Private James Martin
Number: 9404
Company: 46th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion
ENLISTMENT
Date: 6 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 27 years 6 months
Trade or calling: Draper's assistant
Place of birth: Parish Ballybay, Town Ballybay, County Monaghan
Family: Father Samuel, Lisgonin, Ballybay. Wife Margaret, 49 London Road, Belfast.
Previous military service: No
Description: Height 5' 6". Complexion fresh, eyes grey, hair brown. Little finger left hand contracted.
Religion: Church of England
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 3 March 1900
Campaigns: South Africa 1900
Service medal, clasps and other awards: South Africa Medal. Cape Colony and Orange Free State clasps.
DEATH
Date: 30 May 1900
Place: Lindley
Cause: Killed in action
Commemorated: Martin is buried in the Lindley Cemetery (images below). He is commemorated on the Lindley Cemetery Memorial; and on the Yeomanry Kop Memorial, Lindley.
The Northern Whig reported on 8 June 1900 that:
Trooper J. Martin is a native of Belfast, and had been engaged as a commercial traveller in the city up to the time of his joining 'A' Company. He resided at London Road, Mountpottinger, and unfortunately leaves a wife and children, whose bereavement is particularly sad. He was older than most of his comrades, being about thirty years of age.
On 26 June the Belfast Evening Telegraph announced an appeal for donations to help support Martin's widow and children.
On 29 August the Newry Reporter published a letter from James Cleland which included the following reference:
We had five days hard fighting at Lindley. Poor Martin was riddled with bullets. The only Newryman killed was poor Tom Walker.
The caption to the image of Martin above, from the Belfast Evening Telegraph of 12 June 1900, reads:
He was the son of Mr. J. Martin, farmer, Ballybay, County Monaghan, served his apprenticeship to the drapery business in Enniskillen, and subsequently represented the firm of Henry Mack, wholesale drapers, Donegall Street, Belfast.
This page last updated 8 July 2024.