Pirnmill Posted 27 July , 2015 Share Posted 27 July , 2015 I am looking for information on Pte John Stevenson 2037 1st Bn Highland Light Infantry died 23/5/1915, commemorated on Le Touret Memorial I have been researching the fallen soldiers from my village of Pirnmill on Arran as we are about to commission a memorial for the men, as we have no WW1 memorial. I was doing the last few checks on the men to be commemorated when I came across a reference to this man who apparently resided in Pirnmill at the time he enlisted in Lamlash. I am hoping someone can confirm this information and perhaps add to it so that he can be added to 7 other men who will be commemorated on the memorial when it is commissioned this autumn. Thanks Fiona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 27 July , 2015 Share Posted 27 July , 2015 An interesting man! Neither CWGC nor SDGW give an age. According to Soldiers Died in the Great War he was born in Glasgow and as you say enlisted in Lamlash. (ancestry) His medals were returned. (ancestry - Medal Index Card and Medal Rolls) No relative's name appears on the Register of Soldiers' Effects (ancestry) There was only one John Stevenson on Arran at the time of the 1911 census. A farm labourer at Auchengellan (sp?), Kilmory parish, aged 17, born Glasgow. He went to France on 7 April 1914. He became missing between 17 and 23 May 1915. (Register of Effects.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirnmill Posted 28 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2015 Thank you rolt968 this is just the information I was looking for. Auchengallen(Auchengallon) is a small farming clachan 6 miles south of Pirnmill so he may well have come to another farm in Pirnmill in the intervening 3 years. Based on the fact that his medals were returned and there appears no next of kin I think it would be safe to assume he is not commemorated on any other war memorials. In light of this information I feel that we will be able to add his name to our new village memorial when it is commissioned, bringing the total to 8 men- 2 of whom will be being commemorated for the first time in their home country.. Many thanks Fiona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 28 July , 2015 Share Posted 28 July , 2015 Hello Fiona, I will keep an eye out for anything else which turns up. Unfortunately a lot of John Stevensons were born in Glasgow at the relevant dates. I wonder if he was boarded out from a poorhouse? RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirnmill Posted 29 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2015 Hi RM, There was certainly a tradition of boarding from poor houses. Whilst doing my village research I have found that a few were boarded in Pirnmill from Maybole in Ayrshire. They must have been treated reasonably well as many continued to live here for the rest of their lives, indeed one such man was killed in WW2 and is commemorated on the village memorial having come here as a 5 year old in the early 1900's from the poorhouse in Maybole. Thanks again Fiona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 29 July , 2015 Share Posted 29 July , 2015 Hi Fiona That's very interesting. I have found a man on a local war memorial who seems to have been boarded out from a Glasgow poorhouse. He had settled down, married and had a family. Sometime, probably September, I'll be in the Mitchell in Glasgow looking up my man in the Glasgow poorhouse records. I'll see if there is John Stevenson. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirnmill Posted 30 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2015 Hi, That would be great, thanks Fiona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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