Private James Carson
James Carson was born on 19 October 1889 at 23 Mulhouse Street, Belfast, the first of six children of factory overlooker (later mill manager) William Carson and his wife Margaret (née Livingston). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 29 Woodvale Road with his parents and five sisters and working as a clerk in a foundry.
Carson enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 1 October 1914 (No.1228 – later Corps of Hussars No.71290). On 1 May 1915 he embarked for France with D Squadron, which at the time was serving as divisional cavalry to the 51st Division.
In May 1916 D Squadron came together with A and E Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Carson remained with the regiment throughout the war (though whether he was overseas for the whole time is not known at present). On 10 February 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After his discharge from the army, Carson returned to Woodvale Road and found employment as a clerk. On 28 August 1920 he married Mary (May) McFadden at the Rugby Avenue Congregational Church, Belfast.
Carson died on 2 July 1956 in the Ards Hospital after being badly burned in an accident at the Bangor Cricket Club. He was buried in the Clandeboye Cemetery, Bangor.
Gravestone image sourced from Billion Graves website.