Dedicated to the memory of all the men and women of the South Staffordshire area who died during the two World Wars.
John Edward Meagher and his brother William, appear to have been cousins of Mary Bagnall who was Head Teacher of St Mary's School, Brewood, in the early years of the 20th century. They were sons of William and Julia Meagher of St Michael in the Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands. William was a general labourer.
John was born on 18th April, 1884. In 1910 he emigrated to Canada and settled in Woodstock, Ontario. He joined the Canadian Army on 12th January, 1915 and served with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion as Private 402356. John died on 4th April 1917. On this day his battalion was in the trenches. The battalion's war diary records "Both our own and the enemy's artillery showed great activity throughout the day" but it does not record any casualties. It is possible that John was one of the two 'Other Ranks' who were wounded during an artillery bombardment on the 1st April.
John Edward Meagher is commemorated on the war memorial in St Mary's Catholic Church, Brewood, Staffordshire.
This memorial has mostly been compiled from official sources. It would be good to be able to expand it with more personal material - memories, stories, photos, etc. If you have any suitable material or any corrections please contact Greg.