John Bernard Perkins

John Bernard Perkins was born in 1895 in Kingsbury, Leicestershire, son of Walter Perkins, heel builder in boot factory, born in Tamworth, Warwickshire, and Eliza Ann nee Bott born in Burbage. In 1901 the family were living in Burbage, but by 1911 Eliza Ann and three of their children, including Bernard, were enumerated on High Street, Wheatley - Eliza Ann described as mother-in-law of Edward Charles Sheldon, 27, coal merchant. The father continued in 1911 to work in the footwear industry in Burbage, three others of the children living with him.

The Oxford Chronicle reported that Bernard had enlisted with Kitchener's New Army on 18 September 1914. He had joined the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as a Private, Regimental number 14766, with A Coy, 8th Battalion OBLI, Pioneer Detachment. The address given when he joined was Lutterworth Row, Burbage, Leicester: his trade was carter and his previous employer E. C. Sheldon of High Street, Wheatley. He served in France for two months and in the Balkans for three years and four months. He had malaria three times. He earned the three medals, ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred'. He was living in the High Street in 1921. On 3 August 1927 he married Freda Veronica Esme Heath, born 1900 in Wheatley, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Heath of the King and Queen public house on High Street: she was a sister of Charles Heath junior. Bernard died on 26 December 1961 at the King and Queen, where he had been the landlord.