First World War in Headington and Marston
New Marston War Memorial

John WALTON (1894–1916)

John Walton was born at Weston-on-the-Green near Bicester in 1894, the son of George Walton (born in Piddington and baptised there on 4 June 1865) and Eliza Jane Tuffrey (born in Kidlington in c.1865).

John’s mother had an illegitimate child before her marriage:

• Gertrude Tuffrey (born in Bicester in 1888, registered fourth quarter, and baptised at St Edburg’s Church on 5 December 1888).

Gertrude may have been the daughter of John’s father, as when in 1911 John’s mother (mistakenly, as she was widowed) filled in the box asking for the number of children of the current marriage, she put down seven, all alive.

John’s parents were married in the Bicester registration district in the fourth quarter of 1890 when another child was on the way, and had the following six children:

• Frederick James Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1890/1, registered first quarter of 1891, and baptised there on 8 March 1891)
• Bertie Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1892/3, registered first quarter of 1893, and baptised there on 8 June 1893)
• John Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1894, registered fourth quarter and baptised there on 2 December 1894)
• Annie Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1896, registered fourth quarter and baptised there on 27 September 1896)
• Frank Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1898, registered fourth quarter and baptised there on 19 October 1898)
• George Walton (born in Weston-on-the-Green in 1901, registered second quarter and baptised there on 11 June 1901).

In 1891 John’s father was an agricultural labourer, living at 2 Mutton Corner, Weston-on-the-Green with his new wife and Gertrude Tuffrey (aged two and described as his daughter), and baby Frederick (two months).

In 1901 the family was living at 11 Oxford Road, Weston-on-the-Green. As well as Gertrude Tuffrey (12), there were now five younger Walton siblings, including John himself (6). Their father was now more precisely described as a shepherd on a farm.

John’s father George Walton died at the age of 41 and was buried at Weston-on-the-Green churchyard on 8 September 1906.

By the time of the 1911 census John’s widowed mother Mrs Eliza Jane Walton (45) had moved to Elsfield with her five sons: John (16) and his two older brothers were agricultural labourers, while Frank (12) and George (9) were still at school.

Around the time of the First World War Eliza Jane Walton and her family moved to Edgeway Road, New Marston.

In the First World War John Walton served as a Private in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 2239). He died of wounds at the Somme in France at the age of 21 on 9 April 1916.

He is buried in the Beauval Communal Cemetery (D.31), and is remembered on the New Marston War Memorial on the Marston Road, Oxford.

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Postscript

John’s mother

• His mother is probably the Eliza Walton who died in the Oxford district at the age of 82 in 1946 (second quarter).

John’s siblings

• Gertrude Walton (born 1888) married Ernest J. Welton in the Headington registration district (probably at St Nicholas’s Church, Old Marston) in the first quarter of 1914.
• Frederick James Walton (born 1891) married Mabel E. Ward in the Headington registration district in the third quarter of 1919. He was a motor engineer, and they lived at 9 Edgeway Road. They had two children baptised at St Nicholas’s Church, Old Marston: Doris Gwendoline Walton (born on 10 November 1920 and baptised on 9 January 1921) and Roy Walton (born on 27 July 1931 and baptised on 13 September 1931).
• Bertie Walton (born 1893) married Ada B. Ward in the Headington registration district in the first quarter of 1914. They appear to have had two children in the Headington registration district: Doris G. Ward (1920, registered fourth quarter) and Roy Ward (1931, registered third quarter).
• Annie Louisa Walton (born 1896) was married in the Headington registration district in the first quarter of 1910.
• Frank Walton (born 1898) married Dora Saunders in the Headington registration district in the second quarter of 1924.
• George Walton (born 1901) married Jessie L. Saunder [sic] in the Headington registration district in the second quarter of 1925.