John Lewis 1897-1949
Welcome to the Jack Lewis Family Page, compiled by his daughter, Mary Young. for his descendants in Scotland, England, Canada, U.S.A., New Zealand and Switzerland. If you have further knowledge, photographs to contribute, or just feel like a chat, please contact Mary via the footer link on this page.
JOHN (JACK) LEWIS
was born at 13 Inglis Street, Glasgow on 3rd September 1897, son of JOHN LEWIS,
journeyman hairdresser, and AMELIA DICKSON MATHER, paper bag maker. John
was only 20 and Amelia was 18 when their son was born; sadly there were no other
children.
(photograph courtesy of Jim Lewis)
Jack was only 17 when he
married ELSPETH (ALICE) MITCHELL GRAY BEATSON, aged 20. He was already in the
Territorial Army, so perhaps the marriage was rushed because he was called to war.
19th January 1915 at Wilmington Street, Glasgow, before
witnesses: David Malcolm machineman and Agnes Burnside machinist. Groom: John
Lewis age 17, single, platelayer, and sapper 2nd Lowland Field Company, Royal
Engineers Territorials. residing 17 Nisbet Street, Glasgow; parents John
Lewis, ironworks labourer and Amelia Dickson Mather. Bride: Alice M. G. Beatson
[Alice Mitchell Gray Beatson] age 20, spinster, residing 55 Crawford Street,
Partick; parents James Beatson, riveter and Janet Graham [error, she was Janet Gray].
Soon after Jack
and Alice married, they adopted a motherless infant,
Elizabeth Morwood. Perhaps she was a relative but the link is still to be
found. (photograph courtesy of Jim Lewis)
Jack was posted to Egypt in May 1915.
There is a family story that he served at Gallipoli. Jack was on home leave in
summer 1916 - his first child, John, was born the following March. By the summer
of 1917 he was back on active service in Europe. Jack, in army uniform, has been 'cut and pasted' into
this studio portrait of "The Four Johns" (grandfather, father, Jack himself, and
baby Jackie).
(photograph courtesy of Bev Carter)
Jack
was badly injured during the battle of Ypres resulting in loss of both legs.
This photograph was taken during his recovery in an Army Hospital where he
learned to walk with his new artificial limbs. Jack's
war service, medals etc. on a separate page. Jack was
discharged from the Army on 22nd November 1918. He coped wonderfully with his
disability throughout his life,
using only a walking-stick.
(photo of Jack courtesy Jim Lewis; Discharge courtesy Mary Young)
Toll Corner War Memorial In 1921 Jack Lewis was invited to unveil a War Memorial to "The Toll Boys", twenty-nine fallen comrades in Port Glasgow. I wonder whether he had enlisted with this group of young men, perhaps his workmates in the shipyard? He was proud of the gold medallion presented to commemorate this event. This medallion and Jack's war medals are still in family hands.
Jack and Alice's first child, yet another JOHN (Jackie) LEWIS, had been born on 5th March 1917 at Alice's family home in Kinghorn, Fife. A daughter, JANET SUTTIE GRAY LEWIS, followed in 1919, and finally another son, JAMES BEATSON LEWIS, in 1924.
After the war, the family settled in Kinghorn where Jack ran a shop in the High Street. Later they moved to Bonnyrigg near Edinburgh. Sadly, Alice died in January 1931, leaving John with three schoolchildren to care for.
But he was not alone for long! Within the year, he had moved the family to
Edinburgh and married Hannah Hoggarth,
a Yorkshire lass.
On 17th October 1931 at 369 High Street, Edinburgh, by
declaration in presence of James Graham, 10 Little King Street, Edinburgh, and
Jessie Miller, 17 Heriot Row, Edinburgh. JOHN LEWIS age 33, widower,
artificial flower maker of 10 St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh, son of John
Lewis, hairdresser, and Amelia Dickson Mather, married HANNAH ABIGAIL HOGGARTH
age 22, domestic servant, spinster, of 17 Heriot Row, Edinburgh, daughter of
Stephenson Hoggarth, farm labourer, and Charlotte Annie Clubley.
(Jack was making Armistice Day poppies in the Earl Haig Poppy Factory,
a charitable workshop for disabled ex-servicemen; Hannah was a
parlourmaid in a posh mansion house in Edinburgh).
Jack
was probably behind the camera in 1941 when this photograph was taken.
It is the only photograph we have of all his children together, plus his
second wife Hannah, daughter-in-law Peg and grandson Ian (Scotty). It
must have been taken in 1941. Allan (born March 1940) is a toddler and
Janet died in January 1942.
(Scan of original photograph courtesy of Jim Lewis)
Armistice Day was always a special time of pride and sadness, processions and
poppies. Jack worked for a time making poppies at the Earl Haig Factory in
Edinburgh, a sheltered workshop for army veterans. He was a member of BLESMA
(The British Legion Ex-Service Men's Association) where he found much friendship
and support. Although he died 30 years after the end of World War I, the British Legion
successfully fought the case for his
widow to receive a War Widow's Pension.
(photograph courtesy of Mary Young)
JACK LEWIS died suddenly on 4th July 1949, during a family outing to North
Berwick.
JOHN LEWIS age 51 poppy maker, married to (1) Alice
Beatson, (2) Hannah Hoggarth died 4th July 1949 at 8.10pm in High Street,
North Berwick (usual residence 42 Northfield Broadway, Edinburgh); parents:
John Lewis hairdresser and Amelia Dickson [error, she was Amelia Dickson
Mather]; informant Hannah Lewis widow, present. Jack was laid to rest in Liberton Cemetery beside
his first wife, Alice Beatson and their daughter Janet.
Jack's paternal grandparents
were JOHN LEWIS (Welsh) and EDITH LETITIA BANKS
(Irish). They married
in Workington, Cumberland, England in 1876 and were still there at 1881
census. They had moved to Glasgow by 1891 census. Their children were: John,
Eliza Ann, George John and Edith (twins), Mary and Thomas (twins), Louisa,
Martha Bruce, Edith, David and Joseph.
Until a few years ago I had not attempted to research these Welsh and
Irish connections. Now we have an explosion of new information, contacts with
cousins etc. see my Legacy Family Tree
on this website.