Gunner James Levi Durran Royal Horse Artillery
The Man James Levi Durran (Jim) was born on Tuesday 31st July 1894 in Royal Leamington Spa, son of John, a Wardrobe Dealer, who had been married to Mary Swinbourne since 1865, she sadly passing away in 1888 and John re-marrying in July 1889, aged 51 to Harriet Cotteril aged 33.
John and Harriet had three children, Jim, John Thomas (1890 - 1917) and William David (1893 - 1965). The 1901 census shows the family living at 103 Queen Street, Leamington and John senior died later in the year aged 63, leaving Harriet to bring up their three boys.
Following his education Jim became a Wireman Electrician and the 1911 Census of April shows him and family still living at Queen Street, but John not listed, possibly being away at the time. On 4th November 1911 Jim began working for Leamington Railway Station as a Cleaner, he was paid 1s/10d, presumably a month but was dismissed on 15th December for reasons unknown.
In 1914, with the Frist World War seemingly imminent, Jim and John enlisted together into the 1/1 Warwickshire Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, as Wheelers, who were responsible for repairs, not just to the wheels of the guns, limbers and carriages but all wood and metal work on the carriages, ammunition boxes etc. They were given sequential service numbers, 323 and John 322.
Following the outbreak of WWI on 4th August 1914, they were both posted to the Western Front in France with the British Expeditionary Force, entering theatre on 31st October 1914 as part of the reformation of ‘L’ Battery that had virtually been annihilated at Nery on 1st September.
Jim’s service number was changed to 614363 and he served with 1st/1st Warwickshire Battery (T.F.), Royal Horse Artillery, 15 Bde. 29th Division (B.E.F.) as a Gunner. He survived the war, unlike his brother who was sadly killed in action on 30th August 1917. For his service he was awarded the 1914 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
John and Harriet had three children, Jim, John Thomas (1890 - 1917) and William David (1893 - 1965). The 1901 census shows the family living at 103 Queen Street, Leamington and John senior died later in the year aged 63, leaving Harriet to bring up their three boys.
Following his education Jim became a Wireman Electrician and the 1911 Census of April shows him and family still living at Queen Street, but John not listed, possibly being away at the time. On 4th November 1911 Jim began working for Leamington Railway Station as a Cleaner, he was paid 1s/10d, presumably a month but was dismissed on 15th December for reasons unknown.
In 1914, with the Frist World War seemingly imminent, Jim and John enlisted together into the 1/1 Warwickshire Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, as Wheelers, who were responsible for repairs, not just to the wheels of the guns, limbers and carriages but all wood and metal work on the carriages, ammunition boxes etc. They were given sequential service numbers, 323 and John 322.
Following the outbreak of WWI on 4th August 1914, they were both posted to the Western Front in France with the British Expeditionary Force, entering theatre on 31st October 1914 as part of the reformation of ‘L’ Battery that had virtually been annihilated at Nery on 1st September.
Jim’s service number was changed to 614363 and he served with 1st/1st Warwickshire Battery (T.F.), Royal Horse Artillery, 15 Bde. 29th Division (B.E.F.) as a Gunner. He survived the war, unlike his brother who was sadly killed in action on 30th August 1917. For his service he was awarded the 1914 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
On 5th September 1922, James married Agnes Adeline Frances (Cissie) McKinder in St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Leamington, the announcement appearing in the local press on 15th September. They seem to have had no children and the marriage was not a happy one as they separated four years later in 1926.
Jim appears to have taken up work in the licencing trade as the Kelly’s Directory of 1928 shows him working at the Golden Lion Public House, 93 Regent Street, Leamington Spa. On 24th March 1933, it was reported in the press that a Decree Nisi was granted to Agnes who lived at 141 Regent Street, at Birmingham Assizes on account of Jim’s adulterous affair with a lady from Southam named Miss Warner. It is not clear if the affair was before or after their separation seven years earlier but may have been a convenient ‘get out’ for them both as Miss Warner actually gave evidence at the hearing. Following the Decree Absolute, Agnes remarried in 1934 to Frank Sidney Broad and died on 28th April 1982 in Brighton.
Jim became an Aircraft Tool Maker, possibly working for Automotive Products in Leamington and re-married on Wednesday 24th August 1938 to Evelyn (Eve) May Feasey, who in 1911 had been living at 8 Augusta Place with her parents. They had one daughter Ann Carol born in the first quarter of 1942.
The 1939 Register shows Jim and Eve still living at 103 Queen Street and Jim’s job as Toolmaker Aircraft, a reserved occupation. It is unknown if he served in any of the Civil Defence organisations during World War II.
Jim Passed away on 7th August 1970, aged 76 at Queen Street. During the mid-1960s through to the 1970s, Queen Street was largely demolished and rebuilt with a new development at the far end named Kennedy Square. It was to a ground floor flat at this location that Eve and Ann were moved in 1975.
Jim appears to have taken up work in the licencing trade as the Kelly’s Directory of 1928 shows him working at the Golden Lion Public House, 93 Regent Street, Leamington Spa. On 24th March 1933, it was reported in the press that a Decree Nisi was granted to Agnes who lived at 141 Regent Street, at Birmingham Assizes on account of Jim’s adulterous affair with a lady from Southam named Miss Warner. It is not clear if the affair was before or after their separation seven years earlier but may have been a convenient ‘get out’ for them both as Miss Warner actually gave evidence at the hearing. Following the Decree Absolute, Agnes remarried in 1934 to Frank Sidney Broad and died on 28th April 1982 in Brighton.
Jim became an Aircraft Tool Maker, possibly working for Automotive Products in Leamington and re-married on Wednesday 24th August 1938 to Evelyn (Eve) May Feasey, who in 1911 had been living at 8 Augusta Place with her parents. They had one daughter Ann Carol born in the first quarter of 1942.
The 1939 Register shows Jim and Eve still living at 103 Queen Street and Jim’s job as Toolmaker Aircraft, a reserved occupation. It is unknown if he served in any of the Civil Defence organisations during World War II.
Jim Passed away on 7th August 1970, aged 76 at Queen Street. During the mid-1960s through to the 1970s, Queen Street was largely demolished and rebuilt with a new development at the far end named Kennedy Square. It was to a ground floor flat at this location that Eve and Ann were moved in 1975.
Eve became more of an invalid the older she became, becoming partially paralysed and with a heart condition, she was very reclusive, only being seen occasionally being pushed in a wheelchair by Ann, who was unmarried and her mother’s carer, to the nearby St Paul’s Church where they worshipped
Events took an unusual turn on Saturday 3rd August 1981, when police were called to Eve and Anne’s flat by neighbours concerned about swarms of flies around the premises. They found Eve in her bed, where she had been since dying some six weeks earlier. Her body was in an advanced state of decay and her head was propped against a chair, she also appeared to have neck injuries, a result of a ‘violent act’ described by the police.
The police treated the case as murder and Ann was arrested on suspicion of it, although she had already been admitted to the Central Hospital at Hatton where she was being medically cared for. Bizarrely neighbours stated that Ann had acted as if nothing had happened and had even attended a garden party to celebrate the Royal Wedding and chatted to neighbours, whilst her mother lay dead inside the flat.
On Wednesday 12th August Ann was charged with the murder of her mother and appeared before Leamington Magistrates Court, the murder having allegedly been committed between 1st July – 1st August 1981. She was remanded on bail so long as she resided in the secure wing at Central Hospital Hatton. She was committed for trial on 7th October at Warwick Crown Court, still residing at Hatton.
Following the Crown Court trial in April 1982, Ann was found not guilty of Murder for strangling her mother, nor of Manslaughter or Manslaughter with diminished responsibility, the judge having directed the jury only to consider a manslaughter charge. Ann was described by a psychiatrist in court as ‘mentally abnormal’ at the time she was alleged to have killed Eve and suffering from schizophrenia. She was in such a condition she could not be held responsible for her actions. In her ‘sick mind’ she blamed the death of her mother on evil sprits.
Two pathologists also disagreed over the cause of death, one saying strangulation was the cause, the other saying the body had decayed so much it was not possible to rule out a heart attack which could just have likely been the cause of death. The police revealed Ann had said during interview “It’s the evil spirits that have done this you know, You Won’t understand unless you’re a committed Christian”.
It is clear that to have found her guilty bearing in mind the conflicting pathologist’s opinions would have been unsound. Ann returned to Central Hospital Hatton, then lived at various locations in Leamington following the introduction of Care in the Community during the 1980s.
A tragic end to a story of a brother being killed in action in WWI, the other leaving a wife who would be left unattended for so long following her death. Interestingly and as an aside, Jim’s other brother William David passed away on 3rd February 1965 at the Central Hospital, Hatton! Coincidence indeed.
Events took an unusual turn on Saturday 3rd August 1981, when police were called to Eve and Anne’s flat by neighbours concerned about swarms of flies around the premises. They found Eve in her bed, where she had been since dying some six weeks earlier. Her body was in an advanced state of decay and her head was propped against a chair, she also appeared to have neck injuries, a result of a ‘violent act’ described by the police.
The police treated the case as murder and Ann was arrested on suspicion of it, although she had already been admitted to the Central Hospital at Hatton where she was being medically cared for. Bizarrely neighbours stated that Ann had acted as if nothing had happened and had even attended a garden party to celebrate the Royal Wedding and chatted to neighbours, whilst her mother lay dead inside the flat.
On Wednesday 12th August Ann was charged with the murder of her mother and appeared before Leamington Magistrates Court, the murder having allegedly been committed between 1st July – 1st August 1981. She was remanded on bail so long as she resided in the secure wing at Central Hospital Hatton. She was committed for trial on 7th October at Warwick Crown Court, still residing at Hatton.
Following the Crown Court trial in April 1982, Ann was found not guilty of Murder for strangling her mother, nor of Manslaughter or Manslaughter with diminished responsibility, the judge having directed the jury only to consider a manslaughter charge. Ann was described by a psychiatrist in court as ‘mentally abnormal’ at the time she was alleged to have killed Eve and suffering from schizophrenia. She was in such a condition she could not be held responsible for her actions. In her ‘sick mind’ she blamed the death of her mother on evil sprits.
Two pathologists also disagreed over the cause of death, one saying strangulation was the cause, the other saying the body had decayed so much it was not possible to rule out a heart attack which could just have likely been the cause of death. The police revealed Ann had said during interview “It’s the evil spirits that have done this you know, You Won’t understand unless you’re a committed Christian”.
It is clear that to have found her guilty bearing in mind the conflicting pathologist’s opinions would have been unsound. Ann returned to Central Hospital Hatton, then lived at various locations in Leamington following the introduction of Care in the Community during the 1980s.
A tragic end to a story of a brother being killed in action in WWI, the other leaving a wife who would be left unattended for so long following her death. Interestingly and as an aside, Jim’s other brother William David passed away on 3rd February 1965 at the Central Hospital, Hatton! Coincidence indeed.
Medal Details:
- 1914 Star: Missing.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 323 GNR.J.DURRAN. R.A.
- Victory Medal: Missing.
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This page last updated 26 Jun 24
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