Morrow, James (Jim)
Rifleman
No. 13/6013, 11th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 17)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Carrowdore Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
James Morrow was born on 21 November 1898 in Carrowdore, baptised in Carrowdore Presbyterian Church and he was a son of James and Agnes Warnock Morrow (nee Coulter) who were married on 7 January 1898 in Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church. His mother, Agnes Warnock Morrow (nee Coulter) was born on 24 March 1872 in the townland of Grangee and she was a daughter of James and Catherine Coulter (nee Kennedy) who were married on 27 January 1871 in Fourth Newtownards Presbyterian Church. James Coulter from Grangee was a son of John Coulter, a farmer. Catherine Kennedy (aged 18) from Grangee was a daughter of Patrick Kennedy, a labourer.
Before she was married, Agnes Warnock Coulter had a daughter, Catherine, who was born on 4 August 1896 in Grangee. Catherine Coulter lived in Carrowdore with her grandparents, James and Catherine Coulter. [Catherine Coulter (aged 18) from the townland of Ballyrawer and Robert Burrows from the townland of Ballyfrenis were married on 20 November 1914 in Carrowdore Presbyterian Church. Robert Burrows was a son of William Burrows, a labourer.]
In 1901 Agnes Morrow and her son James were living in Carrowdore. Family sources have indicated that, at some point (date unknown), James Morrow Senior ‘left’ but later returned after living for a time in America. While James was away, Agnes lived with Samuel Stoupe, a widower who had two sons.
Samuel Stoupe from Crossnamuckley was a son of Davidson and Ann Jane Stoupe and on 1 January 1891 he and Maggie McKeag from Grangee were married in Carrowdore Presbyterian Church. They moved to Rutherglen in Scotland where their two sons were born – Davidson (17 July 1891) and Robert (around 1893). After Maggie Stoupe (nee McKeag) died in Rutherglen, Samuel and his two sons moved to Crossnamuckley where they lived with Samuel’s parents. Family sources have indicated that Agnes Morrow and Samuel Stoupe lived together for a time and between 1903 and 1909 Agnes had four children:
Samuel Stoupe (born 28 February 1903 in Carrowdore)
William Morrow (twin, born 4.00pm 22 June 1907 in Carrowdore; died of debility from birth 25 November 1907 aged five months)
Agnes Anna Morrow (twin, born 7.00pm 22 June 1907 in Carrowdore; died of debility from birth 3 August 1907 aged six weeks)
Thomas James Stoupe (born around 1909; in 1911 Agnes Morrow was living in the townland of Ganaway with Thomas John Stoupe (aged 2) who was described as her son; a birth registration for this child has not yet been found; family sources have indicated that this child subsequently used the name John Henry Morrow and used 4 February 1911 as his date of birth)
On 19 May 1910 Samuel Stoupe from Carrowdore and Ellen Murphy from Carrowdore were married in Newtownards Registrar’s Office. Ellen Murphy was a daughter of Robert Murphy, a tailor, and she already had a son, William Thomas Murphy, who was born on 11 March 1895 in Carrowdore. Family sources have indicated that on 22 May 1910, three days after getting married, Samuel Stoupe moved to Canada taking his son Robert with him and leaving behind his eldest son Davidson; his wife Ellen and Agnes Morrow with his two young children, Samuel aged seven and Thomas James aged one. Samuel was placed in a children’s home in Belfast.
In 1911 James Morrow (aged 12) was living in Carrowdore and, although he was described in the census return as their ‘brother’ he was living with his uncle Thomas Morrow (an agricultural labourer aged 35), his uncle Samuel Morrow (a postman aged 28) and his aunt Mary Morrow (an embroiderer aged 22).
On 5 May 1914 his mother, Agnes Morrow, had another child – Thomas Morrow – who was born in the townland of Ganaway.
James Morrow enlisted at Clandeboye and he served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. A short time later he was one of a contingent of men transferred from the 13th to the 11th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and he went to the Front with the 11th Battalion in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Rifleman James Morrow (No. 13/6013) was 17 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The last letter that he wrote was dated 30 June 1916 and addressed to his aunt, Mrs Mary McGivern, in Carrowdore. In his will, James Morrow left everything to his uncle, Thomas Morrow.
In August 1916 his two uncles, Samuel and Thomas Morrow, and his two aunts, Mrs Mary McGivern and Mrs Jane Birch, placed a For King and Country notice in the Newtownards Chronicle and it contained the verse:
His warfare over, his battle fought,
His victory won, though dearly bought,
His fresh young life could not be saved,
He slumbers now in a soldier’s grave.
Sad thoughts do linger round our hearts,
While tears they often flow,
And to that sad and lonely grave
Our thoughts do often go.
A year later his aunts placed an Our Heroes – In Memoriam notice in the Newtownards Chronicle and it contained the verse:
He never shunned his country’s call,
But gladly gave his life – his all;
He died, the helpless to defend,
An Ulster soldier’s noble end
We little thought when he left home
That he would ne’er return;
That he so soon in death would sleep,
And leave us here to mourn.
Jane Morrow and George Burch were married on 8 December 1905 in Carrowdore Presbyterian Church. Jane Morrow (aged 20) from Carrowdore was a daughter of James Morrow, a labourer. George Burch, a widowed labourer from Carrowdore, was a son of George Burch, a labourer.
Mary Morrow and Robert McGivern were married on 18 August 1911 in Millisle Presbyterian Church. Mary Morrow from Carrowdore was a daughter of James Morrow, a labourer. Robert McGivern, a car owner from Carrowdore, was a son of John McGivern, a weaver.
Rifleman James Morrow has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France and in Carrowdore Presbyterian Church.