James Stanton was born on 6th September 1883 at Hyde and was baptised at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, Tatton Street, Stockport on 4th November. It appears that his parents, Henry and Mary Ellen (née Reynolds) were moving back to their native Stockport at this time. Henry worked as a bricklayer, initially at a steel-works in Penistone, Yorkshire, but by 1901 he was running a bricklaying and property repair business in Stockport.

James had two brothers, John and William, and two sisters, Anne and Helen. Another brother, Henry (junior), had died in infancy. The family were very active in St. Joseph’s Church. In 1891 they lived at 36, Duke Street, Stockport before moving to 15, Lord Street in 1901 and 78, Newbridge Lane in 1911. James and his brother John worked for their father in the building industry. By the end of the war his parents had moved to 2, Carlton Crescent, Newbridge Lane, Stockport.

In August 1914, the British Red Cross formed the Joint War Committee with the Order of St John. James was an active member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and volunteered with the Joint War Committee serving as an orderly at Pendlebury Red Cross Hospital. This was a voluntary hospital which had taken over an orphanage to treat wounded servicemen.

James enlisted with the Royal Engineers (Service No, 398596) in June 1916 where his bricklaying skills would have been in demand. On 1st October 1918, the 67th Field Company, Royal Engineers were near the French village of Épinoy, some ten kilometres north of Cambrai.

During the night, they were constructing strongpoints in the trench system when the Germans shelled their position. The Company War Diary records "6 casualties - I man being killed and 5 others wounded." In spite of this being two days before the date of James's death as recorded by the War Graves Commission, research strongly indicates that the man killed must have been him. The Company suffered no other deaths between 1 and 3 October and he is the only Royal Engineer buried in the Cemetery near to where they were working.

James was severely wounded and was evacuated to a casualty clearing station. Unfortunately, he died within half-an-hour of reaching the station. (His death is recorded as 3rd October 1918 although there is some conflict in the records over the exact date of death).

Sapper James Stanton, R.E., died of wounds, October 4. He was 35 years of age, and lived at Newbridge Lane, Stockport. He was wounded, and died within half-an-hour of reaching the dressing station. His officer speaks of him as being a brave soldier, “loved and respected by all his comrades and officers.”

He was connected with St. Joseph’s R.C. Church for 35 years, was an active member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade for 17 years, and before going to France was orderly at the Pendlebury Red Cross Hospital. Stockport Advertiser 25 October 1918

James is buried at Chapel Corner Cemetery, Sauchy-Lestrée, Pas-de-Calais, France. His gravestone has the inscription O SACRED HEART OF JESUS GIVE HIM ETERNAL REST. Sauchy-Lestree was captured by the 56th (London) Division on 27 September 1918, and the cemetery was made and used by fighting units during the following five weeks.

James is also commemorated at the Stockport War Memorial, Wellington Road South, Stockport and on the War Memorial in St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, Tatton Street, Stockport.

Rest in Peace.

1. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. “Find War Dead”.
2. Hartley, John, “More than a Name” 2008. I disagree with Hartley who identified this soldier as Joseph Stanton.
3. The National Archives of the UK, 1881 Census; Class: RG11; Piece: 4614; Folio: 27; Page: 9 and 1891 Census; Class: RG12; Piece: 2797; Folio: 55; Page: 21 and 1901 Census; Class: RG13; Piece: 3291; Folio: 39; Page: 24 and 1911 Census; Class: RG14; Piece: 21398.
4. Stockport Advertiser 25 October 1918.
5. St. Joseph’s Church – Baptismal Records.
6. Free BMD Births Jun 1886, Stanton, Henry, Stockport, Vol 8a, Page 87 and Deaths Sep 1886, Stanton, Henry, Age 0, Stockport, Vol 8a, Page 63.
7. The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England.
8. British Red Cross, “General Overview of Joint War Committee Activities during the First World War”.
9. British Red Cross records for James Stanton
10. Children’s Homes, Sir Ralph Pendlebury Orphanage, Stockport, Cheshire.
11. Wells, Dominic “The Soldiers of St. Joseph’s Parish” 2018.
12. Thanks to Stockport Heritage Library.