On The Roll of Honour
John was born on 17th April 1870 in Ipswich. His father, Clement, who was the first Chief Constable of Suffolk was 41, whilst his mother, Grace was 34.
In the 1871 Census: He lived in the St Matthews district of Ipswich with his father and mother.
In the 1881 Census: By this time he was a pupil at Framingham College which was known at the time as The Albert Middle Class College.
On 13th September 1889 John started at Peterhouse College, Cambridge where he acquired a BA in 1894 and an MA in 1898.
In the 1891 Census: Aged 20, he lived with his father at The Rosary, Bramford Road, Ipswich.
In 1896, he was ordained as a Deacon in Gloucester. In 1897 he was ordained as a Priest in Gloucester. Between 1896 and 1898 he was curate at Chippenham in Wiltshire and between 1898-1902 he was Vicar of Badwell Ash and Hunston where he shown to be in the 1901 Census.
On 3rd July 1900 he married Isabella Gertrude Lysley in Derry Hill, Wiltshire. They were married at Derry Hill, Wiltshire. (From the marriage announcement Bury Free Press 7th July 1900) Isabella was only daughter of the late Gerald Lysely and Mrs. Lysley of Pewsham, Wiltshire. They had 3 children: Elizabeth in 1904, John in 1908, and Patience in 1908.
In the 1911 Census: John lived in Wilton, Yorkshire where he was vicar.
Military and War: On 14th February 1916, aged 45 he was appointed as Temporary Chaplain to the Forces – 4th class. This was the equivalent of the Rank of Captain to the 2/1 Yorkshire Brigade.
Unfortunately no other record details have been located. It is highly possible that John Henry’s records have been destroyed. In September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store in Arnside Street, London, approximately two thirds of 6.5 million soldiers’ documents for the First World War were destroyed. Those records which survived were mostly charred or water damaged and unfit for consultation and became known as the ‘burnt documents’.
Post War: Between 1923 and1947 he was Vicar of Gilling, Richmond, Yorkshire.
John died on 19th April 1952 in Yorkshire age 82. He chose to return to Suffolk for his burial because he is interred in St Michael’s Church cemetery, Hunston. He and Isabella had been married for 51 years.
In his will, proved in 1952, he left £8364/4/1d (£250,000 in today’s money) to his widow, Isabella and Edward Cunliffe Cooke-Collis who was a Brigadier in the army.
