Pte 91536 John Alfred Croft Kelly

• Age: 26
• From: Edge Hill, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 1st May 1919
• Commemorated at: West Derby Cem Liverpool
  Panel Ref: III.CE.589

John Alfred Kelly was born on the 23^rd November 1892 and was baptised at St Peter’s Church, in Liverpool. John was the second of four surviving children of William Kelly, a police officer from County Cavan, Ireland and his wife Minnie (nee Croft), who at that time were living in Baines Place, Liverpool. Although the 1911 Census shows William and Minnie having been married for only two years, it also states that Minnie had had 10 children, 6 of whom had died in infancy. In fact, they were married on 19^th April 1886 at St Peter’s Church, Walton, when William, a serving police officer was aged 28 years, the son of, Henry, described as a farmer, and was living at 47 Thomaston Street, Liverpool while Minnie Croft, aged 20 years, the daughter of, Alfred, who was a bricklayer, she gave her address as 5 George’s Hill, Everton.

The 1891 Census shows they had a daughter, Alice, aged 3 years and lived at 59 Clifton Street, Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows them living at 86 Arkwright Street, Liverpool and by this time they have 5 children – William Kelly does not seem to be in the 1901 Census, certainly not living with his family, while his wife, Minnie, is said to be a shellfish dealer on her own account and from her home.

In 1911, William, now 54 years old and still serving as a police officer, is living at 5 Brown’s Building (off Boaler Street), Liverpool, with his wife now said to be a flower maker, and two of their children – John Alfred, 18 years, an engine cleaner with LNWR and his younger brother Wilson aged 16 years. Wilson is recorded as having been an inpatient in the Liverpool Workhouse Hospital on several occasions, usually suffering from eczema or other skin disorders and these records show his father as William “in Walton an ex-PC”. I presume this means Walton Hospital as in 1893, when Wilson was also in the Workhouse Hospital, it is noted that his father, William, is “a PC Walton Hospital”. What the Workhouse records do show is that the family lived at other addresses in between Census returns – in 1907 they lived at 55 Lindley Street and in 1908 at 33 Haigh Street for instance.

John Alfred Croft Kelly enlisted on the 02^nd August 1917 as Private 97536 in 49 Training Battalion, giving his age as 24 years 9 months, his occupation as fireman, his next of kin as his mother, Minnie, and his home address with her at 11 Railway Cottages, Spekeland Road, Liverpool. His father, William, died in 1917. After his medical, John was classified as C1 “fit for garrison at home”, having a history of asthma. Despite this, he was posted overseas in December 1917 from 26^th Battalion KLR. On 17^th January 1918 he was posted to ‘B’ Company, 19^th Battalion but became ill and on 31^st July 1918 he was medically discharged as being “no longer physically fit for war service, suffering from asthma aggravated by military conditions.

He returned home and died on the 01^st May 1919.

John now rests at West Derby Cemetery.

There are 111 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war and 129 of the 1939-1945 war here. Those whose graves are not marked by headstones are named on 2 denominational Screen Wall memorials. The graves are scattered throughout the cemetery in denominational plots. There are also 2 Foreign National war burials.

He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

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