James Guy Shearer (1882 - 1916)

Born 27 Aug 1882 in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Died 4 Feb 1916 at age 33 in France

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Biography

Private James Shearer was Killed in Action during World War I.

Private James Shearer served in the British Army in World War I
Service started: 7 September 1914
Unit(s): Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment
Service ended: 4 February 1916

This profile is part of the Whitmore, Staffordshire One Place Study.

James Guy Shearer was born in 1883 in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland. He was the son of Donald and Fanny Shearer.

In the 1891 census James (age 8 born in Mallow, County Cork) was the pupil of Sophia E Taylor in Belper, Belper, Derbyshire, England.^[1]

James Guy Shearer was at school in 1895 at Bedford Grammar School, Bedfordshire, England.^[2]

From 1910 James Guy Shearer was living in Dusseldorf and was listed as a proconsul for the British Government.^[3]

James was in the military and died on 4 February 1916 in France age 33. He was in the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment (service number PS204). At the time of his enlistment in London on 7 September 1914 he was living at Newcastle under Lyme. He enlisted at the age of 32. His occupation was merchant. He had lived in Germany for 3 years.He had served with a School Corps for 3 years. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs Shearer (Fanny Sybilla Shearer), of 1 Wentworth Street, Golders Green; she was sent the following effects after his death: 1 handkerchief, 1 packet of letters, 1 Bible, 1 Gospel, 1 Musketry scoring book. He also was survived by a brother and 2 sisters but left no widow or children. In 1919 Mrs Shearer's address was c/- T W Twyford, Whitmore Hall, Newcastle, Staffordshire.^{[4][5][6][7] [8]}

From the Staffordshire Sentinel 23 February 1916 page 4:

We deeply regret to record the death of Pte. J. Guy Shearer of the 16th (Service)Battalion (Public Schools) of the Middlesex Regiment, who was killed in action in France on February 4th. Mr. Shearer was a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Twyford, of Whitmore Hall, Newcastle, Staffs., and was educated at Bedford Grammar School, afterwards becoming a manager of Mr Twyford's works at Ratigen, Dusseldorf. He was also British Vice-Consul at Dusseldorf. Leaving Germany when war was declared, he came to England, and shortly afterwards enlisted in the Public Schools Battalion. Mr Shearer, who combined genuine ability with a sincere and modest character, was greatly beloved and esteemed, not only in the family circle to which he belonged but by all who knew him.^[9]

James Guy Shearer is remembered at Cambrin Churchyard Extension, Cambrin, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France with a death date of 4 February 1916. He was killed in action.^[10]

J G Shearer was listed on a war memorial tablet in St Mary and All Saints Church, Whitmore, Staffordshire. He had served as a private with the Middlesex Regiment. ^[11] and also on the honor roll of Old Bedfordians.^[12] He was also remembered on a memorial unvieled in 1923 in memory of those employed by Messrs Twyford Ltd at the Cliffe Vale Potteries in Staffordshire.^[13]

James Guy Shearer is remembered as a part of Ireland's Memorial Record: World War 1: 1914-1918. He was born Mallow, Cork. He was killed in action in France while serving with the Middlesex Regiment 16th Battalion, ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ 1891 Census: "1891 England Census"
   The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2743; Folio: 95; Page: 29; GSU roll: 6097853
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6598 #4440474 (accessed 6 November 2022)
   James G Shearer (8) pupil in household of a boys' preparatory school run by Sophia E Taylor (44) in Belper in Belper registration district in Derbyshire, England. Born in Mallow, Cork, Ireland.
2. ↑ 1895 School Records: "National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914"
   Archive: Bedfordshire & Luton Archive Services; Reference: HT/9/17/3
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 6 November 2022)
   First name(s): James Guy; Last name: Shearer; Birth date: 27 Aug 1882; Event year: 1895; School name: Bedford Grammar School; Town: Bedford; County: Bedfordshire; Country: England; Book type: Admissions.
3. ↑ The Foreign Office List and Diplomatic and Consular Year Book 1912 Consular Corps page 20 retrieved from Google Books
4. ↑ Military: "UK, British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920"
   The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; War Office: Soldiers’ Documents, First World War Wo363
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1219 #1774074 (accessed 5 November 2022)
   Name: James Guy Shearer; Gender: Male; Enlistment Age: 32; Birth Place: Mallow, Cork; Military Date: 1914; Relationship to Soldier: Self (Head); Regimental Number: 204; Regiment Name: The Public School ?? Middlesex Reg; Number of Images: 23; Form Title: Short Service Attestation.
5. ↑ Military: "UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920"
   Army Medal Office (In the Care of the Western Front Association Website); London, England; Wwi Medal Index Cards
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1262 #11073786 (accessed 5 November 2022)
   Name: James G Shearer [Guy Shearer]; Military Date: 1914-1920; Military Place: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, United Kingdom; Regiment or Corps: Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment; Regimental Number: Ps/204.
6. ↑ Military: "UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919"
   British and Irish Military Databases. The Naval and Military Press Ltd
   Ancestry Record 1543 #501486 (accessed 5 November 2022)
   Name: James Guy Shearer; Birth Place: Mallow, Co. Cork; Residence: Newcastle-under-lyme; Death Date: 4 Feb 1916; Death Place: France and Flanders; Enlistment Place: London; Rank: Private; : Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment; Battalion: 16th Battalion; Regimental Number: P.S.201; Type of Casualty: Killed in action; Theatre of War: Western European Theatre.
7. ↑ Military: "Ireland, World War I Casualties, 1914-1922"
   The Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, comp. Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918. 8 volumes. Dublin: Maunsel and Roberts, 1923
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1633 #44448 (accessed 5 November 2022)
   Name: James Guy Shearer; Regiment: Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment; Regimental Number: PS204; Death Date: 4 Feb 1916; Death Place: France; Birth Place: Mallow, Ireland.
8. ↑ Military: "UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929"
   National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 272501-274000; Reference: 134
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60506 #509589 (accessed 6 November 2022)
   Name: James Guy Shearer; Gender: Male; Death Date: 4 Feb 1916; Rank: Private; Regiment: Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment; Regimental Number: PS204.
9. ↑ Staffordshire Sentinel 23 February 1916 page 4. Newspaper Archive viewed through FindMyPast.
10. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #56386418 (accessed 5 November 2022)
    Memorial page for Pvt James Guy Shearer (unknown-4 Feb 1916), citing Cambrin Churchyard Extension, Cambrin, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (plot: M. 30.); Maintained by Coleman ✿ (contributor 47076912).
11. ↑ "Shearer, J.G." Imperial War Museums, https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/name/200597.
12. ↑ A Street Near You https://astreetnearyou.org/person/171278/Private-James-Guy-Shearer and Imperial War Museums https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/7648
13. ↑ Staffordshire Sentinel 10 September 1923, page 4. British Newspaper Archive viewed through FindMyPast.
14. ↑ Military: "Ireland's Memorial Record: World War 1: 1914-1918"
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 5 November 2022)
    First name(s): James Guy; Last name: Shearer; Birthplace: MALLOW, CO. CORK; Birth place: Cork; Birth country: IRELAND; Death date: 4/2/1916; Death place: FRANCE; Rank: PRIVATE; Regiment or unit: THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT, 16TH BATT.

• https://astreetnearyou.org/person/171278/Private-James-Guy-Shearer
• https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/name/200597