BORN HULL 12/11/1880. ONLY SURVIVING CHILD OF THE LATE JOHN THOMAS APPLETON & ANN MOODY (1846-1894).

A MILKMAN. HE MARRIED ELIZABETH THOMPSON WEBSTER, AT SCULCOATES, HULL, IN 1900. THE MARRIAGE WAS SHORT.

HIS MEDICAL RECORDS DESCRIBE HIM AS 5 FOOT. 3.5 INCHES TALL, 105 LBS WEIGHT, A 34 INCH CHEST SIZE. BLUE EYES, LIGHT BROWN HAIR, FAIR COMPLEXION. 'GOOD' VISION, A 'FAIR' PHYSIQUE, CHURCH OF ENGLAND RELIGION.

HE HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM HIS WIFE FOR 13 YEARS, AND HAD BEEN COHABITING FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, WITH EMMA JANE LEWIS. THEY LIVED AT 10, EMMAS TERRACE, MARMADUKE STREET, HULL & 12, BELLE VUE TERRACE, ALEXANDRA STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS), WITH HER DAUGHTER, HILDA ETHEL LEWIS.

HE ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 03/09/1914, AGED 30 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS. ARRIVED IN FRANCE, ON 13/07/1915. SERVED WITH THE 7TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. WOUNDED BY A SHELL IN THE LEFT SHOULDER, ON 01/03/1916. INVALIDED TO ENGLAND ON 09/03/1916. HE DIED OF TETNUS WOUNDS, ON 18/03/1916, AGED 36, AT THE GOSFORTH WAR HOSPITAL. HE HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR 1 YEAR AND 198 DAYS.

HIS UNOFFICIAL WIFE, MISS LEWIS, WAS AT HIS BEDSIDE AND REPORTED THAT SHE HAD NEVER MET HIS WIFE AND DID NOT KNOW HER ADDRESS. SHE WAS NOT CONSIDERED A NEXT OF KIN AND HIS WAR ALLOWANCE WAS PAID TO HER CHILD. SHE MARRIED AND BECAME EMMA JANE SEWARD.

HIS FORMER WIFE, ELIZABETH ALSO REMARRIED AND WAS LIVING AT 1, INGRAM PLACE, PROTER STREET, HULL  WITH TWO CHILDREN, JOHN WILLIAM ESCRITT (BORN 28/3/1904) AND ROBERT, BORN ON 7/12/1906. SHE WAS NOT GRANTED ANY WAR PENSION.

JOHN RICHARD APPLETON IS BURIED ST NICHOLAS CHURCH, GOSFORTH.