Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Bishop a Coal Miner, born 1854 in Coalville, Leics., and his wife Amy, born 1855 in Stanton under Bardon, Leics. James Thomas was born in 1888 in Hugglescote, Leics., his siblings were Mary A., born 1879 in Donington, Leics., Morris G., born 1880 in Donington, Leics., William, born 1882, George G., born 1884, Anne E., born 1887 and Amy G., born 1891, the latter four siblings were all born in Hugglescote, Leics., also residing with the family was his maternal aunt Sarah A. Geary, born 1848 in Stanton under Bardon, Leics., and also his cousin James Geary, born 1883 in Mountsorrel, Leics., in April 1891 the family home was at Hugglescote Lane, Hugglescote and Donington, Leics. In March 1901 James was employed as an Errand Boy and was residing in the family home at North Street, Hugglescote and Donington, Leics., in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Hugglescote with Donington, St. John the Baptist, together with his widowed mother and siblings, Morris, William, George, Anne and Amy. In April 1911 James was employed as a Coal Miner and was residing in the family home at 82, Midland Road, Ellistown, Leics., together with his wife Ethel May, born 1890 in Coalville, Leics. James died of pneumonia.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday February 25th, 1916

DEATH OF CO. SGT.MJR BISHOP

MILITARY FUNERAL AT HUGGLESCOTE

We regret to report the death of Company Sergeant-Major James Thomas Bishop, of the Army Service Corps, which occurred at his home in Crescent Road, Hugglescote, on Thursday evening, last week. The deceased had been stationed at Watford (Kent) for the past few months. Latterly he had complained of not feeling well, but he held on to his work until induced to apply for a short leave to visit his home. He arrived on Saturday night and was attended by Dr. Meredith. On Monday, he took to his bed having contracted pneumonia, and Dr. Blakesley, of Leicester was summoned, arriving just as the gallant soldier had passed away. Deceased, who was 27 years of age, leaves a widow and two children, four and three years of age respectively.

Company Sergeant-Major Bishop had served eight years in the Territorial Force, joining on the Territorial system being introduced, and at the outbreak of war was posted to his company. He was a keen soldier and his promotion was rapid. He ranked as a second-class warrant officer, and refused a commission. Before enlisting, Bishop was a miner at Ellistown Colliery. His father, the late Mr William Bishop, was a member of the old Hugglescote Band.

The funeral took place at Hugglescote Cemetery on Monday afternoon, when about two thousand people assembled to witness the internment accompanied by military honours. At many of the houses on the route to the church and cemetery blinds were drawn, there being every indication of the great respect in which the deceased was held by the residents and sympathy felt for the widow and two little ones.

The following were the chief mourners:- The widow and Mr Norris Bishop (brother), Mr W. Bishop and Miss Bishop (brother and sister), Mr G. Bishop and Mrs F. Smith (brother and sister), Miss Amy Bishop (sister) and Mrs Shackleton, (mother-in-law), Mr and Mrs F. Dent (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mr and Mrs Shackleton (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mrs N. Bishop, Mrs W. Bishop, Mrs G. Bishop, Mrs F. Smith and Sergeant and Mrs Holt. Messrs. G. Duffield and J. M. Sauders attended wearing the regalia of the Ancient Order of Foresters (Court St. John) of which the deceased was a member. A number of officers and staff non-commissioned officers of the Divisional Train of the Army Service Corps, in which deceased served, also followed to the grave, these being Capt. and Adjutant Thornbery, Capt. Green, Capt. Fletcher, Lieut. Tensdale, Staff Sergeant-Major Biddles, Bennett, and Irving, Com. Sergeant-Major Hadfield, Squadron Quarter-Master-Sergeant Shaw, Company Quarter-Master-Sergeant Colley, Wheeler Staff-Sergeant Goodman, Staff Sergeant Petty, Farrier Staff Sergeant Allen and Trumpeter Steele.

A firing party from Wigston Barracks paraded opposite the house in Crescent Road and led the procession, arms reversed, to the Parish Church, where the first part of the service was conducted by the Rev. Canon Broughton (vicar) assisted by the Rev. H. V. Williams (curate). At the cemetery, Canon Broughton read the committal, after which three volleys were fired over the grave and Trumpeter Steele sounded the “Last Post.”

The coffin, on which were placed the deceased soldier’s sword and helmet, was covered with the Union Jack and was borne to the grave by eight staff-sergeants, mentioned above, comrades of the deceased. The inscription on the breast-plate was: “James Thomas Bishop, died February 17th, 1916, aged 27 years.”

There was a splendid lot of floral tributes sent by the following:- “A last token of love” from his sorrowing wife (a harp with a broken string); Brothers Norris, Will and George; Frank and Lily (brother and sister-in-law); Sisters Alice, Mary, Annie and Amy; Herbert and Edith (brother and sister-in-law); Jack and Annie, of Westcliffe, (brother and sister-in-law); Capt. and Mrs Harper (Hugglescote); Mr Walter Measures and family (Ellistown); Mrs Tebbett and family; Mr and Mrs Richards and Mrs Kenting; “With deepest sympathy and in affectionate memory of our esteemed comrade” from the officers, warrant officers, NCO’s and men of 516 Company, A.S.C.; Mr and Mrs Cross; Geo. and Mrs Kirby; Sergeant-Major Hadfield and wife (Hugglescote); Lieut.-Col. L. G. Reading, Capt. and Adjutant S. R. Thornbery; Capt. R. J. Green, S. Wilkins, H. Fort, J. Griffin, and W. Bonser (a token of respect from four old chums); Sergt. and Mrs Holt (Nottingham); and from his fellow workmen. Mr T. Hatter carried out the funeral arrangements.

Coalville Times article - Friday March 3rd, 1916

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS

Mrs J. T. Bishop and family, of 25, Crescent Road, Hugglescote, wish to express thanks to their many friends for the expressions of condolence, relative to the death of Company-Sergeant-Major Bishop, Army Service Corps, and ask that this will kindly be accepted as the only intimation.

Coalville Times article - Friday February 16th, 1917

IN MEMORIAM

In loving memory of my dear husband, Company-Sergeant-Major Bishop, who died February 17th, 1916.

“When a father breathes his last farewell
The stroke means more than words can tell
This home seems quite another place
Without the smile of father’s face.”

From his loving wife and children.

Coalville Times article – Friday April 2nd, 1920

WAR MEMORIAL AT HUGGLESCOTE CHURCH

UNVEILED BY COL. R. E. MARTIN

A tablet which has been placed in Hugglescote Parish Church, to the memory of men from the parish who fell in the war, was unveiled by Lt.-Colonel R. E. Martin, C.M.G., on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a large congregation.

The tablet is of excellent design, in keeping with the handsome edifice, and is of a permanent character, the names of 101 men being inscribed on Swithland slate, set in a frame of Ketton stone, surmounted by a cross and crown encircled in a carved laurel wreath, with similar carvings on either side. The inscription runs as follows:

“Their name liveth for evermore.”

“To the Glory of God, and in imperishable memory of the men of the parish who fell in the great war, 1914 – 1918.”

The names of the men inscribed on the tablet are as follows:-

H. A. Attwood, C. T. Beadman, J. Brooks, W. Baker, J. E. Briggs, H. G. Blackham, J. T. Bishop, J. Barrs, G. Barrs, R. Beadman, E. Bonser, G. Beale, J. G. Bennett, E. S. Boot, W. Berrisford, F. J. Betteridge, F. P. Benistone, J. W. Cawley, F. Chamberlain, J. A. Crookes, R. A. Cross, L. Cross, J. Cox, P. Cliff, J. W. F. Collier, C. Drewett, H. B. Drewett, S. Dodds, A. Elkin, H. C. Elkin, J. Farn, H. Fletcher, H. Finch, L. Finch, G. Firban, G. Gadsby, A. Gamble, S. F. Gamble, W. Gray, W. O. Hoden, O. Hallam, B. Hatter, J. Haywood, W. Hill, F. Hill, J. E. Hibbert, G. Hart, G. H. Highfield, E. Harper, J. W. Harper, H. Hall, J. E. Holmes, J. Jones, W. Jones, F. J. Kirby, I. V. Kelham, H. Lewis, W. Lewis, W. Massey, H. O. Moseley, T. Marriott, G. Martin, J. A. Moult, J. Maunders, J. Moon, I. Mycroft, W. Newbold, O. H. Pratt, J. A. Pegg, F. Pink, E. H. Palmer, W. Riley, A. T. Richardson, W. Rogers, C. Simmons, E. A. Stinchcombe, J. Summers, S. Summers, C. Shilton, G. Slatter, J. Smith, J. C. Shaw, S. Smith, G. Spencer, S. C. Smith, J. W. Setchell, W. Statham, A. G. Tovell, S. T. Timson, J. Tebbatt, F. Whitmore, E. Willett, B. Walker, H. Watson, C. H. Walker, J. Woods, T. Willett, A. Wright, A. Wood, J. Young and W. Young.

As the congregation passed into the church, members of the Hugglescote Church Lads’ Brigade, with the ex-Sergt.-Major W. Hill in charge, lined up on either side of the entrance and two of the Brigade with bowed heads and leaning on reversed rifles, stood by the memorial, covered with the Union Jack.

The service, which was very impressive, was conducted by the Rev. Canon Broughton (vicar) and opened with the hymn, “Stand up for Jesus.” Then followed prayers and collects. Psalm 130, and a lesson read by the Rev. J. C. Wallace, after which the clergy and choir proceeded to the memorial, led by the churchwardens, Messrs. W. E. Canner and J. W. Fletcher.

In unveiling the tablet, Colonel Martin said “To the glory of God and in imperishable memory of the men of this parish who fell in the great war 1914 – 1918, I unveil this tablet, which has been erected by their fellow parishioners in grateful recognition of their self-sacrifice.”

The “Last Post” having been sounded by buglers of the Church Lads’ Brigade, the choir and clergy returned to their places and Colonel Martin gave an address from the chancel steps.

He spoke of the memorable days in August 1914, when the principles on which our national life is based were being assailed, and it was the part of every true man to stand in defence of them. They had tangible proof that the spirit which was then evoked in the nation was the same spirit as that shown by their forefathers who went out to fight country’s enemies. He would never forget the day about the end of August, 1914, when the North Midland Territorial Division, which had been mobilised about three weeks, was told to fill up its ranks for service abroad. It fell to him, among others, to come back into Leicestershire to try and explain to the people what they were up against, and he remembered what a splendid response they gave. In the North Midland Division, between 80 and 90 per cent of the men said they were prepared to go anywhere, though many of them were married men who had never experienced Army service before. Many things have happened since – much self-seeking, a desire to get rich quickly, many apparent inequalities of justice and self-sacrifice – but he was sure they could all take comfort from the fact that there was tangible proof given in those days that the nation was sound at heart and could be trusted to do the right thing when the crisis really arose. And what happened when the armies got overseas and began their real work? He ventured to say that no one had the privilege of serving in a better battalion. The men from that district – Coalville men they always called them – were a splendid lot of men filled with genuine enthusiasm for fitting themselves for the part which they had to play, and who on getting across the water, proved themselves as good as the best. He went on to speak of evidences of practical Christianity displayed by the men, and of deeds of heroism which came to his notice. One instance he recalled was when they were between Hill 60 and Ypres. When the Brigadier realised that he had in the ranks men accustomed to mining, he formed a number of Coalville men into a mining section, whose duty it was to construct projecting galleries in front of the trenches, to find out if the Germans were under-mining. One day a member of the party came across a German mine filled with German explosives in large quantities, and it would have been a very natural thing for him to want to get away from it as soon as possible, but instead of that, he crawled over the top and disconnected the mine and came back and reported it to his commanding officer. This man, whose name was Starbuck, had no thought for his own safety, but first took steps to safeguard his comrades.

Proceeding, Col. Martin said his services came to an end in October, 1915, but he had always felt ever since then that the war had been worth while, if for nothing else than for the fine spirit it brought out, and if the same spirit could be shown in regard to present day problems, it would go a long way towards reaching a solution. He was not one of those who said this country ought to have stood aside and have taken advantage of the trade while other countries were fighting. The people, who said that, he thought, were wrong. He thought that what the people of this country did when they found what they were up against should be an example and pattern to them now. If the war had done nothing else, with all the misery, self-sacrifice and sorrow, he believed they were worth while because they afforded the opportunity which was taken by so many of showing a truly Christian spirit. He believed that experience had not been lost, but would help them to get through present day difficulties with credit to themselves.

The closing hymn was 11, “For all the saints,” and a collection was taken for St. Dunstan’s Hostel for Blind Soldiers and Sailors. As the congregation were leaving the church, Mr F. Baxter (organist) played, “O, rest in the Lord.” Before and after the service, peals were rung with the bells half-muffled.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 12/10/2017