Name
John Seaton Ramsbottom (*1)
1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/03/1915
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Sergeant
3270
Hertfordshire Regiment
2/1st
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HITCHIN CEMETERY
NE 483 (*2)
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin
Pre War
John Seaton Ramsbottom was born in the second quarter of 1877, in Carlisle, Cumberland, the son of John Ramsbottom, a Stonemason and Janet Ramsbottom (nee Seaton). One of eight children.
1881 Census records John Jr. aged 3, living with his parents, sisters Hannah (20), Mary Jane (13), Thomasina (9), brothers Henry (6), and George (8 months), at 10 St Cuthberts Lane, Carlisle, Cumb.
1891 Census, John Jr. (13) is at school, living with his parents, three sisters and three brothers at 25 West Walls, Carlisle, Cumb.
John Jr. married Annie Fisher the daughter Joseph Fisher, of Whitehaven, Cumb, on 20th March 1898, in Carlisle, they went on to have five children although one died.
John Jr. enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment Territorial Force/Militia, and issued with the service number 7461, serving with them for 8 ½ years. He volunteered for overseas service, sailing for South Africa in March 1901, he returned to the Uk in June 1902, where he was discharged on 19th June 1902, on completion of his engagement. He was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal with the following clasps, Cape Coloney, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902.
1901 Census records Annie and their son William, 9 months (B 1900 – D 1902), living at 1 Grahams Court, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, Cumb. At the time of the 1901 Census John Jr. was serving in South Africa during the Boar War with the 1st Battalion, Boarder Regiment.
In 1910 the family were living at 14 London Road, South Shore, Blackpool, Lancs, John Jr. was working as a Laundryman.
By 1911 the family were living at 9 Laundry Cottages, Goldington Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire. Present were both parents, John (33) and Annie (30), John was working as the foreman in the workhouse laundry. The census recorded they had been married for 13 years with 5 children, of whom 1 had died. Ethel (7), Annie (6), John (1), and Edward (1 months). The family would later move to Hitchin in Hertfordshire.
Wartime Service
He attested into the Hertfordshire Regiment on the 24 September 1914. At that time, he was living at 2 Taylors Cottages, Hitchin, Herts. He was 36 years and 5 months old, 5’ 4 ½” tall, and this with a chest measurement of 34” when fully expanded.
He served in the Hertfordshire Regiment with the service number 3270 and his service records shows that he was on Home service from 24 September 1914 to 12 March 1915. He began as a Private, then Lance Corporal, from 31 October 1914, and then Lance Sergeant from 17 December 1914.
He was discharged as medically unfit after 170 days of service on 12 March 1915, he died at home of pulmonary phthisis (tuberculosis), contracted on active service just 17 days later. His occupation at the time of his death was recorded as a Laundry Porter. He died in Chalk Dell House, Victoria, Hitchin (*3), in the company of Violet H Knight (*4) the Matron of Chalk Dell House.
He was buried in Grave 483 in the North East Extension of Hitchin Cemetery, St Johns Road, Hitchin, Herts, on the 3rd April 1915. but by 1998 no trace of it could be found, he does not have a CWGC Headstone.
Additional Information
He was not awarded any Medals as he did not serve overseas.
His pension cards record Annie as his widow and next of kin, living at 2 Taylors Cottages, Old Park Road, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 22s 6d a week from 30 March 1915. For her and their children, who were listed as Ethel (b 24/10/1903), Annie (b 20/4/1905), John (b 8/6/1909) and Edward (b 13/3/1911). The pension was raised to 28s 9d from 4 April 1917 and then 33s 9d from 1 May 1917. There is a note to say that £45 was to be repaid to Guardian Hitchin Union.
1921 census records Annie (40) a widow, head of the household living at 2 Taylors Cottages, Union Road, Hitchin, Herts, with the children, Ethel (17), Annie (16) and Edward (10).
*1 His name is currently missing from the CWGC records and is shown on the Hitchin War Memorial as ‘Ramsbotham’, but this is incorrect. We are currently in discussion with the CWGC about his inclusion in their database.
*2 He has no headstone the photograph shows the site of his grave.
*3 It was a Hitchin Union Workhouse, built and administered by Hitchin Board of Guardians, later became the Lister Hospital and then Hitchin Hospital.
*4 There is a photograph of her HERE
His son Edward Ramsbottom served with the 135th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, with the service number 782896, he rose through the ranks to Warrant Officer Class 2, in WW 2. He was taken a Prisoner of War (POW) on 15th February 1942, at the fall of Singapore (Fall of Singapore 8th Feb – 15th Feb 1942). He was held a POW by the Japanese in Thailand. Liberated on 2nd September 1945. He died in 1980 and is buried in the same Cemetery as his father, but in another part of the Cemetery.
His service records for 1901 and 1914 are available on-line at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.ancestry.co.uk.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
