Private Joseph Tulip 3209, 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

Joseph Tulip was born at Barlow, Winlaton on Sat 11 April 1885 to John Tulip (1858-1896) a Coalminer and Mary Hannah Tulip (Nee Allenby b.1861) the birth was registered by his father on 23 May 1885.

In 1891, they lived with his grandparents (Mary’s parents) Joseph Allenby (b.1838) a railway labourer and Hannah Allenby (b.1841) at 20 Athol Street, Whickham. Also in the house was Joseph’s younger brother Robert (b.1890), Frances Tulip (b.1874) a domestic servant (Aunt?) and Thomas Burton a boarder who worked as a labourer in a glass works.

In 1901, Joseph still lived with his grandparents Joseph and Hannah Allenby at 62 Walton Street, Gateshead and he was listed as a glassmaker and also in the house was his cousin Joseph Allenby (b.1890).

Joseph got married on 02 Jan 1907 to Ethel Jane Sobers (b.05 Sep 1884-1969).

In 1911, he was working as a labourer and living at 13 Twizell Avenue with his wife and baby daughter Ivy, his mother Mary Hannah Tulip (49) who was widowed also lived in the house to do housework and there were 2 boarders Philip Hunton (41) and Thomas Rawson (63) who were both widowers.

By 1914, he was working as a miner and they lived at 31 Edward Street, Blaydon.

He joined the Durham Light Infantry 9th Battalion ‘D’ Company in the reserve on 10 November 1914. On 12 Feb 1915 he was absent from a running parade and awarded 1 day confined to barracks. On 05 Jun 15 and 01 Aug 15 he was absent 9:30pm to 9:30pm and was forfeited 7 days and 2 days’ pay respectively. He was 5’ 6” tall with dark brown hair and blue eyes and of good character.

He was discharged on 31 January 1916 in Doncaster as no longer physically fit for war service due to heart disease. Notes on his file state that he had never been to hospital, he was playing in the band, and he fell on his face as if he was dead. He came around again after ten minutes. Since then he has never been able to do any parades owing to shortness of breath and palpitations, caused by rheumatic fever. He was on active or ordinary military service and exposed to cold when he had the first attack or heart failure.

Joseph died on 23 March 1916 age 30 years of vascular disease of the heart, his profession was listed as a colliery labourer.

Buried at Blaydon Cemetery H.U.44 and is commemorated on the Blaydon War Memorial. His pension was awarded to Ethel Jane Musgrove (His widow remarried George Musgrove in late 1916) of 31 Edward Street, Blaydon and his adopted daughter Nelly Walton DOB 26 Dec 1908. On two of his pension cards he is mentioned as a Bdr and the other as a private.