Virtual
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Australia

John Horace Gloster BENSON was born on 31st July, 1877 in Norwood, South Australia

His parents were John BENSON and Charlotte Deborah FITZGIBBON who married on 2nd November, 1862 at Bray Parish, Rathdown, County Wicklow, Ireland

He was a Sailor on a Merchant ship & received his certificate of competency as 2nd mate on 15th October, 1898 - issued in Dublin - he later enlisted to serve in WW1

John Horace served in the Army in a British Unit (details unknown)

He served in the Transport Service of the Allied Forces

John Horace Gloster was also recorded under the name of John Horace Gloucester BENSON

He married in India on 4th May, 1904 to Amy Florence HIGGINSON who was a widow aged 41 years - at the time he was in the Mercantile Marine

One known child Hawtrey Cyril BENSON born 1st July, 1904 in Calcutta who died in 1976 in Colchester, England - this child was named after Johns brother Hawtrey Cyril who was born in South Australia

John died on 26th August, 1918 and was buried on 30th August, 1918 in Christ Church in Folkestone, Kent, England

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His brother Alexander Vigors BENSON served as a Captain in WW1 and returned to Australia in 1918

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

[Note: There are different spellings of his second middle name – Gloster, Glocester & Gloucester. They have been listed below as found in the record concerned]

John Horace Gloster Benson was born at Norwood, South Australia on 31st July, 1877 to parents John & Charlotte Deborah Benson (nee Fitzgibbon).  His birth was registered in the district of Norwood, South Australia. John Horace Glocester Benson was baptised in St. Bartholomew’s Church, Norwood, South Australia.

Dr John Benson, father of John Horace Gloster Benson, died on 8th July, 1877 at Kensington, South Australia.

On 17th August, 1892 John Horace Gloster Benson was indentured into the Merchant Navy in London, England, aged 15.

He gained his Certificate of Competency as Second Mate on a Foreign-Going Ship on 15th October, 1898.

John Horace Gloucester Benson married Amy Florence Higginson on 4th May, 1904 in Office of the Senior Marriage Registrar of Calcutta, West Bengal, India. John Benson was recorded as a 26 year old Mercantile Marine residing at 12 Hastings Street, Calcutta & Amy Florence Higginson was a widow, aged 41, residing at 292 Circular Road, Calcutta.

A son – Hawtrey Cyril Benson was born on 1st July, 1904 at Calcutta, India. He was baptised on 7th August, 1904 at the Church of St. James, Calcutta. According to the Baptism Register his parents resided at Calcutta & John Horace Gloucester Benson was listed as a Mercantile Marine.

Mercantile Marine:

During the First World War, the Merchant Navy - the Mercantile Marine - was thrust into the conflict, becoming the supply service of the Royal Navy.

It carried troops, shipped raw materials, and delivered armaments and supplies to the armed forces. To keep the country from starvation, it transported food to Britain’s home front and coal, iron, and other essential goods to keep factories in production.

(Information from Historic England)

The Absent Voters List for Hastings, East Sussex 1917 – 1918 recorded Benson, John Horace, 24 Upper Park Road, Commander, H.M.S. “Nizan” M.M.

The 1918 Electoral Register for Hastings, East Sussex recorded John Horace Benson & Amy Florence Benson of 24 Upper Park Road.

John Horace Gloster Benson died on 26th August, 1918 at Leas Hotel, Clifton Gardens, Folkestone, Kent, England.        

His body was brought from The Mortuary at Folkestone & he was buried in Cheriton Road Cemetery, Folkestone, Kent, England - Section A Grave 689 (as listed in Burial Register). The Burial Register recorded the following details: Captain in Merchant Service & was aged 41 years.

John Horace Benson’s Grave position is now recorded as Plot 17 Grave 689 – unmarked grave.

Newspaper item – Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate And Cheriton Herald, England – 31 August, 1918:

SEA CAPTAIN’S DEATH

FIRST LOCAL INQUEST WITHOUT A JURY

The first inquest in Folkestone without a jury was held by the Coroner (Mr G. W. Haines) on Wednesday at the Town Hall. Deceased was Mr John Horace Bedson, a captain in the Mercantile Marine, then residing at the Leas Hotel.

Mr E. J. Chadwick, Coroner’s Officer, said the body was identified in his presence by Mrs Vinnicombe as that of John Horace Bedson, aged 41, who had resided at the Leas Hotel.

Mr T. H. Vinnicombe, proprietor of the Leas Hotel, said he had known deceased about eight years. His home was in Adelaide, Australia. Witness did not know if he was married. He was a captain in the Mercantile Marine, employed by Messrs Turner and Co., London, and was master of the S. S. Nizan. He came to stay at the Leas Hotel on sick leave on June 17th, and left on July 2nd. On July 23rd he returned, and told witness that when he was at Bournemouth his dog was fighting with another dog, and in parting the, the strange dog bit him on the leg. He dressed the leg himself and did not then go to the doctor. About ten days ago he sent down a message asking for a doctor. Dr Streatfeild was sent for and came the same day. When deceased retuned in July he seemed run down, and said he had had an awful time. He also told witness that he himself injected something into his leg to sure the bite.

Nurse Bingham 141, Sandgate-rd,. said she had nursed deceased since August 16th. He told her he had been in the water and thought he had caught a chill. She noticed that there was a wound between the toes, from which inflammation was spreading. He died on the night of August 26th. He did not tell witness he had cut himself.

Dr Streatfeild said he first saw deceased on August 16th. He was in b ed with a severe shivering fit and a temperature of 102. His pulse was very bad. He found he had a wound in the right calf, which deceased said was caused by a dog bite some five weeks before. It was not looking well, but was fairly healed. There was also an unhealthy-looking wound on one of the toes of the right foot. The inflammation from the toe spread up his leg and arm of the opposite side. He had also a patch of inflammation over the right elbow. Late he developed symptoms of pleurisy and congestion of the lungs, and finally died on August 26th.

A post-mortem examination showed death to be due to septic poisoning of the blood, followed by septic pleurisy and congestion of the lungs. He should think the infection came from the wound on the toe, and not from the dog bite.

The Coroner found that deceased died from septic pleurisy arising from septic poisoning of the blood.

John Horace Gloster Benson is not listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  He is, however, listed on the Commemorative Roll Book, located in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/cheriton-road.html