Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Mobbs, James (Jimmy) |
Othernames |
Cpl. J. Mobbs (Corporal Mobbs) / Jimmy / Jim signed his name "Jas. Mobbs" |
Born |
Dec. 16, 1893 |
Birthplace |
London, England |
Places of residence |
London, England (emigrated to Canada in 1909). Big Bay area farm in Keppel Township (1911 census) Village of Kemble, Keppel Township Overseas service in England and France and Belgium (returned to Canada |
Father |
Unknown |
Mother |
Unknown |
Nationality |
English-Canadian |
Education |
Apprenticed as a blacksmith at Kemble |
Notes |
James Mobbs, and his brother, Harry Mobbs (Henry Mobbs), both emigrated from London, England, in 1909. Perhaps they were teenaged "home children", orphans sent to Canada to work as labourers. In the 1911 census, James Mobbs was listed as seventeen, and was working as a Domestic for the Hawthorne and Clara Nickel family in the Big Bay area of Keppel Township, Grey County. They had an adopted daughter, Ede, who was five, but no other children, and likely needed some farm help. James (also known as Jimmy or Jim) worked with Charles Husband, one of the two blacksmiths at Kemble, in Keppel Township, Grey County (the other was Mr. MacKenzie). Jimmy apprenticed with Mr. Husband. Prior to the war, Mr. Husband was quite busy with blacksmithing work in the village, and Allan S. MacPhatter's book Memories of Kemble describes how Mr. Husband would put an iron tyre on a wheel. The Husband shop also did a lot of shoeing. James Mobbs attested (enlisted) at Owen Sound on December 20, 1915 with the 147th Grey (Overseas) Battalion. His regimental number was 838331. The form reads that he was born in London, England, on December 16, 1893, and that his next-of-kin was his brother, Harry Mobbs of Big Bay. His trade was recorded as "Blacksmith". He did not have any previous military experience. The book Beautiful Stoney Keppel (1986) includes a head and shoulders image of Jimmy Mobbs wearing his 147th tunic and soft cap (p. 282). There also is a military portrait of a "Jerry Mobbs" on the same page. Is this Harry Mobbs? Chronicles of Kemble (1969) has a full-length image of Jimmy Mobbs in uniform, p.16. A write-up in this book mentions how he learned blacksmithing with Charles Husband, and worked with him until Dec. 1915. Then Jimmy, along with Wilson Bedell, Jesse West, Herman West and George Taylor, went to Owen Sound and joined up with the 147th Battalion. After arriving in England in 1916, the 147th was eventually placed into the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion and used as drafts for other units. On April 19, 1917, Jimmy Mobbs went to France and was placed in "A" company of the 4th C.M.R. He just missed the Vimy Ridge battle, but was at Estrablanche. He also was at several other battle areas. He was at the battle of Passchendaele (Oct. 26-Nov. 15th), which had a number of Grey County men involved in it (about 60 casualties from Grey on Oct. 26th). Jimmy Mobbs' platoon went into action at Passchendaele with 36 men, and only twelve came out of it. He also was the Corporal in charge of a trench raid that took place on July 14, 1918 (he was in charge of a machine gun crew during the raid). At the battle of Arras, the "D" Company of the 4th C.M.R. had three officers and 116 men gassed, and the "A" Company had to take over in their area. James was wounded around this time, when he was shot in the arm by an enemy sniper. He was invalided to England and didn't return to the fighting. Jim and his friend Jesse West returned to Canada in December of 1918, and he was discharged in January, 1919. Jim returned to Kemble and worked for Mr. Husband again. Then he went to Owen Sound and worked for Mr. Ferguson (William Ferguson - Grey Roots has a large sleigh that was made there, and prior to the war, the McDowall monoplane had been built there. The Ferguson blacksmith shop was along 8th St. East). In 1920, James married Eva Featherstone, and they moved to Weston, c. 19__, where he had a blacksmith shop. He was a blacksmith for 52 years and retired in 1961. Marriage record 012986 for May 5, 1920 reads that James Mobbs did not know the names of his parents, and that he was a Bachelor, Methodist, and a Blacksmith. He was 26 years of age. His wife, Eva Elizabeth Featherstone, also age 26, was listed as a Spinster, and "Candymaker" [this suggests that she might have been employed at the McLauchlan & Sons confectionery business?]. Their marriage was mentioned in a newspaper clipping (see the BG0Gs microfiche collection). The book Chronicles of Kemble has information about the Wests, and it turned out that the brothers, Herman and Jesse West also were with the 4th C.M.R. at the Front. Herman West didn't last long after he was drafted to the 4th C.M.R., as he contracted cerebro-menigitis and died at No. 10 Casualty Clearing station on May 21, 1917, after his first tour on the line. Jesse E. West was wounded a couple times. Jesse was on the same ship returning to Canada in Dec. 1918 as James Mobb, the "S. S. MILLITTA" (perhaps should be S. S. Melita?). West's write-up mentioned that his friend James Mobbs had been hospitalized at Bath, England, before he was moved to Liverpool, where the ship disembarked. They had travelled together to England on the S. S. Olympic (a sister ship of the Titanic), so it was neat that the friends were together on both voyages. Another one of his Kemble friends, Private Wilson Bedell, had been drafted to the 42nd Royal Canadian Battalion (Black Watch). Private Bedell was wounded at Boulogne Wood? and survived. He eventually became Dr. Bedell, a long-time Owen Sound dentist. James Mobbs kept a Canadian soldier's New Testament that is inscribed with Wilson Bedell's name, and used his own post-war 147th Battalion Association (Toronto branch) membership card as a bookmark in it, signed "Jas. Mobbs". These items are now at Grey Roots Museum, along with James Mobb's swagger stick and service medals. James Mobbs is listed with his comrades of the 4th C.M.R. in the back of the book by Capt. S. G. Bennett, The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles 1914-1919 (1926), p. 274. His battalion of origin was the 147th, and he was put onto the strength of the 4th C.M.R. on 22-4-17 (April 22, 1917) in the field. He was a Private, and then became a Corporal. He was wounded 27-8-18 (August 27, 1918). He was struck off the strength of the regiment on 17-1-19 (Jan. 17, 1919). There is an original copy of this book in the Grey County Archives. The 4th C.M.R. was a Toronto-based unit, but had a lot of Grey County men and officers in it (it was the unit that VC winner Tommy Holmes was in). In the 1931 book by E. Marsh, A History of the County of Grey, a listing of 147th veterans listed James Mobbs as residing at Big Bay (Keppel Township). |
Occupation |
Home Child? Farm Domestic Labourer Blacksmith Canadian Soldier / Veteran (147th Grey Overseas Battalion, and 4th C.M.R.) |
Publications |
Ontario Marriage Record 012986 (May 5, 1920) BEAUTIFUL STONEY KEPPEL, 1986, p. 282 (image of him) CHRONICLES OF KEMBLE, 1969, mentioned in a couple places He is also listed in the back of George Scott Auer's book, Soldiers of the Soil: Grey County Goes to War 1914-1918, p. 213 Bennett, Capt. S. G., The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles 1914-1919 (1926), p. 274. Marsh, E., A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF GREY, 1931 (listed at the back) |
Relationships |
Member of the 147th Battalion Assocation (Toronto branch) in the post-war period. Two grand-daughters |
Role |
Military/Soldie |
Spouse |
Eva Elizabeth Featherstone, May 5, 1920 |
Children |
Noreen Mobbs (Mrs. Morrison) |
