Pte 22211 John Hartley Pearson

• Age: 27
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

22211 Private John PEARSON, 20^th Battalion KLR.

John (Jack) Hartley Pearson was born in Blundellsands in the September quarter of 1888, the youngest of eight children born to Joseph Dean Pearson and his wife Ann (nee Hague). The only John H. Pearson found in the christening index born in the Liverpool area between 1885 and 1890 was born on 13th May 1888 to mother Annie (no father listed), which would make him 28 years old when he died. 

His father Joseph was born in Leeds, and his mother Annie in Bramham, Yorkshire.  They married at St Peter's Church, in Leeds on 02nd May 1868.  Widower Joseph was a 38-year old agent of Queen Street, father Joseph, a brick maker, whilst Ann was aged 25 of Meadow Lane, father Joseph, a cordwainer (shoemaker). Joseph had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth, born in 1853 and Eliza born 1855.  

They had eight children together:  Arthur Hague, born in 1869 and Eleanor Dean 1871, both born in Leeds, after which they moved to Waterloo, Liverpool, where Albert Burton was born in 1873, Clara 1875, Joseph Harold 1877, and Florence Annie in 1881.  The family then moved to Mersey View, Blundellsands, where Edith May was born in 1883 and John in 1888. John's father was about 58 years old when John was born, and died when John was 5. 

His half sister Mary married and remained in Leeds;  Eliza lived with her father after he remarried and came with the family to the Liverpool area. 

At the time of the 1891 census they are living at 30 Mersey View, Blundellsands with eight children.  His father, 61, is a manager for Clay Goods (apparently a brickmaker), his mother is 48, and John is 2 years old. His half sister Eliza, 35, lives with them. His sister Eleanor, 19, is a governess in Carlisle. 

In 1901 his widowed mother is aged 58 and is head of  the household at 2 Makin Street, Walton, with five children at home.  Albert, 28, is a timber salesman, Joseph, 23, is an engineer's fitter, Florence is 20, no occupation, Edith, 17, is a confectioner's improver, and John is 12, at school. 

The 1911 census finds John living with his mother Annie, 68, and sister Edith again at 30 Mersey View, Blundellsands, a 7-room house. Edith, 27, is a confectioner's assistant, and John is 22, a joiner in the building trade. His mother advises that she had been married for 42 years and had 8 children.

He enlisted in Liverpool on the 05th November 1914, joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22211 giving his address as “Mersey View”, Blundellsands.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

He crossed to France with his Battalion on the 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916

20^th Battalion

Maricourt

Zero Hour 7.30am. After 65 minutes intensive bombardment the Battalion advanced to the attack of the German trenches. The Battalion advanced in four lines each of the two leading Companies on a frontage of 2 platoons – No’s 1 & 2 Companies (in that order from the right) leading. No.3 Company in the 3^rd wave. No.4 Company in the 4^th wave. There being a distance of about 100 yards between each line. The lines advanced through the enemy’s artillery fire as though on parade in quick time. The leading waves went on without a pause to Alt Trench and Casement Trench which were secured at (time not stated) am. The casualties up to this being small. Our barrage lifting Dublin Trench (the 1^st Objective) was captured and consolidation immediately proceeded with. Captain Whiting with the 3^rd wave entrenching about 150 yards in the rear. Captain Robinson was wounded and No.2 Company was commanded during the day by Lt C P Moore. Casualties up to now were killed 2 officers – 1 wounded and 49 other ranks casualties killed and wounded. At 11.50 am orders were received for the assault of the Briqueterie. The Battalion operation orders for this were issued from NW of Germans Wood. Our barrage lifted at 12,30 pm and No. 4 Company under Captain E C Orford assisted by a section of bombers under 2^nd Lt Baker who went up Nord Alley and Chimney Trench to secure his left flank, who had got right forward under cover of the fire of our guns rushed it almost without opposition. On the far side a party of the enemy were found in deep dug-outs. They brough a machine gun into action and some close fighting ensued in which Lt Gooch and Lt Williams were wounded. Opposition was however speedily overcome and the garrison consisting of the H.Q. of a Regt, one Colonel and 4 other officers – 40 rank and file , 2 machine guns together with maps, orders, documents and material fell into our hands. Steps were immediately taken for consolidating the ground won, which however owing to the destruction wrought by our “heavies” was a matter of great difficulty, what had been trenches being almost unrecognisable as such and the earth so pulverised that cover could only be made by aid of sandbags. The garrison was heavily shelled through the afternoon and most of the night and casualties were many. Battalion H.Q. were at the junction of Glatz Alley and Casement Trench north west of Germans Wood and this together with Dublin Trench received considerable attention from enemy guns. Casualties during the day 2 officers killed (2^nd Lts F Barnes and JC Laughlin) and 3 wounded (Captain H H Robinson, Lt S Gooch and 2^nd Lt F J Williams). 75 other ranks killed and wounded.  

His family placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 17th July 1916: 

"Pearson - July 1, aged 28 years, John H. (Jack) ("Pals"), the dearly-beloved youngest son of the late J. D. and Mrs. Pearson, Mersey View, Blundellsands."  

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.  

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His mother Annie received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £7, and was awarded a pension of 5/- a week for six months from February 1917. She later moved from Mersey View to 30 Ferndale Road, Waterloo. 

The pension card notes that his mother, Annie, died on the 26th December 1925, she was aged 82. 

John is remembered on the following war memorials:

St Nicholas Church, Bridge Road, Blundellsands

Blundellsands Methodist Church, Mersey Road

Garden of Remembrance, Alexander Park, Coronation Road, Great Crosby.

Liverpool Hall of Remembrance Panel 54

We currently have no further information on John Hartley Pearson, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.    

We currently have no further information on John Hartley Pearson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.