John Charles's Story.
EARLY LIFE
John Charles Broadhead was born in 1885 and baptised on 8 March 1886 at Rainow Parish Church, the son of Jane Mary (née Sutton) and Charles Broadhead, a farmer of Kerridge End, Rainow. In 1891, five-year-old John was living at New Barn Farm, Rainow with his parents and siblings Harry (21), Daniel (15), Fanny (14), Ethel (10), Alice Jane (8) and Louie (8 months). By 1901 only Daniel and John were still living there with their parents, and John was employed as a stone dresser.
WW1 SERVICE
John attested with the 7th Cheshire Regiment on 9 December 1915 and was called for service on 3 March 1916, and given service number 4382. Private Broadhead was drafted overseas via Southampton and Rouen on 25 October 1916, and transferred to the 10th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment with service number 50041 on 15 November 1916. He was killed in action three months later, on 15 February 1917.
The death of Private Broadhead was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 31 March 1917:
RAINOW SOLDIER'S DEATH - Private John Broadhead... was killed on February 17th while taking part in an attack on the German trenches. He was the son of Mr and Mrs C Broadhead, Kerridge End, Rainow, and prior to enlisting in March 1916 was employed as a carter by Messrs Wetton and Sons, stone merchants, Bollington. Private Broadhead was 31 years of age.
COMMEMORATION
Private John Broadhead is buried in grave ref. I. O. 16. of the Berks Cemetery Extension, Hainaut, Belgium. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private John Broadhead.
Locally, Private John Broadhead is commemorated on the Rainow war memorial.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Cheshire Parish Baptism Registers: Rainow Parish Church
Census (England & Wales): 1891, 1901
WWI British Army Service Records (Find My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 31 March 1917
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.