| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born the 4 Sep 1874, one of 13 children born to shoe/boot maker James King and his wife Alice (nee Giles). The family lived in and around Tiger Lane and John was baptised at St Mary’s church, as were a number of his siblings. From an early age John led a troubled life and in 1886, at the age of 11 he was “whipped” for stealing 3 shillings and 9 pence from his school, St Mary’s National School, Register Square, Beverley. By the time of the 1891 Census he had been sent to the North Eastern Reformatory for Boys at Netherton, nr Morpeth, Northumberland. He continued to be brought before Petty and Quarter Sessions for burglary and theft, often for items including food, and his punishments became harsher and longer with each offence. At some point he went to sea but after one term of imprisonment he was employed as a cook for the Church Army Society in Sheffield. He also worked for a time as a deck hand for the Great Northern Steamship Company in Hull. However with lack of work, no place to live and no money he reverted to burglary and in 1914 was sentenced to a further 15 months hard labour.
He was released early from this sentence as in Jun 1915 he is recorded as serving with the Royal Naval Reserve. John’s naval record, held by the National Archives, gives no indication of where he was sent, nor if he was entitled to any medals but he served on Hull trawlers Falstaff and Victory which had been requisitioned by the Navy for the duration of the war as minesweepers and supply ships.
In Apr 1919 whilst still with the Royal Naval Reserve John married Ada Hancock at St Nicholas Church, Beverley. He was discharged from the Navy the following August. Two years later John, a general labourer is once again charged with burglary and sent back to prison. In 1929 John, now 55 was separated from his wife, and was lodging with a friend in Wharton Avenue, Beverley. Once again he had no work and no money and was found dead on Sunday 24 Feb. The jury at the Inquest recorded an open verdict saying they were unable to decide if his death was due to an accident or not. John is buried in Queensgate Cemetery, Beverley
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |