This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley’s Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it’s new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.

Lance Corporal. 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Service No: 6411

Lance Corporal James Walker.

Early life:

James was born in Keighley in the second quarter of 1882. His parents were Matthew Walker and Ann Walker née Wetherell, who had been married at St. John’s Church in Cononley, on 7th October 1876. His father was an engine tenter and they were living at Park Lane at the time he was baptised in the parish church on 2nd May 1882.

By 1891 they were living at 15, Green Street in Keighley. James was nine and he had four siblings who were 13 year old Matthew, and 11 year old Alfred , who were both worsted spinners. James was at school with his younger sister Anne E., who was aged seven. Also living with them was Richard Wetherell, a 16 year old machine fitter and probably related to Anne.
[an engine tenter looks after a mill engine, usually steam, and makes sure it keeps running to power the mill machinery. This was a vital job as it kept the whole mill working.]

In the 1901 census the family was still at 15, Green Street. Their father Thomas was 51 and still employed as a worsted mill engine tenter. Anne was 50 and looking after the family home. Matthew was aged 23 and a tramway coachman, Alfred was 21 and an ironfounder for a machine manufacturer along with James, who was a fettler. Their sister Anne was 17 and a twister at a worsted mill.
Unfortunately there are no Army service records for James but some newspaper accounts state that he had begun service with the Army in the early part of the century. This was likely to be with the local Volunteers, then the Territorials after they were formed in 1908. He then entered the Army Reserve.

James had a change of occupation sometime in the next few years and in July 1910 he was in the Postal Service appointment books, employed as an assistant postman at Huddersfield, which he was still doing in May 1911. The 1911 census confirms he was living in Huddersfield, boarding with George and Esther Fox and their three girls at 11, Henry Street.

By January 1913 James had moved back to his home town and was now employed as a full postman at Keighley.

War service:

On the declaration of war, as a reservist James was called up for immediate service and effects records confirm this was in August 1914. He went overseas with the 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, entering France on 6th November that year.
The 2nd Battalion was at Alexandria when was broke out and over a period of time they prepared to return to the UK and arrived here in September 1914. They then moved across to France in November and it looks like James was with them at the time.

He was serving in the Army when he married Gertrude Hemsworth, a 28 year old domestic servant at ‘Redholt’ in Ingrow. Their marriage took place on 13th March 1915 in St. John’s Church at Ingrow. James’ address was given as 1, Bournemouth Terrace, West Ham in Weymouth. He was described as aged 32 and a soldier. We assume he came up to Keighley on leave to get married.

The Keighley News 27th April 1918, page 3:

News was received recently that Lance Corporal J. Walker (36) of Keighley, had been killed in action, but his wife on Monday received a telegram from Whalley stating that her husband was wounded. Lance Corporal Walker, who was formerly employed at the Keighley Post Office, had been in the Army seventeen years. He rejoined at the beginning of the war.

The Keighley News 31st August 1918, page 3:

Mrs. Walker, of Redholt, Keighley, has been officially informed that her husband, Lance Corporal J. Walker, Northamptonshire Regiment, “was found dead and was buried in the New Military Cemetery, Haucourt, near Peronne, between March 22 and 26.”
On April 6 Mrs Walker was officially informed that her husband was killed on March 22, but a week later she was notified that this was not correct, and that her husband had been wounded.
No information could be elicited as to Lance Corporal Walker’s whereabouts or the nature of his injuries, and no enquiries proved of any avail until the arrival of the notification of his death this week. Lance Corporal Walker, who had served seventeen years in the Army, rejoined the forces as a Reservist on the outbreak of war, and had been twice wounded. Up to the time of enlistment he was employed at the Keighley Post Office.

Keighley Post Office – Great war memorial.

He began the war with the 2nd Battalion but on his death he appears to have been with the 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. This transfer may have happened during one of the times he was wounded.

Post war:

Gertrude was James’ next of kin and sole legatee. She would have received his personal effects and his remaining Army pay which amounted to £4 19s 1d on 25th March 1919 and a further payment of the war gratuity which was £21, reflecting the length of his Army service from the outbreak of war. This was paid to Gertrude on 12th November 1919.
We also know that shortly after 14th August 1919, she received his medals which were the 1914 Star with clasp and rose, plus the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Later she would have received a bronze war memorial plaque and King’s certificate inscribed with his name.
A dependant’s pension was also paid to her amounting to 13s 9d per week beginning on 9th December 1918. A one-off grant payment also seems to have been made, of £5 paid to her on 5th April 1921.

Ingrow War Memorial.

James has no known grave and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, panel 54 to 56.
Locally he is named on the Ingrow War Memorial next to St. John’s Church at Ingrow.
He is also named on the Keighley Post Office Memorial which is on the wall at Keighley Sorting Office on Oakworth Road.

Information sources:

North Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
1881 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646-1985
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969
1911 England Census
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Post Office World War I and World War II Memorial Books, 1914-1945
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.