John Cheesewright

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work:  Spennymoor branch

Died: 29 November 1917

John Francis Cheesewright was born in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, on 15 November 1877, the son of Joseph Cheesewright, a bank clerk, and his wife Floretta (née Meech). He was educated at Moulton and Boston Grammar Schools.

In December 1894, when Cheesewright was 17, he went to work for National Provincial Bank of England as apprentice at its Boston branch, where his father was manager. He transferred to Durham branch as a clerk in March 1899; London office in March 1901; and Leicester branch in June 1907. In January 1910 he moved to Spennymoor branch, first as pro accountant and then, from January 1914, as accountant. Two of Cheesewright's seven brothers also went to work for the bank: his older brother William, who rose to become a manager and inspector of branches, and his younger brother Walter, who died in his early twenties in 1905.

During the First World War Cheesewright joined the army as a Private, originally in the North Staffordshire Regiment and later in the Manchester Regiment. He was drafted to France early in 1917. Later that year, he married Jane Anne ('Jennie') Watson, whom he had met in Spennymoor.

Early on the morning of 28 November 1917, while posted in Belgium, Cheesewright was struck by shrapnel from an enemy shell. He was taken to a field hospital and apparently expected to survive, but died of his injuries the following day. He was 40 years old.

In 1923, Cheesewright's two sisters, Hilda and Mabel, travelled to Belgium to visit his grave.

John Cheesewright is commemorated on a bank war memorial held at NatWest Group Archives.