each other and are commemorated on the war memorial at Horwich. In fact it was 8 months after John’s death that James died of wounds. The Horwich memorial only shows one “J.Murphy”, probably because James’ next of kin were listed as his wife, daughter and father-in-law John Longley in Openshaw.
James and Elizabeth had a daughter Eileen but, subject to confirmation, it seems that she died in infancy followed in 1916 by Elizabeth, aged only 22.
Patrick and Bridget had 9 children, 4 of them boys. One died aged 9, and only Thomas, the eldest, survived, He suffered from shell shock (aka neurasthenia) and was invalided out in May 1916. However, he volunteered again in May 1918 but was discharged on medical grounds 3 months later.
Of the 5 girls, only Annie lived to see her 40th birthday. She outlived two husbands, and died aged 90.
All of this because of the doctrine of jingoistic national pride, coupled with the incompetence of military leaders and a belief that ordinary people were expendable.
