| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born 1884 in Bridlington, the son of Robert Jenkinson, fisherman, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1901 John aged 17 was employed as a dock labourer living with his parents and siblings in Bow Street Yard in Bridlington.
In 1905, in Bridlington, he married Laura Dean who was born in Driffield the daughter of William and Mary Ann Dean. John and Laura had five children, Robert William, John Hodgson, Laura, Frank and Matthew. In the 1911 census, John a ‘Waterman’, and Laura were living with two of their children, John H and Laura, next door to John’s mother and three of his siblings in Eliza Place, Walker Street, Hull. John and Laura’s first child, Robert William, aged 6 was living with Laura’s parents William and Mary Ann in Driffield where William was the caretaker for the Driffield Cattle Market.
John enlisted at the Central Hull Recruiting Office in Oct 1914, in the East Yorkshire Regiment, by Aug 1915 he had been transferred to the West Yorkshire Regiment and embarked to join the Expeditionary Force in Malta. He was one of four brothers serving overseas whose photographs appeared in the Beverley Guardian dated 3 Mar 1917. George, was ‘wounded’; Matthew of the Machine Gun Section ‘missing’; and John (Jack) in Malta ‘wounded’. Edward, in the East Yorkshire Regiment was listed ‘missing’ and was later ‘presumed to have died’. John, George and Matthew all survived and returned to civilian life. John was demobilised and transferred to the Z reservists. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
After the war John returned to live in Hull where he is shown in the 1939 Register, living with Laura in Percy Cottages, Nornabell Street, Hull, working as a Lighterman (Heavy work). John died in 1957 and is buried in Bridlington Cemetery.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |