Person

James was born on 2 April 1888 in Westoe, South Shields and was baptised seventeen days later. He was the son of Carlisle-born school attendance officer William Sewell and his wife, Margaret, who had married ten years earlier. William and Margaret had four other sons and just the one daughter, Gertrude. By 1911 James too was working for the local education authority as a clerk; his younger brother Walter was also a clerk, but he was in a local solicitor’s office.

It was with Walter that James emigrated to Canada, sailing on SS Empress of Britain from Liverpool to Quebec at the end of August 1913. James settled in Vancouver working again as a bookkeeper-cum-clerk. On 7 June 1916 James Parker Sewell enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in Vancouver, becoming Sapper 505356 in the Canadian Engineers. Within six weeks he was back in England based at the Engineers Training Depot at Shorncliffe, Kent. James did not get to France; by January 1917 he was promoted to corporal and two months later to orderly room sergeant at Crowborough Camp near Tunbridge Wells.

Granted permission to marry, James returned home and, at the end of November, married Gladys Vassie in Whitley Bay. Gladys then moved to live in Seaford, Sussex to be near James.

January 1918 saw Sergeant Sewell listed in the London Gazette as having been “mentioned in despatches for valuable services rendered in connection with the war”, something that took place in August the previous year.

April 1918 saw James admitted to hospital in Eastbourne, with what was initially diagnosed with laryngitis. This was changed to tuberculosis and he was transferred to the Canadian Specialist Hospital, Lenham, Kent. Reverting to the rank of sapper, James was invalided to Canada and hospital in Vancouver in November 1918, and was discharged from the CEF as physically unfit for service in January.

Sapper 505356 James Parker Sewell died in Balfour Sanatorium, British Columbia on 24 April 1919 and his death was listed as due to his service. He is buried in a military plot in City Cemetery, Nelson, British Columbia.

Civil Parish: South Shields

Birth date: 02-Apr-1888

Death date: 24-Apr-1919

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 34 Winchester Street, South Shields (1891 census)
7 Madeira Terrace, South Shields (1901 census)
14 Romily Street, South Shields (1911 census)
2275 7th Avenue West, Vancouver, British Columbia (enlistment papers)

Religion: Congregationalist

Employment: clerk, local education office (1911 census)

Family: Parents: William Sewell, Margaret Jane Sewell nee Farrow
Siblings: Thomas Sewell, William Sewell, Gertrude Sewell, John James Sewell, Walter Sewell
Wife: Gladys Alice Sewell nee Vassie

Military service:

505356
Sapper
Canadian Engineers

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal
Mentioned in Despatches

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham