John Alexander Binyon, Paget's Horse.

Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State", "Transvaal", "South Africa 1901" and "South Africa 1902".

31039 Pte. J. A. Binyon, 51st Company, Imperial Yeomanry.

 

Bank clerk William John Binyon married Maria Elizabeth Peacock on 30th August 1879 and their first child, John Alexander Binyon, was born on 24th November 1880. In April 1881, the family were living on Richmond Road, Kingston on Thames. John Alexander was baptised on 18th December 1881 in All Saints Church, Kingston. The family had now moved to nearby Thorpe Road. The 1891 Census records the family, now consisting of William (33), Maria (36) and their four children, John Alexander (10), Evelyn Maria (8), Hilda Margaret (5) and Herbert William (2), together with a 24 year old Welsh servant girl called Mary Isaacs, living at 27 King's Road, Kingston on Thames.

By the time of the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 59 Old Southend Road, Southend, and William, now aged 43, was working as chief cashier at the London & County Bank. John Alexander Binyon does not appear on the 1901 Census as exactly one month before, on 1st March 1901, he had walked into a recruitment office in Carlton Street, St James, London and enlisted in the ranks of Paget's Horse, a privately raised unit of the Imperial Yeomanry, agreeing to serve one year with the Colours. The Medical Officer, Hastings Stewart, had examined him the previous day, found him to be 5' 6" tall, 138lbs in weight, with light brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion and pronounced him "fit for the army." His Attestation Papers state his age as 20 years and 3 months, his religion as Church of England, his trade as (architect's) assistant and mention that he had served 2 years with the 1st Essex Volunteer Artillery.

Newly recruited into the 51st Company, 19th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, John Alexander Binyon was soon on his way to South Africa to play his part in the fight against the Boers. His Papers state that his service there was from 18th March 1901 till 28th April 1902, a total of one year and 42 days, which earned him entitlement to the Queen's South Africa Medal. In January 1902, while serving with Lord Methuen's column, he became ill with a severe case of enteric fever and was admitted to Mafeking Hospital. In March 1902, a medical board at Kimberley examined John's case, decided it was the result of his conditions of service and the climate and recommended his return to England. He was still suffering from debility and had lost a lot of weight.

Soon after his return to England, John was discharged at Shorncliffe Camp on 29th May 1902. He had served a total of one year and 90 days in the Imperial Yeomanry. His intended place of residence was Reading, where his parents, having moved from Southend, were now living. At some point in the next few years, it seems that John moved to Lancashire and met a woman called Emily Harding. Their son, Alexander William Binyon, was born on 7th December 1907. The family appear on the 1911 Census which gives their address as 9 Ellison Street, Green Lane, Stoneycroft and John's occupation as a general labourer working for a sugar refiner. According to the online genealogy sources, the marriage of John and Emily only seems to have been registered in the last quarter of 1914. Were they just living together when they filled in the 1911 Census but not legally married? Did the outbreak of war and John's imminent prospect of going overseas spur them to legalise their relationship? Or are the online sources at fault? It is impossible to say for sure but there certainly seems to be ample scope for speculation here.

When war broke out in August 1914, 951 Bombardier John Alexander Binyon served with the Royal Field Artillery on the Western Front from September 1915. When the Territorial Force was renumbered in 1917, his new number (675181) indicates service with the 285th Brigade (2/1st West Lancashire) RFA, part of the Divisional artillery for 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division. John later transferred to the Royal Engineers. He survived the war but sadly his younger brother, Herbert William Binyon, was killed with the 102nd Canadian Infantry in the Battle of Vimy Ridge on 12th May 1917. He was 28 years old. Around the beginning of April 1918, John's wife Emily also died although the cause of death is not known. John returned to live with his parents, who were now in Wallingford, for a couple of years, and then seems to have returned to the Liverpool area.

On 22nd February 1922, John Alexander Binyon married Jane Jones, his second wife, at the church of St John the Evangelist in Breck Road, Everton. He was 41 years old and working as a commercial traveller. His new wife was 23. In the early 1930s, John and Jane moved back to London and were living at 68 Weltje Road, Hammersmith. In 1936 the couple were at 8 Bickenhall Mansions W1. The 1939 Register records John, now working as a housekeeper and office caretaker, living with his wife on the Strand in the City of Westminster. In the early 1960s, John, again a widower, lived at 179 Holders Hill Road, NW7. He died on 31st July 1963 at the age of 82.