John William's Story.
EARLY LIFE
John William Dennerley was born on 29 December 1888 and baptised at Christ Church, Macclesfield on 7th February 1889, the son of Hannah and William Henry Dennerley, a cotton weaver of 33 Bond Street, Macclesfield. In 1891 the family was living at the same address with William Henry's parents and also included John's baby sister Florrie.
By 1901 the family had moved to their own home at 11 Lyon Street, Macclesfield and included two more children: Annie (6) and Ralph (1). Another move took place during the next ten years, to 55 Fence Street, and during this time three more children were born: Albert (8), Lily (5) and Harriett (2).
In 1912 John married Harriet Brandreth at Hurdsfield Holy Trinity Church, Macclesfield. A daughter, Constance Emily, was born in 1913. Harriet later lived at 101 Waterloo Street, Macclesfield.
WW1 SERVICE
John was reported to be missing in the Macclesfield Times on 30 November 1917:
PTE J W DENNERLEY
Official news has reached Mrs Dennerley, 101 Waterloo St, Macclesfield, that her husband, Pte John William Dennerley, Northumberland Fusiliers, was posted missing on October 26th. A letter from a comrade also states that Pte Dennerley was wounded. Educated at Christ Church School, Pte Dennerley is twenty-eight years of age and was formerly connected with Mill Street Mission. In civil life he was employed as a cotton weaver at the Lower Heyes Mill. Pte Dennerley enlisted two years ago and had been in France about eleven months. His brother, Pte Ralph Dennerley, King's Liverpool Regt, is in training in England. Pte Albert Brandreth, Cheshire Regt, who was killed in action in France twelve months ago, is Mrs Dennerley's brother.
His death was confirmed in the Macclesfield Times on 15 February 1918:
DIED OF WOUNDS IN A GERMAN FIELD HOSPITAL
Mrs Dennerley, 101 Waterloo St, Macclesfield, has been officially notified that her husband... who was reported missing on October 28th 1917, died on December 7th of wounds sustained in action. Mrs Dennerley has received a communication from the Red Cross Society at Geneva, from which it appears that her husband died in a German field hospital at Lichtervelde from the effects of a wound in the lung...
A memorial service to the late Pte Dennerley was conducted at Mill Street Mission on Sunday by Mr N B Storey... Mr Storey stated that Pte Dennerley had been connected with the Mission since boyhood, having been converted there... He was Secretary of the Band of Hope for over ten years and was most regular in his attendance at the meetings.... Lieut Frank Morris, who acted along with Pte Dennerley as co-secretary of the Band of Hope, read the lesson...
Private Dennerley had in fact died on 7th November 1917, not December as stated in the newspaper.
Private Dennerley was buried in a German military cemetery close to where he died. After the war his body was exhumed and reinterred in Harlebeke New British Cemetery.
COMMEMORATION
Private John Dennerley is buried in Grave Ref. XI. B. 7. of the Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Belgium. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private John Dennerley, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Private John Dennerley is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael’s Church, Ebenezer Chapel, Mill Street Mission and Christ Church School war memorials.
NOTES
Brother of Private Ralph Dennerley who served with the King's Liverpool Regt; brother-in-law of Private Albert Brandreth, 5th Cheshire Regt, who was killed in action in France on 17th June 1916.
SOURCES
GRO Indexes: Births, Marriages
Cheshire BMD: Marriages
England Census: 1891, 1901, 1911
Soldiers Died In The Great War 1914-1919 (FInd My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Lives of the First World War website
Macclesfield Times: 30 November 1917, 15 February 1918
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.