Killed in service knowles family

[s4sammie30]

I've found that my gg grandad john knowles was a royal welch fusilier. Service number 28489
His grave is in leigh lancaster.
He died 18-1-1916
I'm looking for service information and maybe his parents & sibling names. I know he was married to louisa... Who remarried (walls)

[Jebber]

Welcome to Rootschat.

There are some records on Findmypast but the don’t give the information on his parents that you are looking for. His wife and details of their marriage is there, along with a list and  dates of birth of all their children. As you are aware of his marriage I presume you know all those details.

He doesn’t appear to have seen any action,  he died the year after attesting. There are many pages, a lot of them duplicates, all relate to his illness and it is not pleasant reading. There also appears to be a report of the results of a Post Mortem.

I’m afraid there is far too much for me to type out here, I’m sorry.

[Christine53]

The service record does mention a step father , Thomas Butterworth , and mother, Lucy Ann Butterworth , and a sister Jane Ann Berry.

[Christine53]

This looks like the family in 1911 :

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWY2-WFR

[CraigM63]

There are some records on Findmypast but the don’t give the information on his parents that you are looking for. His wife and details of their marriage is there, along with a list and  dates of birth of all their children. As you are aware of his marriage I presume you know all those details.

The Register of Soldiers Effects for John Knowles, service number 28489, died 18 January 1916, only shows two payments to a Thomas Butterworth, who had apparently lent John Knowles money, and a third payment to what looks like a Louisa Walls, with no indication of her relationship to him. The name however fits with the Louisa Knowles named on his pension index card, so his widow has possibly remarried subsequently.

John and Louisa can be found in the 1911 England census with their four children, living in Railway Terrace, Carlton, Barnsley, Yorkshire. According to the census, John was aged 26 and born in Wigan, Lancashire, and working backwards then leads to a John Knowles aged 17 and born in Ashton-in-Makerfield, part of the Borough of Wigan, living with his parents Nathaniel and Ann Knowles, and three younger siblings, Emmanuel aged 14, Beatrice aged 13, and James aged 10, in the same district in the 1901 England census. The family is living in the same location in the 1891 census, with one additional child, Sarah aged 6, so falling between John and Emmanuel's births.   

There is also a baptism record for a John Knowles born on 19 June 1883 and baptized on 19 August 1893, parents Nathaniel and Ann Knowles, in the parish of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan.

[CraigM63]

John also seems to have been convicted on a sentence of wounding on 30 July 1903 at Leeds Yorkshire, and sentenced to four months imprisonment or servitude in HMP Wakefield, and possibly again three years later on 31 July 1906, this time being charged with assault at the same court. This time however he was not actually jailed. In the first instance, his birth place is given as Brynn, which is part of Ashton-in-Makerfield, and working as a collier, which fits with his occupation in the 1911 census, in the second case his age and the location is right, but his occupation is given as bookmaker, so possibly not the same man. 

[Christine53]

Jane Ann BERRY , mentioned in the service record and on 1911 census, was baptised at Billinge ST Aidan , Lancashire 23 Aug 1891 , parents John and Lucy Ann BERRY.

John BERRY married Lucy Ann KNOWLES 7 Dec 1889 at Billinge :

John BERRY 29 bach fireman father Luke deceased
Lucy Ann KNOWLES 33 widow  father Joseph PLATON deceased

Lucy Ann BERRY married Thomas BUTTERWORTH 1q 1895 Wigan 8c p174

[Christine53]

Following John KNOWLES back from the service record , which gives a year of birth as 1885 , this baptism gives parents as William and Lucy Ann KNOWLES :

John KNOWLES born 20 Sep 1884 and baptised 26 Feb 1885  at Ashton in Makerfield , son of William coal miner and Lucy Ann of Rose Hill.

I have not found a marriage for William and Lucy Ann thus far.

[Christine53]

1891 census :

John BERRY head 29 fireman born Billinge
Lucy Ann  BERRY wife 35 born Staffs Darlaston
John KNOWLES son 6 b Lancs Ashton
Thomas HOWARD nephew 15

 RG12; Piece: 3067; Folio: 87; Page: 40