John Crahan was born in Widnes, Lancashire in 1892. He was the third of ten children of Patrick Crahan and his wife Sarah Brannan, who had married in Widnes in 1887. In the 1891 Census the family were recorded at 19 Bridge Street, Widnes. Patrick, who was born in Ahascragh, County Galway, Ireland in 1861 was a general labourer. Sarah's parents were also born in Ireland.
Patrick and Sarah had four children born in Widnes: Mary (1888), Margaret (1890), John (1892) and Martin (1894). After Martin died in 1895, the Crahan family came to live in our area, initially in Fleetwood where Catherine (Katie) was born in 1896. They then moved to Thornton where Ellen (Nellie) was born in 1899. In the Census on 31 March 1901, the family were recorded at 4 Heys Street. Further children followed: William (1902), Patrick junior (1904) and Thomas (1907). They were educated at the Sacred Heart Church School.
The Crahan family were still at 4 Heys Street in the next Census on 2 April 1911. Patrick senior and John were employed as labourers by the United Alkali Company at Burn Naze. Another son, Joseph, was born on 1 May 1912.
When war broke out, John enlisted at Fleetwood in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment. On 30 October 1914, the Blackpool Gazette and Herald published a photograph of John with eight other young men all from the Fleetwood area who had joined the Regiment's "H" Company. They were "doing their little bit" for their country by guarding the railway lines at Davis's Bridge, near Swindon, Wiltshire.
John Crahan was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force on 14 February 1915. He died from wounds received in battle on 15 July the following year. John was aged 23. Pte John Crahan, 1544, 1st/5th Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment is buried in Grave IV.A.2 at Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France.
John's parents continued to live in Thornton for the rest of their lives. Patrick died on 20 June 1934, aged about 73. He was buried at Poulton-Le-Fylde Old Cemetery, Moorland Road, three days later. Sarah was buried in the same grave on 28 November 1936, aged 67.
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