Private Albert James Watton (1886 – 1914)

Service No: 7188 – 3^rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Private Albert James Watton was born circa 1886 in Feckingham, Worcestershire.  He was the first of five known children born to James Laban Watton and Hannah Elizabeth Cox. Albert’s father had been married previously to Mary Ann Blackburn and that marriage had produced a further seven children prior to her death in 1879.

The 1901 shows Albert working in a cycle factory, but some time around 1902 he enlisted with the Worcestershire Regiment where he served for 2 years 190 days prior to gaining employment with the railways. According to railway employment records James Albert Watton joined the Midland Railway on 19th June 1905. He was employed as a lampman at Water Orton Station, receiving a salary of 16/- per week. At the time he was 5ft 7½.

At the time of the 1911 census, he was a railway shunter, boarding with his future parents-in-law, William, a railway plate-layer and Sarah Reading, at Albion Terrace, Water Orton, although his future bride, 23-year-old Elsie, was not living at home at the time, as she was working as a domestic servant to a couple in Moseley, Birmingham.

Albert James Watton married Elsie Reading between September and December 1913, only a year before he was killed. As a reservist, Albert would have been one of the first men called upon to serve. He was killed on 30^th October 1914.  A newspaper report in the Birmingham Mail, 5^th December 1914 included the following announcement:

Anomalies

Name

The listing on the war memorial appears as A W Watton.The only Watton serving with the Worcestershire Regiment who died in this period appears to be Private Albert James Watton, 7188, serving with the 3rd Battalion and buried at Vailly British Cemetery, so this would appear to be the correct person.

He is listed on the Commonwealth War Graves website under the name Albert James Walton but the service number, 7188, ties in with other records that give his name as Albert James Watton.

We think this is the same person as A. W. Watton listed on the Castle Bromwich war memorial. Confusingly, he is also recorded in records as James Albert Watton, which was the name under which his birth was registered, and under which he is recorded on census records 1891-1911, and in the railway employment register. The transposition of his first names suggests that he was known by his middle name of Albert.

Age

His place of birth on the census was listed as Feckenham, Worcestershire. If the age on the census returns are correct, this does give a discrepancy with the newspaper announcement three years later, giving his age as 30, when it would been 27 or 28.

He is listed the 1891 and 1901 censuses in Feckenham, aged 4 and 14 respectively, suggesting a date of birth in 1886/7 rather than 1884. On both censuses, he was living with his siblings and parents Laban, a machine needle tool maker, and Hannah. The most likely BMD listing suggests that he would have been born in 1886. According to railway employment records James Albert Watton joined the Midland Railway on 19th June 1905, aged 20. His twentieth birthday was listed as having been on 10th July 1904, which would make his date of birth 10th July 1884, although this does not match the age given on census records. He is listed on the Commonwealth War Graves website under the name Albert James Walton but the service number, 7188, ties in with other records that give his name as Albert James Watton.