Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ruhleben Camp Masonic List of POW | ||
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.James was born 1883,and baptised at St Anne’s Birkenhead on 28th February, to Thomas and Mary Conry (nee James) who had married in 1873 at Birkenhead. In the 1891 James is found living at 284 Brook Street, Birkenhead, with his elder sisters, Sarah 12 and Mary Fredericka 14, although the surname is Conroy. The head of the household is his grandmother, Jane James a 67 year old widow born in 1824 at Birkenhead. Also present is Jane’s daughter, Eleanor Whereat a 43 year old widow born in 1848 at Liverpool. Following the family back to the 1881 census the surname is given as Coury, with the family residing at 97 Duke Street, Claughton, Birkenhead. The family consists of Mary Coury age 25, born 1856 at Birkenhead, a Chief Officers Wife, Merchant Service, with her three daughters, Henrietta Amelia age 6 born 1875, Mary Frederika B age 4 born 1877 and Sarah age 2 born 1879, all who were born in Birkenhead. Husband Thomas was away at sea aboard “Wistow Hall”, a vessel owned by R. Alexander of Liverpool, the crew list also stating that he had been born at sea in 1845.. It is believed that James’s mother Mary Coury may have died at sea aboard the “White Jacket” in 1892 aged 36. The vessel had been built in 1889 by J.L. Thompson of Sunderland for the White Jacket Steamship Company Limited owned by Halletts and registered out of Cardiff, South Wales. She was sold in 1912 and renamed “Olavarria”.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: |
| Action : War Survivor |
Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.
Detail :
On the outbreak of war James was captured while serving as Second Engineer aboard the S.S. Lothian, and interned by the Germans, at Ruhleben Prisoner of War Camp, Spandau, Berlin. The “S.S. Lothian” was owned by J. Warwick & Co. of Leith, Edinburgh, and on the list of those interned his surname is incorrectly spelt as Contry, with the Lothian is recorded under its official maritime number of 115851. However the address of 5 Claughton Drive is recorded which confirms it is the same person. The Lothian had been built in 1902 by Charles Connell of Scotstoun, Clyde as Yard Number 267. After being detained at the outbreak of the war it was refurbished and commissioned into the German Navy as the “Lothar” in 1917, but after the hostilities ceased was returned to J. Warwick. In subsequent years and changes of ownership and name changes she ended as the “Hydraios”, and ended up being torpedoed and sunk in World War 2 by the German Navy in 1943.
A coat of arms used by the camp inmates appears on the cover of their magazine. The motto “DUM SPIRO SPERO” translates from the Latin as “While I Breath, I Hope”, simply meaning that while there is life, there is hope, and is attributed to Cicero as the originator. It is a motto used by the town of St. Andrew’s in Fife, Scotland, and a number of Scots families such as MacLennan, Cuthill, and the Lindsay’s of Edzell.
In the sixth issue of the Ruhleben Camp Magazine which was printed in June 1917 it mentions James as having completed construction of a model of a launch motor and crankshaft, pictures of which were shown in the publication.
His death was reported erroneously in December 1918, but he is found to be working as a 1st Engineer, across ports in North America in 1929. Subsequent investigation shows that he died in Berkshire in 1960.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Royal Edward Lodge No. 2889 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
18th February 1914 | - | - |
James was initiated into the Royal Edward Lodge No. 2889 in February 1914, age 30 listed as a Marine Engineer, of 5 Claughton Drive, Poulton, Wallasey. He appears not to have advance any further than that of Entered Apprentice. He has war service across 1915-1918, with a "Prisoner of War" annotation embedded in those years. His dues are paid in 1919, but not for 1920 and 1921, after which he is excluded under Rule 175 -"Exc 175."
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