Pte James King, 7 Gordon Highlanders, 2876 or is it

[rolt968]

Private James King 7 Gordon Highlanders is commemorated on the Stracathro (Angus) war memorial.

There were no Kings living in the parish. The parish roll of honour of 3 January 1915 obligingly lists him as having lived and presumably worked at Stracathro Gardens (the gardens of Stracathro House).

Stracathro war memorial is quite accurate about ranks and battalion numbers. (It is a little enigmatic about sometimes giving the home based battalion into which a man was recruited or the battalion in which he served in France, e.g. 3/5 Black Watch, 1/5 Black Watch or 4/5 Black Watch. However the main battalion number, e.g. 7 Gordon Highlanders seems to be correct.

If we take "Private James 1/7 Gordon Highlanders" at face value. There is one candidate: Private James King, 2876, born Cookney, Kincardineshire, 28/10/1896. His family were at Chapelton, Cookney, Kincardineshire at the time of the 1911 census. (In the next county bit not very far from Stracathro.) He enlisted in Banchory, went to France on 2 May 1915 and died of wounds on 16 November 1916.

It looks impressive until you notice that one small error in rank makes the following also a possibility:

L/Cpl James King, 1/7 Gordon Highlanders, 2894, also enlisted in Banchory, also went to France on 2 May 1915, kia 8 June 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret memorial, There is no family information or age in CWGC and no place of birth or age in SDGW.

There were not many James Kings in Kincardineshire. The only other James King of possible military age living in Kincardineshire was a farmer with a family in 1911. The only other one of possible military age born in Kincardineshire was illegitimate and King was his father's name. He was not in Kincardineshire in 1911.

I have been contemplating the enigmatic James King 2894 for some months. Does anyone by any chance know anything about him or indeed know anything about James King 2876 to finally confirm that he is the man on the Stracathro memorial?

R.

[Guest]

If it's any use Dundee Courier - Tuesday 12 September 1916 " Another Lochgelly soldier is reported killed, namely Private J King, of the Gordon Highlanders."

Mike

[rolt968]

If it's any use Dundee Courier - Tuesday 12 September 1916 " Another Lochgelly soldier is reported killed, namely Private J King, of the Gordon Highlanders."

Mike

Thanks Mike,

I will see if I can match that up with any J King, GH deaths.

I have a feeling that this may turn out to be a process of eliminating possibilities.

R.