John Swarbrick was born in Carleton on 12 July 1895 and baptised at All Hallows, Bispham on 1 September. He was the second of nine children of Thomas Swarbrick and Mary Ellen Gregson who married on 21 October 1893 at St Chad, Poulton-le-Fylde. Mary already had a daughter, Elizabeth Ann, who had been born in 1888 and baptised at St Chad on 2 September.
Thomas was a farm labourer from Out Rawcliffe. Mary Ellen was from Bispham. After their marriage they lived at Moor Farm, Carleton. Their first child, James, was born on 9 February 1894. After John was born the following year their next three children sadly died in infancy. A sixth child, Harold, was born in Carleton on 3 May 1904. He was followed by another son, Frank, the following year and a daughter, Edith, on 16 July 1906. The family then moved to Thornton where the older children attended the Church Road Council School.
By the time that their ninth child, Thomas junior, was born in January 1911, the Swarbrick family had moved to Thornton. In the Census taken on 2 April that year, Thomas, Mary Ellen and their six surviving children were recorded at Atkinson's Cottages, Holmes Road. James and John left school and became farm labourers like their father. In 1913 young Thomas died and the family moved to 3 Providence Place (now 61) Marsh Road, Thornton.
James and John both joined the Army shortly after the outbreak of war. James attested at Southport on 26 November 1914 He joined the Army Service Corps as a horse transport driver. James married Evelyn Lord the same day. Their first child Thomas had been born at Providence Place in April earlier in the year. A second child, Evelyn, was born on 26 May 1915 in Formby. James was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force, disembarking at Le Havre on 19 September 1915. Although he had a number of spells in hospital for various illnesses, James survived the war and returned to live in Thornton where he was employed at United Alkali as a process worker.
John, however, was not so fortunate. He joined the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment. John's army service record has not been preserved but we know that he was sent to France, disembarking in Boulogne on 3 May 1915. Having transferred to the 4th Battalion, he was fighting in the trenches on the Somme when he was reported as missing in action on 18 August 1916. When nothing had been heard of his whereabouts by 23 February 1917, the following appeal was made in the Fleetwood Chronicle:
Missing Since August. News Wanted of Thornton Soldier. Private J. Swarbrick, 3136, of the K.L.R., B.E.F., has been reported missing since August 18th last. He was 21 years of age. He joined the Army two years ago, and had been wounded once. Information concerning him would be gratefully received by Mrs. Swarbrick, 3, Providence place, Marsh road, Thornton. John's death was later presumed to have occurred on or after that date. He was aged 21 and unmarried.
Pte. John Swarbrick, 306034, 4th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment is commemorated on Pier and Face 1D, 8B and 8C, Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He is also remembered on the memorial of Church Road Council School, Thornton.
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