Pte 52076 Thomas Jordan

• Age: 39
• From: Castlereagh, Ireland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 13th September 1916
• Commemorated at: Loos Memorial
  Panel Ref: P27-30

Thomas Jordan was born on the 07th February 1877, the son of Anthony Jordan and his wife Mary Anne (née Farrell). His father was a land owner. Thomas' birth is recorded in Frenchpark, Castlereagh, County Roscommon. He was baptised on 20th February 1877. Siblings identified by birth records are William born in 1871, Anne born in 1874, Frank born in 1876, Bridget born in 1881, Andrew born in 1882, Joseph born in1888.

His mother, Mary Anne, died of exhaustion, aged 65, on the 22nd December 1908 in Baslick, her son, William, was present. 

On the 1901 Census for Ireland, the family are at House 8 in Cloonbard, Baslick Co. Roscommon. His father is head of the household and is a farmer aged 50, and was born in Co. Roscommon, whilst his mother, Mary, is 60 years of age having also been born in Co. Roscommon. Thomas' siblings; William described as a farmer's son, aged 26, Anne described as a farmer's daughter is,, is aged 24 and Joseph a scholar aged 12 are all declared in the household. 

By the time of the 1911 Census for Ireland, his father, Anthony, is widowed, and the family are now at House 20 in Cloonbard. His father, is shown as aged 81. Thomas' siblings; William, Anne and Patrick are in the household. Meanwhile Thomas is boarding at 101 Benledi Street, Liverpool with the O’Grady family. He is a 35 year old licensed victualler born in Baslick, Roscommon. 

His father, Anthony, died of senile decay, aged 85 on the 9th October 1914 in Baslick, his son, William, was present.  

Thomas enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52076 when he was killed in action on the 13th September, 1916, aged 39, when he was part of a Trench raid designed to identify the German unit holding the line opposite their position. The party was discovered and engaged. Thomas was one of four men who fell, the others being Lieutenant Richard Glyn Lloyd, CSM Edward Concannon and Private Albert Worsley.

Thomas was initially declared Missing on 13th September 1916 and death, on or since that date, was later presumed for official purposes. 

Thomas' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France.

The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay, from the first day of the Battle of Loos to the end of the war. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts, open to the sky, in which the lines of tablets are continued, and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.

The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Charles Wheeler. It was unveiled by Sir Nevil Macready on 4 August 1930.

The death (DOW) of Pte Thomas Jordan KLR is reported in the Liverpool papers which give his address prior to the war as 45 Fontenoy Street, off Dale Street, Liverpool. The Electoral Rolls of 1918 show a Mr and Mrs Weaver living there, and a Kate O'Brien (may be his sister Kate)

We currently have no further information on Thomas Jordan, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.