Lance Corporal Joseph Glass

                                                                                        

Lance Corporal Joseph Glass No 38356 10th/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, was killed on the 22nd March 1918 at 38 years of age and is commemorated on Bay 8 of the Arras Memorial to the missing.

He was the son of John and Mary Jane Glass (nee Southern). They were married in 1874 and had at least five children of which four lived:

  • Joseph Southern (1875 – 1875)
  •  Ada Jane Glass (b 1876) 
  • Joseph Glass (30/10/1878 – 22/03/1918)
  • Richard Glass (b 1881)
  • Isabel Glass (b 1884)

He married Emma Gibson Batie in 1906 in Newcastle Upon Tyne. It is not known if they had any children.

It’s worth noting that Emma’s older sister Mary Jane Batie married Hugh Petrie, a member of Lodge Temperance 2557, whose son Thomas William Petrie, also a member of Lodge Temperance 2557, served in WW1. 

Joseph was born in Wingate, Co Durham in 1878 and in 1911 and 1913 was working as a Surveyor for a Fire Insurance Company, living with his wife Emma at 40, Cherryburn Gardens, Fenham, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

He started his Lodge Temperance Masonic career in May 1913 at 34 years of age. He was proposed by Bro Hugh Petrie at the Lodge meeting held on 17 th March 1913 and seconded by Bro Nathan Bergman.  A succesful ballot was held at the meeting held on 21st April and then a month later on the 19th May he was initiated into the ancient mysteries of Freemasonry. He was passed to the second degree on th 16th June and then raised to the sublime degree of a master mason on the 18th August. He signed and received his Grand Lodge certificate in open lodge on 17th November 1913.

On 20th May 1918, the Worshipful Master Wbro. William Newton announced that Bro Joseph Glass had been killed in action on 22nd March 1918 and that he had written a letter to the widow of the late Bro Glass expressing the sympathy of the Lodge with her in her bereavement. The Brethren expressed their sympathy by standing at attention with the sign of fidelity.

His wife Emma did not remarry and remained living at 40, Cherryburn Gardens, Fenham, until her death on 28th June 1959 at the age of 80 years leaving around £2300 (worth about £55,000 today) to her niece Gladys Hughina Mary Petrie the daughter of Emma’s sister Mary Jane and brother in law Hugh Petrie. Gladys was also residing at 40, Cherryburn Gardens at her death in 1962 aged 60 years.

The CWGC entry for Lance Corporal Joseph Glass

He is commemorated on the

 Stained Glass Window and ROH Westgate Road Baptist Church

Although Lcpl Joseph Glass is mentioned in the minutes of Lodge Temperance, he is not listed on the hand written ROH at the end of the minute book. He is also not listed on the Masonic Great War Project Roll of Honour  or the Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 listed on the North East War Memorial project.

Page updated 28/04/2023