Parents

John Sybray was born in 1845 in Matlock and was baptised on 26 November 1845. In 1871 he was living at 130 Wilmslow Rd in the home of Henry and Sarah Prime. Henry was a butcher and John, aged 26, was a servant described as a journeyman butcher. Eva (or Eve) Ratcliff e was born at Ipstones, Staff ordshire. She was baptised on 4 January 1842. Her father was a joiner. In 1871 she was a housemaid for Jane Pickles at 1 The Crescent, Withington. John and Eva were married on 11 December 1871 at St. John’s church, Manchester.

Th ey had 8 children, all born in Longsight or West Didsbury, of whom 2 had died by 1911. Robert, John, Charles, James and Adin all became butchers and Edith was a butcher’s clerk. Harold became a joiner and he married Florence Ethel Horrobin at Christ Church on 10 October 1917. In 1911 John had become a customs clerk in Rhodesia.

John Snr died on 29 November 1903 and probate was awarded to Eva on 7 April 1904 in the sum of £498 18s.

Adin

Adin was born about 1887. In the 1881 census the family lived at 137 Victoria St, Gorton but by 1891 they had moved to 94 Burton Rd. In 1901 they had moved to 108 Burton Rd where they remained until at least 1911. He attended Didsbury Church of England Primary School and is remembered on the school memorial on Grange Lane.

Adin’s military service is a little unclear. By 1912 he had already served 6 years in the RAMC. On 19 April 1912 he was declared medically fit in Manchester for the Territorial Force and again for service in the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry on 22 April 1912. He enlisted in Whalley Range on 23 May 1912 at the age of 25. His service number was 3099. He became disabled on 15 November 1914 at Backhurst Park, Sussex, when he developed bronchitis and later needed a hernia operation, possibly as a result of a persistent cough. He was transferred to light duties with no riding. A Medical Board report on 28 May 1916 says he had tubercle of the left lung. He was now at Cupar in Fife. On 12 June 1916, in Preston, he was discharged as medically unfit with a pension of 10s per week after 4 years 52 days service.

He later entered the Queen Mary Nursing Home, Edinburgh and died on 4 October 1916. His death was stated not to be a direct result of his military service. He is buried in Edinburgh (Morningside) Cemetery, grave number H 682. Probate was awarded to his sister, Edith, on 18 November 1916 in the sum of £590 14s 10d.