SMITH, John
The very last name you want to see on a war memorial
that only has names, with no dates or Regiments
That gives us 1,600 possibles


There was in the South West Suffolk Echo of 4th May 1918 the following:-
"Local names which have appeared in the official casualty lists during the past week include the following: Killed - L/Cpl. L. Smith - Haverhill. Suffolk Regt."
.

It is therefore quite possible this is the man we are looking for. It does however beg the question- Why is he on the Haverhill memorial as well as at Little Thurlow (Leonard SMITH), or should it be the John Smith from Little Thurlow that is the man on the Haverhill memorial.
SMITH, John


No.? John SMITH
Suffolk Regiment


It is thought that John Smith was born in November 1880, (qtr 4-Risbridge 4a:514) at Snapes Yard Haverhill, the 6th child of George and Emily SMITH (née SCOTT), and baptised a year later, on the 30th Oct 1881, at the Old Independent church. Their only child, it appears, to be baptised there. John's father George was also born at Haverhill, in about 1844, but his grandfather had moved there from Belchamp St Pauls, just across the border in Essex.

1881 census...Aged 5 months he was at Snapes Yard, Haverhill with his father George SMITH [35] coal merchant]; his mother Emily [34]; sisters Susan [15] and Emily [2]; brothers William [15], George [9] and James [5]. All were born in Haverhill.

1891 census...Aged 10 he was at 13 Duddery Road, Haverhill with his parents; brothers James [16] labourer; Frederick [8] and Albert [5]; sister Emily [12].

1901 census...His parents, father a lamplighter, sister Emily (shirt machinist) and brothers Frederick (hair weaver) and Albert (shoemaker) were still at 13 Duddery Road. The rest have not yet been found in this census

1911...Aged 32 ? but Haverhill born, a wholesale drapery saleman, at 154 Glengall Road, Willesden, he is married to Minnie [32], Barking born. They had two sons, Albert George [6] born Stoke Newington (Hackney district) and Sidney Jack [5-4-1908] born 83 Iverson Road, Kilburn.
His parents were in Haverhill at 13 Duddery Road Haverhill in Haverhill; sons Frederick [28] and Albert,[25] and granddaughter Phillis Smith, aged 1.

John and Minnie (Minnie Talbot ELPHICK) had been married for 7 years (Hackney Qtr4 1904 1b:795). Both witnesses were TALBOT
Albert's reg mother SMITH née ALPECK (1904 S Quarter in HACKNEY Volume 01B Page 536)
Sidney's reg mother SMITH née TALBOT (1908 J Quarter in HAMPSTEAD Volume 01A Page 605



In 1913, father & mother, George and Emily, died within a few weeks of each other and were buried in Haverhill cemetery.


There are no clues whatsoever as to John's fate during the war. We know he was in the Suffolk regiment, but seemingly not amongst their recorded casualties. If he was discharged and died later, it would be an offical decision as to whether his death was caused by or aggravated by military service. The absence of any military records this makes the task even harder.
If you have the slightest clue that may help, please contact webmaster@undyingmemory.net

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