BLACKLEDGE, John
John BLACKLEDGE (1890 - 15 Apr 1918) aged 28
Born: Darwen, the son of James Blackledge and Betsy Mather. John was the 7th of 12 children
Enlisted: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) No. 40653 transferred to Labour Corp No 130126
Husband: of Margaret Ann Blackledge of 3 Radfield Ave, Darwen
Married: Margaret Ann Fletcher 1915 at The Methodist Chapel Railway Road, Darwen
Died: Darwen 15th April 1918. His death was due to "double lobar pneumonia" and he had been suffering from this for 2 days. As the death occurred very quickly it is more than likely that his death was due to Spanish Flu (see the note on William Henry Orrell).
Funeral: 18 Apr 1918
The following appeared in the Darwen News 20th April 1918:
BLACKLEDGE - In loving memory of John Blackledge, who died Monday, Aril 15th 1918, aged 28 years, and was interred at the Darwen Cemetery, April 18th
The righteous souls that take their fight
Far from the world of pain,
In God's eternal bosom blest,
For ever shall remain
From Mother, Sisters, and Brother,
27 Radfield-avenue, Darwen
The Darwen Advertiser carried the following:
BLACKLEDGE - In loving memory of Pte. John Blackledge, (Labour Corps), the beloved husband of Margaret Ann Blackledge, who died April 15th 1918, aged 28 years, and was interred at the Darwen Cemetery, April 18th.
Rest in peace, O dearest husband,
Though your loss I still deplore,
Fleeting time will re-unite us,
You have only gone before,
I miss him and mourn him in silence unseen,
And dwell on the memory of joys that have been.
From his loving Wife, 3 Radfield-avenue, (late 16 Cobden-street, Darwen)
BLACKLEDGE – In loving memory of our dear son-in-law, Pte John Blackledge of Labour Corps, who died April 15th 1918, aged 28 years, and was interred at the Darwen Cemetery, April 18th.
His suffering was great, but short.
No human hand his life could save;
No human aid could him release,
Nor save him from the grave,
We shall meet him some bright morning,
Rest by the waters fair,
He is waiting for our coming,
In the upper garden there.
From Father, Mother-in-law, Sisters and Brothers Salonica and France; also Pte and Mrs E Fletcher, 3 Radfield-avenue and 13 Winterton-road, Darwen.
His father died in 1914 and his mother died in 1919. Could this have been due to a broken heart following her son's death?
It is possible that Margaret Ann Blackledge died in the Blackburn-Darwen area in 1974.
Thanks to Tony Foster November 2011
