Person:John Meekins (4)

John Meakins was born on 9th September 1872 at Southwark in the southern suburbs of London, son of a hawker called Ann Meakins, formerly Walter, and her husband John Meakins, a costermonger. In February 1880, when young John was only seven years old, his father died.

The 1881 census finds John living with his mother and siblings at 14 Fox’s Buildings in Southwark. Later that year John’s mother married a John Thompson, who thus became John’s stepfather. John’s mother died in December 1890.

John’s next sighting is in March 1893, aged twenty, when he enlisted into the army. He called himself John Thompson when he joined up, using his stepfather’s surname. In November 1894 he was posted abroad, to serve in India. In 1900, whilst based at Lucknow in northern India, John wrote to the army authorities to notify them that he was reverting to his birth name of Meakins rather than Thompson.

In September 1902, after nearly eight years in India, John was transferred to South Africa, where the Second Boer War had recently ended. He stayed in South Africa for about eighteen months, before transferring back to Britain.

On 11th July 1904, aged 31, John married a widow called Eliza Bibby (formerly Large) at St Mark’s Church in the Walworth area of Southwark in London. She had three surviving children from her first marriage.

John and Eliza went on to have another five children between 1905 and 1915, although their first child died young.

John retired from the army in 1909 and worked as a dock labourer. The 1911 census finds John, Eliza and their children (including her three children from her first marriage) living at 10 Eltham Street in the Walworth area of Southwark.

In August 1914, a few days after Britain joined the First World War, John rejoined the army. He would later be posted to France on at least two separate occasions. He was only demobilised from the army in February 1919 after the war was over.

Eliza died in 1926, aged 55.

In 1929, John married again. His second wife was a widow called Harriet Annie Jeffery, formerly Benbow.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, John and Harriet were living at 7 Eltham Street in Southwark. John described himself as “late engine driver now watchman”.

John died on 1st June 1949 at Lambeth Hospital, aged 76. Harriet survived him by thirteen years.

1. ↑ General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office)
   Births index.

   b. John MEAKINS, December Quarter 1872, St Saviour Southwark Registration District, Volume 1d, page 34, mother’s maiden name Walters

2. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 521; Folio 130; Page 33, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 14 Foxes Buildings, Southwark (St George the Martyr), Surrey
   Ann Meekings, mother, widow, female, 39 [1841/2], Hawker, b. London
   Mary Ann Meekings, daughter, female, 18 [1862/3], Rabbit Skinner, b. London
   John Meekings, son, male, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. London
   Hannah Meekings, daughter, female, 14 [1866/7], Scholar, b. London

3.   British Army Pension Records (The National Archives, Kew)
   WO364; Piece 4178.

   Summary of information:
   No. 4447
   Name: John Thompson alias Meakins
   Corps: Scottish Rifles
   Joined at Aldershot on 17th March 1893
   Born: Southwark, Surrey
   Age: 20y 6m
   Trade: Leather Dresser
   Not married
   Currently serving in 3rd West Surrey Regiment
   Signs “John Thompson”
   Height: 5 feet 5½ inches
   Weight: 133 lbs
   Complexion: Fair
   Eyes: Dark
   Hair: Dark
   Religious denomination: Church of England
   Tattooed over left forearm spur and boat
   Served 17 Mar 1893 to 16 Mar 1909, rank Private, discharged at termination of engagement
   Served in:
   Home 17 Mar 1893 to 29 Nov 1894
   India 30 Nov 1894 to 17 Mar 1902
   South Africa 18 Mar 1902 to 13 Sep 1903
   Home 14 Sep 1902 to 16 Mar 1909
   Next of kin: Sisters (elder): Mrs Hannah Ralph, 7 North Row, East Street, Walworth / Mary Ann Palmer, 11 Isabella Street, Oakley Street, Waterloo Road, London
   Particulars as to marriage: Eliza Bibby, widow, 11 Jul 1904 at Walworth, Newington, London
   
   Re-enlisted (as John Meakins) 30 Aug 1914
   Casual labourer, aged 43 years 355 days
   Served as Private in Scottish Rifles 30 Aug 1914 to 4 Oct 1917 when transferred to Labour Corps and promoted to Sergeant
   Transferred to Army Reserve on demobilization 21 Feb 1919
   Served in:
   Home 30 Aug 1914 to 3 Nov 1914
   France 4 Nov 1914 to 15 Dec 1914
   Home 16 Dec 1914 to 23 Nov 1915
   France 24 Nov 1915 to [blank]
   Next of kin: Wife Eliza Meakins, Son John, Daughters Eliza, Florrie[?], Jane, Henrietta, Hilda, all of 7 Eltham Street, Walworth
   Marriage: to Eliza Bibby, St Marks, Walworth, SE, 11 Jul 1904
   Children:
   John William b. 6 Dec1906, Southwark
   Henrietta b. 7 Jun 1909, Walworth
   Hilda b. 19 Apr 1912, Walworth
   Olave b. 16 Apr 1915, Walworth
   
   Letter:
   I John Meakins so solemnly and sincerely declare that I was enlisted on the 17th March 1893, under the name of John Thompson, which name I now declare to be incorrect. The name of John Meakins, contained in the accompanying certificate of birth, I now declare to be my true name, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act made and passed in the sixth year of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, chap. 62, entitled “the Statutory Declaration Act 1835.”
   John Meakins P[riva]te
   1st Cameronians Sco[ttish] Rif[les]
   Declared before me at Lucknow this 24th day of April 1900 [illegible signature]
   
   Copy of death certificate in file – died 1 Jun 1949 at Lambeth Hospital

4. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 1814; Schedule 254, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 10 Eltham Street, Brandon Street, Walworth, London SE (Parish of Newington, borough of Southwark)
   4 rooms occupied
   John Meakins, head, male, 40 [1870/1], married 6 years, 3 children born to marriage, 2 children still living, Dock Labourer, worker, b. Southwark, London
   Eliza Meakins, wife, female, 38 [1872/3], married, Occupation None, b. Southwark, London
   Eliza Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 18 [1892/3], single, Box Maker – Perfumery, worker, b. Southwark, London
   Florence Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 15 [1895/6], single, b. Southwark, London
   Jennie Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 12 [1898/9], Occupation None, b. Southwark, London
   John Meakins, son, male, 4 [1906/7], b. Southwark, London
   Henrietta Meakins, daughter, female, 1 [1909/10], b. Southwark, London
   William Bibby, brother in law, male, 47 [1863/4], single, Horse Keeper – Carman Contractor, worker, b. Lambrest, Sussex
   Albert Beacham, friend, male, 30 [1880/1], single, Warehouse Man – byder[?], b. Weston super Mare, Somerset

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Southwark Metropolitan Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 7 Eltham Street, Southwark, London
   MEAKINS, John / male / b. 9 Sep 1872 / married / late Engine Driver now Watchman
   MEAKINS, Harriet A. / female / b. 18 Apr 1889 / married / unpaid domestic duties
   [two records closed]

6. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District LAMBETH
   1949. Death in the Sub-district of PRINCE'S in the METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   441	First June 1949 Lambeth Hospital	John Meakins	Male	76 years [1872/3]	of 7 Eltham Street Southwark a Night Watchman (retired)	1a Broncho pneumonia b Englarged prostate c Suprapubic cystostomy... [illegible] Certified by D.H. [illegible]	L. Jeffery Step daughter 7 Eltham Street SE17	Second June 1949	E.N. Read, Registrar

7. ↑ Nunhead Cemetery, Camberwell, London: Cemetery Registers (London Borough of Southwark).

   Date: 7 Jun 1949
   Name: John Meakins
   Age: 76 [1872/3]
   Number: 42353
   Square: 13