James Carr was born in 1899. He appeared on the census of 1901 living with his family in Threapwood near Whitchurch. The head of the household was George Metcalf 72, a Farrier. His wife was Esther 73. Their married daughter Sarah Carr 38 was in the household with her husband William who was 32. The four listed children of William and Sarah were Frederick 11, Esther 3, James 2 and Millie 1 month.
I believe that Sarah Carr died shortly after that census was completed. There is a death registered for a Sarah Carr aged 39 in the District of Shropshire in the Qtr June of 1902. Volume 6a page 483
The 1911 census records the family in the Whitchurch area. Head of the household was William aged 41. He was a Domestic Groom. His wife aged 30 was Elizabeth Ann Carr. The census form tells us they had been married for 14 years which does not make a lot of sense as only ten years previously he had been married to Sarah. (Elizabeth Ann would have only been 16 years old when she married William). The form says that she had given birth to 4 children but one had died. The listed children were Esther 14, James 13 and Millie 12 – Sarah’s children. Elizabeth Ann was their stepmother.
UK soldiers who died in the Great War 1914 -19 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk confirms the regimental details above and also tells us that he enlisted in Wrexham. He was killed in action on the 28th October 1916 on the Somme. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. He was only 17 when he died which means he enlisted underage.
His medal index card also on ancestry details his medals and gives us his previous regiment and number.
His index card in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Record Office in Hawarden also confirms the regimental details above and adds the address Whitchurch Road, Bangor.
Many thanks to James’s Great niece Marie Townsend for giving me some information about him which helped fill in some of the gaps we had in James’s story. The story that has come down the family is that he enlisted when underage. Marie remembers a photograph of him on horseback but it has disappeared.