Name
James William Prior
12 April 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/11/1914
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7786
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY
Enclosure No.4 XI. AAA. 32.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial, Working Men’s Club / Village Hall, Memorial, Thorley, St James’ Church Memorial, Thorley Not on the Much Hadham memorials
Pre War
James William Prior was born on 12 Apr 1883 in Bush Wood Cottage, Much Hadham, the son of James and Anne Prior, and baptised on 8 Jul 1883 in Much Hadham.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Much Hadham but had moved to Thorley House Farm by 1901, where his father was a shepherd and James was an agricultural labourer.
He married Fanny May Osborne in 1910 and on the 1911 Census he and his wife were living at 20 Middle Row, Bishop's Stortford. His occupation was given as Labourer for a Corn Merchant and he was in the Army Reserve. They had two children, Annie May and Lilian Grace. Before the War James was employed by Messrs. Philip Church & Son of the Swan Wharf, Bishops Stortford.
Wartime Service
Being on the Reserve, James was mobilised on August 4th 1914, he re-enlisted at Hockerill, Herts and embarked for France on the S.S. Oronsa, on 15th August 1914.
In October, the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment was near Hooge. They suffered several casualties during the month, however, none were reported in the Regiment's war diary on the 19th. The Bedfordshire Regiment War Diary: 15th - 18th November 1914 reported constant intermittent shelling with only mild attacks at various parts of the line with 3 killed and 7 wounded. James was killed on November 19th 1914. A letter from one of his comrades, Company Master Master Sergeant O. H. Perkins said: "Private Prior was killed at Ypres by a German ricochet bullet in the trenches on Nov. 19th last, death being instantaneous. Poor Chap, he was an excellent soldier, one of the best. He was one of the gallant men, who was in the bayonet charge at Ypres & could account for many of the enemy."
He was the first Thorley Soldier to fall.
Additional Information
www.friends-stjames.org His widow received a £5 war gratuity and pay owing of £5 15s 6d. She later married Percy Livermore on 9 July 1916 and lived at 44 Oak Street, Bishop's Stortford. His wife, Mrs F H Prior (the Livermore) of 44 Oak Street, Bishop's Stortford, Herts. ordered the inscription for his headstone: "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN".
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, “Lest We Forget – Much Hadham 1914-18” by Richard Maddams (Much Hadham Forge Museum), John E. I. Procter (Rector of Thorley), Bill Hardy, Philip Hargrave - www.friends-stjames.org, Jonty Wild
