Peter MCMAHON
The story for Peter McMahon was originally researched and written by Clive G and Hazel B for the Epsom and Ewell History Explorer. War Memorials – WW1 – Surnames M – Epsom & Ewell History Explorer. It is with the generous agreement of the Friends of EEHE, that we are able to combine the original research with further details included.
Peter McMahon, a Roman Catholic, was born on 3 December 1883 in the town of Balbriggan in Dublin, Ireland. His parents John McMahon (1856–1928) and Mary Anne Tinley (c1861-1925) had married there on 10 October 1881, just after the birth of their first son John. The couple had eight children including Peter.
Name Born Died
John 28 September 1881 14 March 1922
Peter 3 December 1883 1 December 1918
Sarah 15 November 1886 5 April 1947
Patrick 10 June 1890 12 February 1962
Catherine 21 June 1893 Unknown
Mary 10 April 1896 25 July 1978
Joseph 16 March 1900 11 December 1902
Unknown – –
1901
The Irish 1901 census was taken on the night of 31 March, and the McMahon family were recorded as living in Chapel Lane, Balbriggan.
Peter was aged 18 and working as a general labourer as were his father and brother John. His sister Sariah (sic) was working as a “stocking seamer” while the younger siblings attended school.
All the family, except for Peter’s mother who had been born in Dublin, had been born in Balbriggan. Peter’s mother was at home looking after her youngest child Joseph who died the following year.
1911
The Irish 1911 census recorded that only Peter aged 26, Patrick aged 20, Catherine aged 17, and Mary aged 15 were living with their parents in Balbriggan.
Peter’s father John was now aged 54 and his mother Mary Anne was aged 50. They stated they had been married for 32 years and that out of their eight children only six were still living.
Peter Marries Anne
Peter married Anne Masterson on 4 November 1915 in the Church of Booterstown, Blackrock, Rathdown, Dublin, Ireland. Officially known as the Church of the Assumption, Peter was recorded as being a bachelor of 10 Clona Street, Balbriggan, and that his father was John McMahon, a gardener.
Anne was recorded as being a spinster of 13 Emmit Square, Williamstown, Co Dublin, and that her father was Patrick Masterson, a boot maker.
Baptism records tell us that Peter and Annie had a son, Patrick Joseph born on 28 October 1916, baptised on 5 November, whilst living at 13 Emmet Square, Williamstown.
Peter’s Service Record
Peter’s service record has not survived but other surviving records do provide us with a certain amount of information regarding his army service.
Peter’s medal records tell us that he initially served with the Royal Irish Rifles, with service number 24315, but was transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps on 23 April 1918 with service number M/396149. The title ‘Royal’ was granted to the Army Service Corps by Royal warrant on 27 November 1918 so technically he was transferred to the ‘Army Service Corps’.
Without the relevant documents it is impossible to know why Peter was transferred to the Army Service Corps. However, it could be that he was showing some symptoms of the illness GPI (General Paralysis of the Insane), and was consequently deemed no longer fit enough to serve in a front-line infantry battalion?
A Criminal Conviction
Peter had a criminal conviction. His case appears in the newspapers after he had stolen items from a property in Sydenham.
Lewisham Borough News, published Wednesday, 5 June 1918
Lewisham Borough News, published Wednesday, 29 May 1918
The following information appears in the Wandsworth prison, ‘Nominal Registers’, held by the London Metropolitan Archives:
Convicted on 3 June 1918 at Greenwich.
A. Stl one saw, one waistcoat & c. 3 months.
B. Stl three waistcoats & c. 6 months.
Education. 1.1.1 Courses
Age 36.
Height 5 feet 5 ¾ inches; Hair Dark brown
Occupation: Shoemaker.
Roman Catholic born Ireland.
Discharge 2 March 1919 or on remission 17 January 1919.
Transferred to Long Grove Asylum 2 November 2 November 1918.
Peter’s occupation was recorded as ‘shoemaker’. Several other convicts occupations in the Nominal Registers were recorded as ‘Soldiers’ so why wasn’t Peter?
Burial
Peter was admitted to Long Grove Asylum, from Wandsworth prison, on 2 November 1918 and died there on 1 December, from General Paralysis of the Insane (syphilis). 
He was buried on 7 December in grave 2165b in Horton Cemetery, but is commemorated with a special headstone in the CWGC plot in Epsom Cemetery.
There is a note written in relation to the burial record. It says, “No further interments to be made in grave 2165, sub C resolution 1930.
Several Great War casualties commemorated by the CWGC died in the Long Grove Asylum and all, with the exception of Peter, are buried in the CWGC plot in Epsom Cemetery. He is the only WW1 casualty commemorated by the CWGC to be buried in the Horton Estates Cemetery. Why he was not buried with the others remains unclear.
Peter’s Pension
Peter has two pension record cards. The first records that his widow was ‘Annie, 13 Emmet Square, Williamstown, Blackrock, Co. Dublin’, and that she was paid a grant of £6 on 3 January 1919. It also tells us that she remarried.
The other pension card names Peter’s widow as Annie McNamara born 29 July 1895 and that she was granted a widow’s pension of 13s 9d and 6s 8d children’s allowance, commencing 9 June 1919.
Peter’s ‘Soldiers’ Effects’ records tells us that he was married to Annie and that he had a son called Patrick, born 28 October 1916.
Peter was awarded the British War medal and the Victory medal. To earn the British War medal he must have served overseas at some point.
Peter does not appear in the SOLDIERS DIED 1914-19 CD-ROM – Other Great War Chat – The Great War (1914-1918) Forum
A soldier from the Second World War, Henry Walter James, who died on 7 February 1941, is also buried in the Horton Estates Cemetery. He too is commemorated with a special headstone in the CWGC plot in Epsom Cemetery, next to Peter McMahon’s headstone.
There are descendants of Peter’s who have made contact with the Friends of Horton Cemetery. We look forward to any further details being added to this story.