John Charles Higginson

John Charles Higginson, known as Charles, was one of the two sons of Susan Judge’s second marriage. He was born in 1873 in Ireland. Charles married Mary Jane Walton in Houghton le Spring Registry Office on the 26th of November 1896. In 1901 Charles was working as a hewer at the local pit and the family were living at 28 Low Downs Square in Hetton Downs in County Durham. By 1915 the family had moved to 31 Jane Street, Hetton Downs, Hetton-le-Hole, Co. Durham.

Thanks to Thelma, Charles’s granddaughter, I know that Charles and Mary had at least eight children and I think probably ten in all, although this needs to be confirmed by a little more research.

The children of Charles and Mary were:

Margaret b. 1897

Thomas b. 20 August 1899

Susan b. 5 June 1901

John Charles b. 9 April 1903

Jane b. 28 November 1906

Georgina b. 31 July 1908

Twins William and Ada b. 24 March 1910

Dora b. 8 June 1915 (died the same year)

Samuel. b. 1920

Giving his age as 37 Charles enlisted in the British Army in 1915 joining the 27 Tyneside Irish, a Service battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, transferring to the Labour Corps in November 1917.  He served in France from January 1916 until October 1918.
Although there is some discrepancy in age I'm sure checking the census will give some indication as to his true age.