John Carr was born in 1883 in Rotherhithe, Surrey (now Greater London). He was a son of John Carr and Elizabeth Carr née Gardiner. In the 1891 census he was shown as living in two rooms at 8 Rudford Road, Deptford, London with his parents and three siblings: Henry Carr (b.1880); Isabella Carr (b.1887) and Jane E. Carr (b.1889). His father was described as a waterside dock general labourer.
On 14 April 1913 he married Minnie Maud Walker (1892-1976) in Christ Church, Camberwell, London, where in the marriage registers he is shown as a bachelor and as a furrier living at 23 Ruby Street, Camberwell, whilst his wife was described as a spinster living at the same address, the daughter of Thomas Harlow Walker (1865-1920) a labourer. They had three children: Louise Elizabeth Carr (1912-1984); Henrietta Carr (1913-1998) and Minnie Maud Carr (b.1915). When their daughter Henrietta Carr was baptised on 29 May 1913 at All Saints Church, Hatcham Park, Lewisham, the baptismal register showed the family living at 27 Briant Street, Lewisham and that her father's occupation was a skin dresser.
Having enlisted as a Private in the Royal West Kent Regiment, service number G/1849, he was serving as a Private in the 1st Garrison Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, service number 23861, when he died, aged 33 years, on 6 January 1916 from peritonitis following a perforated gastric ulcer, at the 2nd Eastern General Hospital, Dyke Road, Brighton. He was buried on 13 January 1916 in Plot A, Grave 1855, in Brockley Cemetery, 113 Brockley Grove, London, SE4 1DZ and as he has no headstone he is commemorated there on the Screen Wall near the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's memorial column. When his daughters, Louise Elizabeth Carr and Minnie Maud Carr, were baptised on 26 January 1916 at All Saints Church, Hatcham Park, Lewisham, shortly after his death, the baptismal register shows them and his widow residing at 4 Powers Place, Lewisham.
By 20 June 1916 his army effects totalling £2-19s-11d had been sent to his widow and on 4 April 1917 she was awarded a pension of £1-3s-6d per week for herself and her three children. His £3-0s-0d war gratuity was sent to his widow on 19 September 1919, who in the 1st quarter of 1919 had married George W. Roseman in the Camberwell registration district.
He is shown as Private J. Carr on the Screen Wall in Brockley Cemetery. He is also commemorated on the Lewisham War Memorials website, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Bedfordshire Regiment Roll of Honour.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
