Burns, James

Rifleman

No. 9287, Depot, Royal Irish Rifles

Died of disease on Monday 19 July 1915 (aged 24)

Buried:

Bangor Old Abbey Churchyard, Co. Down (South-West part)

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Bangor and District War Memorial

Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque

Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum

Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for

Conlig Presbyterian Church

BIOGRAPHY

James Burns was born on 16 February 1891 in Fisher’s Hill, Bangor and he was a son of Joseph and Georgina Burns (nee Patterson) who were married on 26 September 1884 in St Anne’s Church of Ireland Church Belfast.  Joseph Burns (aged 23), a sailor from Dock Street, Belfast was a son of John Burns, a labourer.  Georgina Patterson (aged 24), a servant from Ormeau Road, Belfast was a daughter of George Patterson.

The Burns family lived at 16 West Street, Bangor, and also in Conlig.

Joseph Burns was a sailor and he and Georgina had eight children:

Josephina (born 3 October 1885 in Fisher’s Hill, Bangor)

Lizzie (born 13 July 1887 in Fisher’s Hill, Bangor)

Kathleen (Catherine, born 18 December 1888 in Fisher’s Hill, Bangor)

James (born 16 February 1891 in Fisher’s Hill, Bangor)

John (born 3 July 1893 in Albert Street, Bangor)

Theodore William (born 20 December 1895 in New Street, Bangor)

Ruth (born 20 January 1898 in Ballymagee Street, Bangor)

Joseph (born 25 August 1899 in Ballymagee Street, Bangor)

Their mother Georgina died and their father Joseph remarried around 1903

His second wife’s name was Annie.

Rifleman James Burns (No. 9287) was 24 when he died of cardiac failure and chronic pulmonary tuberculosis at home in Conlig on 19 July 1915

His stepmother, Annie, was present when he died.

Rifleman James Burns (No. 9287) was buried in Bangor Old Abbey Churchyard and he is commemorated on the Bangor and District War Memorial; on the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum and in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for Conlig Presbyterian Church.