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Private Joseph H. Jess

 

The background of this North Irish Horseman is not clear. He may, however, have been the Joseph Henry Jess born on 11 July 1887 at Ballykeel, Lisburn, County Down, the fifth of thirteen children of weaver Joseph Jess and his wife Mary Jane (née Murdoch). The family moved to Scotland between 1902 and 1910, settling in New Lanark. Joseph's father died there in 1910 and his mother three years later. On 10 March 1910 he married Elizabeth Simpson. At the time of the 1911 Census the couple and their daughter were living at 7 Water Row, New Lanark, Joseph working as a cloth weaver in a cotton mill.

Jess registered for military service, enlisted or was called up on 24 June 1916. The following year, between 1 and 6 August, he was posted to the North Irish Horse (regimental number 2645 or 2646 – later Corps of Hussars No.71933). He remained at the regimental reserve camp at Antrim until 9 January 1919, when he was discharged as 'surplus to military requirements, not having suffered impairment since entry into the service' (paragraph 392(xxv)(a), King's Regulations).