John Robinson Cartwright was born on 1st February 1882 in West Hartlepool and was the first son of Alfred Cartwright and his wife Mary from Hartlepool (probably nee O’Connor). Alfred was a dock labourer who had been born in York around 1858 and presumably came to Hartlepool for work. He had at least four sisters and two brothers. In 1901 the family were living in Everett Street.
John Cartwright was assigned to HMS Dreel Castle, an armed drifter which was an auxiliary depot ship based in the Falmouth, Penzance and Scilly Islands area. On 13th April, 1918, however, he was on harbour service on HM tug Blazer and somehow drowned. Officially, he ‘died or was killed in circumstances other than by disease, accident or enemy action’. His name is on the Chatham memorial.
Although there is no solid proof, it appears he may have been married to Annie Cartwright, however, other records show that a John Robinson Cartwright married Ida Murrell, in 1914, in Hartlepool.
