Beetham James

BEETHAM, JAMES

		Source
		CWGC	SDGW	Uttoxeter Advertiser	Other
Parents	James and Emma Beetham	Yes			2 3e 3f
Where born	Uttoxeter		Yes	1b	3e 3f
When born	About 1886 (Eldest son)				3e 3f
Address	37, Carter Street, Uttoxeter (parents)	Yes
Address	Carter Street			1a
Spouse
Children
Employment Before Joining up	He had worked in Smith and Son's Uttoxeter bookstall. Then he became Manager at Messrs. Smith and Son's bookstall at Horncastle.			1a 1b	2
When enlisted	Before 18th November 1914			1b
Where Enlisted	Grimsby		Yes
Regiment	Lincolnshire	Yes	Yes	1a 1b	2 5
Unit	10th Bn.,	Yes	Yes		2
	Grimsby Chums
	‘D’ Company Lincolnshire Chums
	‘D’ Coy	Yes
Rank	Lance Corporal	Yes	Yes	1a	2
Rank	Private				5
Service Number	1051	Yes	Yes		2 5
Date of Death	23 Mar 1917	Yes	Yes
Age at time of death	31			1a	6
Age at time of death	30	Yes
Where Killed or died	Arras - Somme
How he died	Killed in Action – struck by a piece of shell			1a
How he died	Killed in Action		Yes		2
Location of Grave or Memorial	Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras - Grave III. J. 11.	Yes			4
Awards	British War Medal – Roll F/105/B Page 100				5
Awards	Victory Medal Medal – Roll F/105/B Page 100				5

Photograph with kind permission from the Uttoxeter Advertiser

James was born in Uttoxeter in about 1886, the eldest son of James and Emma Beetham. The 1881 Census shows him as a 5-year-old scholar living with his parents and three-year-old sister Ethel in Uttoxeter. His father’s occupation was given as ‘Painter and Grainer’ and his mother’s birthplace was given as Hertford.

The 1901 Census shows him living with his parents and siblings, still in Uttoxeter. By now his father was described as a House Painter and his mother’s birthplace was now given as Uttoxeter! The family had expanded to include another son and daughter and now comprised the following:

Name	Estimated Year of Birth	Relationship
James Beetham	About 1857	Head
Emma Beetham	About 1859	Wife
Nellie Beetham	About 1884	Daughter
James Beetham	About 1886	Son
Ethel Beetham	About 1888	Daughter
Edgar Beetham	About 1892	Son

Before the war Edgar (‘Eddie’) assisted his father in their business in Uttoxeter.

Initially James worked at the WH Smith and Son’s bookstall Uttoxeter and he then became the manager of their branchat Horncastle.

Their parents lived at 37 Carter Street, Uttoxeter.

In November 1914 the Uttoxeter Advertiser reported that James and his brother Edgar George (Eddie) had joined the ‘Chums’ Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. This was to become known as the Grimsby Chums.

James became part of ‘D’ Company of the 10th Battalion.

Writing to a friend at Uttoxeter in November 1914, James had said that an attempt was made to form the regiment at Lichfield, but as sufficient numbers were not available, the regiment was transferred to Grimsby, where the men were now billeted. It was expected that they would shortly go into camp at Brocklesby Park, about 10 miles from Grimsby.

By January 1916 he was serving with his brother at Cornwell, Warminster. He had written to the Uttoxeter Advertiser to thank the townsfolk for a Christmas parcel that they had been sent.

James and Edgar served together until James’s death.

James as Killed in Action on 23rd March 1917, in the battlefield surrounding Arras. Edgar was only a few yards away when James was struck by a piece from an exploding shell and he was with him when he died.

In his obituary, the Uttoxeter Advertiser quoted from letters which had been written by his Captain, H. Longton Dent, and the Intelligence Officer, Granville Dawson.

His Captain described him as

"one of the best and brightest men in the Company, and I feel that I have lost both a friend and a soldier".

The Intelligence Officer, who was only 2 yards away when the shell exploded and killed James, said:

“He carried out his work locating the enemy's positions and batteries under heavy shell fire and his example to men under his command was heroic".

James is buried in Grave III. J. 11 in Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, which is attached to the Arras Memorial to the Missing.

The dedication at the bottom of his headstone says “Sunshine Passes, Shadows Fall, Love and remembrance outlast all”

James was 30 or 31 years old when he died and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.