225630 L/Sgt. John William Russell British Army 6th Btn. Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment from:12 Cook St, Skipton (d.7th May 1918) Corporal John Russell, of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, who lived at 12 Cook Street, Skipton, whose father was John William Russell (deceased) and who had been a boatman, married Dorcas Isobel Amy Gray, who lived at Devonshire, House, West Grove, Hersham, Surrey, whose father was William Day(deceased)and who had been a gardener. The marriage was carried out in Hersham Parish Church and the witnesses were members of the bride's family. John William Russell is listed as a 29 year old bachelor but his birth certificate, seen by me, reveals his age to have actually been 31. Dorcas Isobal Amy Gray nee Day is listed as a 22 year old widow. Her first husband was Walter Edwin Gray, a private in the 9th. Battalion, East Surrey Regiment who had been killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915, and she had a son, Walter James Gray aged just over 3 years. No information has become available as to how and when the couple met but the date of the wedding was after the Battle of Poelcapelle and John William Russell was presumably on leave. There are no known children from this marriage.
Lance Sergeant Russell died in Farnham, Surrey, Military Hospital of wounds on the 7th of May from gunshot wounds to the chest & shoulder received in action 24 days earlier. He was buried in Skipton (Waltonwrays) cemetery on 11th of May 1918, where his grave is marked by a C.W.G.C. headstone. His widow, Dorcas Isobel Amy Russell, organised the burial and is presumed to have travelled from Surrey to Skipton with the coffin. This grave became a family grave, although only John William Russell's name appears, and his younger sister, Margaret Ann Dawson nee Russell, and his aunt, Margaret Smith nee Birtle, also lie here.
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