Royal Army Medical Corps. Regimental number 71153.
Previously 9th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment. No. 12668.
Early life:
There are a number of factors with this man’s parents and birth. We can’t be 100% sure about it really.
He might be the son of Nancy Taylor, born on the 1st of July 1870 at Damside in Keighley.
His parents were Pickles Ackroyd and Nancy Ackroyd née Taylor.
For the first census record in 1881 it shows Pickles married to Mary Ackroyd and then in the 1891 census and all other records she is Nancy Ackroyd.
There was a triple baptism carried out on the 17th of November 1872 at St. Andrew’s Church in Keighley and the details are:
Elizabeth Ackroyd born 1871 with parents Nimrod Ackroyd and Mary Ackroyd.
Nimrod Ackroyd born 1872 with parents Pickles Ackroyd and Nancy Ackroyd.
James Taylor born 1870, son of Nancy Taylor (no father’s name mentioned).
Nimrod and Mary Ackroyd are probably the parents of Pickles Ackroyd who is the father of baby Nimrod and possible father or later, stepfather of James Taylor. It’s complicated, but the fact that they’re all baptised together suggests there’s a family connection between them all.
We suspect Pickles’ wife Mary Ackroyd was Nancy Taylor and may have used Mary as a nick-name There is a possibility he married a Mary Madden but this is less likely. Without a marriage certificate we cannot be sure. We cannot locate suitable records to support either theory.
The child Nimrod baptised above, died aged three in 1875.
In the 1881 census James Ackroyd is aged 11 years and living at 16, Sun Street in Keighley with his parents Pickles and Mary Ackroyd. Pickles is aged 30 and an iron turner. Nancy is aged 30 and a housekeeper. James is a spinner. His siblings are William aged seven (at school), Edward aged four and Mary Elizabeth aged 2.
By 1891 they have moved to 2, Brow Street at Park Wood Bottom. Pickles is aged 40 and still an iron turner. Nancy is aged 39 and at home. James is aged 20, William is aged 16 and they are both iron moulders. Edward is aged 14 and a painter, Mary Elizabeth is aged 11 and a worsted spinner. The youngest children are Jane aged eight, Nimrod aged five and Arthur aged three. (This is the second child named Nimrod).
Their father Pickles Ackroyd died aged 47 and his death was registered at Keighley in the first quarter of 1898. This would leave Nancy with seven children, although William and Edward have left home by now.
In the 1901 census the family is living at 4, Plover Street in the ‘Birdcage’ area of the town, Nancy is aged 50, James is 30 and an iron founder (general). Nimrod is 15 and a taker-off, Arthur is 13 and a worsted doffer.
Also living here are daughter Jane, now Janey Windle and her husband William Lovace Windle aged 23 and a railway porter.
Visiting during the census are Mary Elizabeth and her son Arthur aged five.
Note: The Birdcage is so named for all the streets in that area named after birds.
There is a 5th of December 1906 prison record for a moulder, James Ackroyd of Keighley aged 36, who stole one shirt and was sentenced to 1 month with hard labour at Leeds prison. This was reported in the local newspaper:
The Keighley News, 1st December 1906, page 4:
TUESDAY. (Before the Mayor, Alderman B. S. Brigg, and Dr. O’Connell.)
THEFT FROM A CLOTHES-LINE.
James Ackroyd, moulder, residing in a lodging house, was charged with stealing a shirt from a clothes line in Sunderland Street, and Harry Goodwin, moulder, was charged with receiving stolen property.
Prior to the evidence Superintendent Tebbutt withdrew the charge against Goodwin, remarking that from his subsequent investigations he had found that the allegation against him could not be substantiated. – The shirt was the property of Elizabeth Smith, a widow, residing at 5, Sunderland Street, who said she hung it on a clothes line on Monday afternoon with a number of other articles of wearing apparel. An engine-tenter named Thomas Hastings, employed as the Crown Laundry, in Sunderland Street, seeing prisoner loitering in the street in a suspicious manner, watched him, and saw him take the shirt off the line and make off. Prisoner, who pleaded guilty, and had nothing to say was sent to gaol for one month.
—
In the 1911 census James is aged 41 and an iron moulder. He is lodging at the New Model Registered Lodging House at 73 – 75 Captain Street in Bradford. This was a very large building located at the junction of Captain Street and Priestley Street and has long since been demolished and is currently a car park. This establishment housed 2 officials and 96 male lodgers and 22 female, totalling 120 people.
There were hardly any iron foundries in that area at that time so James may have been working further away.
War service:
James attested very early in the war at Brighouse on the 3rd of September 1914. He joined the West Riding Regiment at Halifax on the 4th of September and was posted to the 9th Battalion the same day with the Regimental number 12668.
His recorded next of kin was his mother Nancy Ackroyd of 97, Bradford Street, Keighley and he was employed as a labourer.
The medical report shows he was aged 34 years and two months, 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 154 lbs. He had perfect vision, a 39 inch chest and a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
He was discharged on medical grounds on the 2nd of November after two months service, due to bleeding haemorrhoids and varicose veins.
James enlisted again, this time with the Royal Army Medical Corps and Regimental number 71153, with his attestation at Keighley on the 23rd of July 1915. He gave his home address as 79, Bradford Street in Keighley and that he was aged 34 years and one month old. He was still a labourer and declared that he’d served for 61 days with the 9th Battalion West Riding Regiment. He signed up for general service and he was willing to be vaccinated. He stated his next of kin was his mother Nancy and that she was living at 79, Bradford Street.
On the 23rd of July his medical details were: Height 5 feet 9, 1/2 inches; weight 143 lbs; chest 38 inches and good physical development. He had 6/9 vision in both eyes.
James died of syncope, apparently this occurred on an operating table at number 31 General Hospital with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. (it’s possible he suffered a heart attack or a stroke and died.)
His Army Form B. 103 gives the following chronological information:
Embarked at Southampton on the 9th of October 1915, on the SS Aquitania bound for Alexandria and disembarking there on the 23rd of October 1915 (a journey of 14 days).
On the 29th of October 1915 at the RAMC Depot at Mustapha camp of instruction, he was awarded a forfeiture of two days pay for being absent from tattoo between 26th October and 12.30 pm on 27th of October (14, 1/2 hours).
On the 19th of December at Ras-el-Fin, he was transferred to a workshop unit as permanently unfit for duty.
On the 13th of March 1916 at Ras-el-Fin, he was fined 10 shillings for being drunk in camp on the 11th of March. The next day he was transferred to the 31st General Hospital at Port Said for duty.
On the 17th of October 1916 he was awarded 25 days of field punishment number 1 for using obscene language, refusing to say his name when ordered to do so and striking his superior officer Sergeant Fletcher, who was in the execution of his office.
On the 24th of October 1916 at Gabbari he was admitted to Field Hospital no 1. (no reason given).
On the 9th of November 1916 at Mustapha Camp he rejoined his unit for duty.
On the 15th of November 1916 he was admitted to no. 31 General Hospital at Port Said (no reason given). He was discharged to duty on the 21st of November.
On the 1st of March 1917 he was fined 2/d and awarded 14 days confined to barracks for being drunk in town at about 3.30 pm on the 27th of February 1917.
On the 2nd of August 1917 at Post Said, he was awarded 10 days field punishment number 1 for creating a disturbance and striking a comrade with his waistbelt.
On the 9th of September 1917 he was classified medical grade BII by a medical board held at the Northants Regiment Camp at Port Said.
He was admitted to hospital on the 22nd of November 1917 and four days later he died of syncope under anaesthetic. He was 47 years of age at death.
On the same day he was buried in grave number 1597 in the South-East corner of Port Said Cemetery by W.A. Jeuyes C. F. (Chaplain to the Forces, Church of England). This location is now Grave number 1 in Row C.
Note: Field Punishments are described here at the Long, Long Trail website.
Remembrance:
James is remembered on his Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone at Port Said Cemetery. The family inscription on the headstone says: ‘Sadly Missed By All.’
He is also named in the Borough of Keighley, Great War 1914 – 1918 roll of honour book at Keighley Library.
Remembrance:
His name is on his gravestone at the Port Said War Memorial Cemetery Row C. Grave 1., Egypt.
He is also named in The Borough of Keighley Great War roll of honour 1914 – 1918.
Post war:
In the 1921 census Nancy was aged 70 and boarding at 79, Bradford Street in Keighley with James Wintle (38) and Blanche Wintle (20) along with two other boarding who were Charles Taylor and Frank Ackroyd.
His mother Nancy as next of kin would have received his personal effects and later, his medals which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. She would also have received a bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with his name. These usually arrived in 1920 or 1921 although there is no mention of them in his partial Army service records.
Nancy received his outstanding Army pay of £11 1s 0d on the 27th of April 1918. She also received a war gratuity payment of £10 10s 0d and the 14th of November 1919.
She applied for a Dependants pension and was awarded 13s 6d per week from the 3rd of May 1918. The amount seems to have varied over the next few years as increases were applied for.
Nancy died in 1923 aged 72. Her death was registered in the third quarter of the year.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
1881 England Census
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Prison Records, 1801-1914
1911 England Census
British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920
Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Headstone Placeholder
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
1921 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
James’s photograph is supplied with kind permission via an Ancestry family tree.
