Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Liverpool (Anfield) Cemetery | C4.1210 | |
Awards & Titles: | Silver War Badge No.40873 | ||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.John was born on 12th September, 1892 to Edward George and Emily Clement Sephton nee Taylor, and baptised at the Parish Church of St Peter’s Everton on 16 October 1992. In the census of 1901 the family is at 22 Hardy Street, close to Liverpool Cathedral, while 1911 sees them at 25 Salisbury Road, Cressington, with John age 18, an apprentice in the timber trade.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 17th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment) |
17th (Service) Battalion (1st City) Formed in Liverpool on 29 August 1914 by Lord Derby, in the old watch factory at Prescot. 30 April 1915 : attached to 89th Brigade, 30th Division. Landed at Boulogne on 7 November 1915. 14 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength. 16 June 1918 : attached to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division. 30 June 1918 : returned to England with 75th Brigade, 25th Division. 9 September 1918 : Brigade retitled 236th Brigade. 11 October 1918 : sailed from Glasgow for service in North Russia. Remained there until September 1919. |
| Action : Natural Causes |
Natural causes is attributed those deaths due to causes that were not directly associated with the war. Included in this are wartime deaths resulting from, for example, theSpanish Influenza pandemic and its associated pneumonia problems and other attributions such as age and exhaustion. It also groups those who through Post Traumatic Stress committed suicide as a result of their experiences.
Detail :
Not only was John one of the first to volunteer in Liverpool on the outbreak of war, but in the country, enlisting on 1st, September 1914 he was of the original 1st King’s Liverpool City Battalion, The Liverpool Pals. When assimilated into Kitchener’s New Army they became the 17th (Service) Battalion (1st City) The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) and John was Private 16091 within No 5 Company. His next of kin given as his father, Edward Sephton of Rydal Mount, Cressington Park, Liverpool.
On attestation he is described as Church of England, 5ft 71/4, weighing 117 lb with a 35 inch chest, of a fresh complexion blue eyes and light brown hair. He is employed within the timber trade by W H Wood Limited of Great Crosshall Street Liverpool.
Although reported as being a good soldier during his 235 days of service John contracted tuberculosis, which resulted on his medical discharge on 28 April 1915, it was after this that John became a freemason later the same year. Deemed unable to recover he was awarded his Silver War Badge No 40873 on 29 January 1917. Sadly the illness worsened and he died on 27th February, 1917, and was laid to rest at Anfield Cemetery, Liverpool in section C4. Grave 1210 on Saturday, 3rd March, 1917.
A report of the funeral was placed on page 6 of the Liverpool Echo edition on 5 March 1917, at which Rev C. E. Proctor of St Simon’s Church officiated. In his will administration was to Edward Sephton, a brewer’s district manager, for the effects of £148 8s 4d.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Duke of Edinburgh No. 1182 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
9th December 1915 | 13th January 1916 | 15th February 1916 |
John was initiated into Duke of Edinburgh Lodge 1182 on 9th December, 1915, at Liverpool Masonic Hall, Hope Street. He was aged 22 years, a Timber Salesman, of Rydal Mount, Cressington Park, Liverpool, also initiated on the same evening was his brother Edward, a 24 year old chemist. Both were passed to the degree of a fellow craft on 13th January, 1916 and raised to that of master mason on 17th February, 1916, with their Grand Lodge certificates issued on 25th May, 1916. Their father, Edward had been initiated into the lodge in 1898, and would become its Worshipful Master.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley