Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): James Booth

 

Gender: Male

Date and Place of Birth: 1874, Hedworth Monkton, Jarrow, Durham

Date and Place of Death:  7 March 1917, Jutland House, Eastriggs. Buried in Dornock Cemetery, 9 March 1917

Nationality: British

 

Childhood: 7 siblings.

 

Parents: William & Jane (nee Hardy)

Parent’s occupations: N/K

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K

 

Occupation: Marine Engineer – Fitter

Place of residence at Gretna: Died at Jutland House, Eastriggs – Home given as Cuthbert St, Paddington

Job title at Gretna: Engineer

 

Marital status: Married Annie Tolmie in 1901, Marylebone.

Children: 2 / 3 children.

Travels: N/K

Awards/recognitions: N/K

 

Trivia / any other information:

James was born to William & Jane Booth who were living in Jarrow in 1873. He was joined a few years later by his sister Margaret but unfortunately their mother died soon after. In 1881, William was living in Jarrow and had the support of Ann Smith, a fellow Scot, looking after the children.

 

Ann & William married it is believed in 1884 and James who had become a marine engineer had a number of other half siblings.

 

He travelled to London and in mid 1901 married Annie Tolmie, a Glaswegian, in Marylebone, London.

 

Annie & James were living with Annie’s parents at 73 Hall Place, off Edgware Road when  their daughter was born in 1902. Their son arrived in 1905. However, the 1911 census whilst showing Annie, her parents and children, James is not living in London with them and has not yet been found on the census. Also it indicates that James and Annie had a third child. Neither has any reference to James in military or naval records.

 

When he moved as an engineer to Gretna has not been found but he lived in Jutland House, a hostel in Eastriggs. His works number was 25209.

 

Over the night of 6th/7th March 1917, he was overseeing a refrigeration house. Later his body was found in the well area of the building during a routine visit to the building by work colleagues.

 

An inquest verdict was that no certain cause for his death could be determined however it was suggested a door had swung open due to weather conditions and knocked him off balance. He was buried on 9th March 1917 in Dornock Cemetery, close to Eastriggs but had as an address Cuthbert Street in Paddington.

 

The Ministry of Munitions offered £300 compensation, which was the most given and only to married men with a family.

 

References

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