Pte 139203 John Taylor Murray

• Age: 40
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps 19th Btn
• Died on Monday 26th April 1920
• Commemorated at: Kirkdale Cem Liverpool
  Panel Ref: II.N.C.100

John Taylor Murray was born on the 22nd February 1880 in Liverpool the son of Manchester born John Ault Murray and his wife Janet Brown(née Taylor). John snr was a 19 year old mariner of Steel St, father George a brushmaker, whilst Janet was aged 18 also of Steel St, father George an engineer. He was baptised on the 26th April 1880 at St Mary’s, Kirkdale, his father a mariner of 31 Sessions Road.

On the 1881 Census the family are living at 6 Back Claremont Street, Kirkdale. His father, John, is aged 22, and is a dock labourer, born in Manchester, his mother, Janet, is aged 19, born in Liverpool. They have two children Agnes J. is aged 2, and John is aged 12 months. 

On the 1891 Census the family, with two more children, have moved to 12 Malcolm Grove, Kirkdale. His father, John, is aged 33, a dock labourer, his mother, Janet, is aged 29. They declare four children in the household all are at school; Agnes aged 13, John aged 11, Isabella aged 6, and George aged 4. 

On the 1901 Census the family, with four more children, have moved again to 25 Pelops Street, Kirkdale. His father, John, is aged 43, a dock stevedore, his mother, Janet, is aged 39. They have seven children; John aged 21, Isabella aged 16, George aged 14, William aged 8, Robert J. aged 5, Walter S. aged 3, and Henry L. aged 1.  

On the 1911 Census the family have moved once more to 16 Juliet Street, Kirkdale. His father, John Ault, is aged 53, a stevedore, his mother, Janet Brown, is aged 49. They advised that they have been married  for33 years, and have had 10 children, 9 of whom have survived. They have eight children in the household; John Taylor aged 31, a warehouse salesman, Bella Taylor aged 26, a matchworks packer, George Lewis  aged 24, a cabinet maker, Robert James aged 15, an office boy, Walter Stuart aged13, at school, Henry Leonard aged 11, at school, Jessie Brown aged 9, at school, Donald Richard aged 4, and granddaughter Hilda Knight aged 11, at school.  

John married Lillian Theresa Leigh-Hunt on the 14th August 1913 at Emmanuel Church, West Derby Road. John was a 33 year old salesman of 33 Caird Street, his father, John, a stevedore, whilst Lillian was aged 25, same address, her father Edward deceased. 

 
John enlisted on the 15th January 1915 in Liverpool as a Private 25578 joining the 19th Battalion King's Liverpool, giving his age as 35 years, and occupation as salesman, address 68 Ince Avenue, Anfield. The medical sheet is missing from his records.  

Formed on 07th September 1914 the 19th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.  

His brother George Lewis died on the 11th March 1915 aboard H.M. Cruiser “Bayano” when it was torpedoed by U.27 off the coast of West Scotland. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial at Panel 9.

 

He embarked for France on 07th November 1915.  

A daughter Lillian Janet was born on the 09th May 1916, and was baptised on the 21st May 1916 at St Anne's Church, Stanley. 

Her birth was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Wednesday 10 May 1916; 

MURRAY—May 9, 1 Dunmore Road, Stanley, to Mr and Mrs. J. T. Murray, a daughter. (Father with the 19th King's, B.E.F.)  

The 19th Battalion was in reserve as a carrier battalion for the Brigade on 01st July 1916 but still suffered casualties so it is probable that John was involved during the liberation of Montauban. Following the success the Pals were then tasked with helping to rid Trones Wood of the Germans. On the 11th July 1916 he received a gun shot wound in the left leg and was evacuated home. He was treated at Alexandra Park Hospital, Manchester.  

The murderous fighting that went on inside Trones Wood rendered it impossible to put specific dates on some of the casualties which is why many of the 17th Battalion losses have been bracketed as killed in action between 10th – 12th July 1916.The conditions are best described in the following passage from Everard Wyrall’s book The History of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) Volume II.  

The remembrance of Trones Wood in July 1916 to those who passed through it is of a noisome, horrible place, of a tangled mass of trees and undergrowth which had been tossed and flung about in frightful confusion by the shells of both sides. Of the ghastly dead which lay about in all directions, and of DEATH, lurking in every hole and corner with greedy hands ready to snatch the lives of the unwary. The place was Death trap, and although the attacks were made with great determination, the presence of snipers who could not be detected and often fired into the backs of our men made the clearing of the wood impossible.  

His Service record shows:- 

20.07.17 - After recovery from his GSW re-posted. 

12.08.17 - Transferred to 362 Reserve Labour Company for home service. 

25.08.17 - to 300 Reserve Coy, Oswestry. 

14.11.17 - Transferred to RAMC, Blackpool as Pte 139203. 

15.11.17 - Posted to No.8 Training Btn. 

06.06.18 - Posted to 7 Coy, RAMC. 

06.03.19 - Discharged, no longer fit for service, receiving the SWB.  

He received his three medals.  

His wife received a pension of 27/6 pw for his 100% disability, her address 1 Dunmore Road, Old Swan. He suffered from his time in the trenches and died on the 26th April 1920 of ‘General Paralysis of the Insane’ in Maghull Mental Hospital, Liverpool.  

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Friday 30 April 1920; 

MURRAY - April 26th, of wounds and shell shock at 1 Dunmore Road, the dearly beloved husband of Lillian Murray (late Pals). Interment at Longmoor Lane Cemetery, tomorrow Saturday, at 3:30 p.m. (Friends please accept this -the only- intimation).  

There are 526 First and Second World War burials in the Cemetery.

The family grave headstone at Kirkdale Cemetery reads:- 

Also Pte JOHN T. MURRAY, 19th K.L.R. Pals,  

Eldest son of JOHN and JANET MURRAY,   

Who died after long suffering from wounds received in France  

April 26th 1920, aged 40 years.  

“THY WILL BE DONE.”  

On the 1921 Census at Dunmore Road, his widow, Lillian, is aged 33, born in Bury, Lancashire, her daughter Lillian J. is aged 5.

Lilian remarried to Samuel Rosenthal in 1927 and had a daughter Joan Henrietta in 1930.

On the 1939 Register they are living at 7 Frogmore Road, Old Swan, with married daughter Lillian J. Bethell and family. She died, aged 94, in 1982. 

His mother, Janet, died, aged 63, on the 21st July 1925 and was buried at Kirkdale Cemetery. 

 

 

 

 

His father, John, died, aged 71 on the 27th November 1929 and was also buried at Kirkdale Cemetery. 

Probate 1930:- 

MURRAY John Ault of 17 Romeo Street, Kirkdale Liverpool died 27 November 1929 Probate Liverpool 21 January to Robert James Murray mercantile clerk. Effects £815 11s 2d.