to Isle of Man born baker, James Maddrell and his Isle of Man born wife Catherine Jane (nee Keggen). They were married on the 02nd February 1889 in St Clement's Church in Toxteth Liverpool but returned to the Isle of Man for five years until approximately 1894/5

when their third child, Geoffrey Douglas, was born in Toxteth on the 06th August 1895.

 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 329 Park Road, Toxteth, Liverpool. His father, James, is a 35 year old baker, born on the Isle of Man, his mother, Catherine, is aged 34 with no occupation listed. They have four children in the household; James is 9 years old, Marjorie is 7, Douglas is 5, all born on the Isle of Man and Kenneth is 2 years of age and was born in Liverpool. They have five visitors and one servant, Annie Kelly aged 19.     

 

James Keggan went to school in Toxteth and proved successful academically.

 

In 1905 his younger brother Leslie W. died, aged 1.

 

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 329 Park Road, Toxteth, Liverpool. His father is now 45 years of age and his mother is 44. They advise that they have been married for 22 years and have had seven children, one of whom has died. They have five children declared in the household;  James  is aged 19 shown as an undergraduate at Liverpool University taking a science degree, Marjorie is 17 years of age, Kenneth is 12, Eric is 5 and Eileen is 1. Also declared in the household is Ann Keggen, described as Mother in Law and is a 73 year old widow, her daughter Jennie Keggen is aged 38 and is a manageress in a business. The family employ a domestic servant, Blanche Lewis aged 36 and there is also a boarder declared Arthur Kelly a 21 year old baker born In Rushen on the Isle of Man.    

 

James graduated with a 1st class honours degree in Mathematics and became a maths teacher at Bootle Secondary School 

 

In 1914 James tried three times to enlist in the Army but was refused each time on medical grounds, as he had a defect of his left eye.

 

Eventually he successfully enlisted joining the 17th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment on 14 March 1915 as Private 26629. He was commissioned on 01st July 1915 as 2nd Leiutenant was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He was sent to France on 05th August 1916 with them.

 

In October 1916 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

 

Shortly after the Battle of Arras he was recommended for the position of Machine Gun Instructor at Grantham but he was killed in action on 23 April 1917, aged 25. 

 

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial at Bay 10. 

The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917.

The Commonwealth section of the FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918. The cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields and from two smaller cemeteries in the vicinity.

The cemetery contains over 2,650 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 10 of which are unidentified. The graves in the French military cemetery were removed after the war to other burial grounds and the land they had occupied was used for the construction of the Arras Memorial and Arras Flying Services Memorial.

The adjacent ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.

Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

James featured in an Obituary in the Isle of Man Examiner Newspaper on 05th May 1917 under the header:

LIEUT. J. KEGGEN MADDRELL KILLED

Lieut J. Keggen Maddrell, Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action, while heroically leading his gun team forward at the Battle of Arras on April 23rd. This gallant and promising young officer was the eldest of three officer sons of Mr James Maddrell of 329 Park Road, Princes-park, Liverpool and formerly of Port St Mary. Lieut J. K. Maddrell in the early days of the war thrice tried unsuccesfully to join  the army, bit a defect in his left eye brought about medical rejection on each occasion. Eventually, however, he attained his heart's desire as in March 1915, he was accepted for the Liverpool "Pals" as a private. Two months later he was awarded a commission in the Liverpool Regiment and in August 1915 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Company. A year later he proceeded to France on active service and in October last he was promoted 1st Lieutenant. Shortly before the Battle of Arras he was recommended for the position of machine gun instructor at Grantham and in the ordinary course he would probably have been transferred this month. Lieut. J. K. Maddrell was born at Howe, Port St Mary, 26 years ago and was educated at Park Hill Church School, whence he gained a scholarship to Colquitt-street College. From the latter institution he passed into Liverpool University by means of another scholarship which he won. He graduated B. SC. at the University (1st class honours, mathematics), and when war broke out he was preparing to sot for the degree M. Sc., but abandoned further preparation with a view to joining the army. He was at the time Mathematical Master at Bootle Secondary School. Mr James Maddrell has received letters from several officers who served with his son, expressive of the deep sympathy with him felt by all ranks of the company. 

One of these reads as follows:

Dear Mr Maddrell, - The O.C. has written to you conveying the sad news of the death, in the field, of your son, Lieutenant J.K. Maddrell. Permit me also to offer you my condolences on your loss, I happen to be second in command of the company, and was associated with your son for six months. During that time I had a liking for him which amounted to affection. I admired his character, his wholesome life, his gifts. He was a great friend of mine, and i have the recollection of many an interesting and intimate talk with him. He was lawys so bright and cheerful, and his humour was delightful. I often remarked on the cheerfulness with which he went into action. When he marched into the battle of  Arras on Easter Day, I gave myself the pleasure of walking for a few minutes.         

His parents placed an acknowledgement in the Isle of Man Examiner on 12th May 1917:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Mr and Mrs James Maddrell and family wish to tender their heartfelt thanks to their numerous friends on the Island who conveyed to them their sympathy in their recent sad bereavement. Will the many kind friends accept appreciative thanks through this medium? 

329 Park-road, Liverpool.   

His Soldiers Effects Pay Arrears of £83. 14s:3d was sent to his parents with his War Gratuity later. 

James is commemorated on the following Memorials:

 

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 23 

 

Bootle Town Hall 

 

Bootle Secondary School 

 

St Peter's Church, Toxteth