Private John Carson
John Carson was born on 15 March 1883 in James Street, Ballymena, County Antrim, the second of thirteen children of cooper John Carson and his wife Ann (née Stewart). At the time of the 1901 Census he was living in Newry Street, Banbridge, County Down, with his parents and eight of his siblings, and working as a cooper. On 23 December 1903 he married Minnie Campbell in the Church of Ireland's Church of the Holy Trinity in Seapatrick, County Down. The couple had at least six children over the next eighteen years.
Between 1903 and 1908 Carson moved to England. At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 42 Stowell Street, Salford, near Manchester, with his wife, two children, a brother and a brother-in-law, and working as a cooper in a brewery.
Carson enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Antrim on 11 September 1916 (No.2276 – later Corps of Hussars No.71735). He was described as being 5' 7¼" tall, and was marked with scars on his neck. He gave his age as 36, and his trade as a cooper.
He was reported to have deserted on 1 December 1916, but must have been apprehended or returned to duty, for in January 1918 he embarked for Egypt with a draft of North Irish Horsemen from the regiment's Antrim reserve camp. There he was attached to the 1/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers). At the beginning of July 1918 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry) (No.169463).
On 10 March 1919 Carson was discharged, being 'no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392 (xvi), King's Regulations), having contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. He was awarded a pension as his illness was contracted while he was in the army. Following his discharge he lived at 60 Newcastle Street, Belfast. He died there as a result of the tuberculosis on 29 December 1921 and was buried in the Dundonald Cemetery.
At least two of Carson's brothers also served in the war: William in the 150th Field Company, Royal Engineers (64658), wounded in France in April 1918; and Charles (10/27599) in the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
This page last updated 30 January 2024.