This man is named on the St Mary’s Catholic Church war memorial and although he can’t be positively identified he may have been the person named above whose service record is in the World War One Soldiers Documents WO 363 held in the national Archives at Kew (which is odd since he died in 1912) and because he was born in Flint and was a former member of the church they decided he was worthy of remembrance.
Peter Martin was born in Flint in 1890 and baptised at Flint Catholic Church on 8th June, 1890. He was the second of three children to Edward Martin and Elizabeth Anna (Keogh).
Edward was born in Flint and the Martins lived at 17, Castle Street and by 1881 had moved to Nine Houses, Hawarden. Sometime in that decade Edward went to live in St Helens where he met Elizabeth and they were married at Prescot Register Office in 1887.
Their place of residence was 43, Pitt Street, St Helens and Edward was a chemical labourer and Peter a carter for a coal dealer.
Peter enlisted in St Helens on 21st January, 1909 and his medical inspection report, which took place the day before, is as follows:
Apparent aged: 18 years and 8 months; Height: 5ft 3 ½ins; Weight: 113lbs; Eyes: brown; Hair: black; Chest Measurement: 30ins; Physical Development: fair (will develop); pulse rate: 84. He had an indistinct tattoo mark on his left forearm.
From the 12th July, 1911 to 21st July, 1911 he was hospitalised with pyorrhoea alveolaris which is an inflammation of the gums characterised by the discharge of pus and loosening of the teeth.
He died of tuberculosis on 18th April, 1912, aged 21, and was buried three days later in St Helens Cemetery (Ref: STHELCEM/20/156).
Edward died in February 1917, aged 57, and Elizabeth in February 1939, aged 78. They are buried in St Helens Cemetery with their daughter Mary who died in 1980 aged 85.