John Macdonald Etheridge

John Macdonald Etheridge

The only seaman to be buried at St. Paul’s, Sketty is Chief Officer John Macdonald Etheridge, who died on 15^th September 1943. At 66 years old, he was the eldest of all the war casualties laid to rest in the churchyard. John served with the Merchant Navy aboard the S.S. Capito (Bristol), bringing with him a lifetime of service at sea.

Born in Whitstable in 1876, John appears in only three census records, offering brief glimpses into a long life spent far from shore.

1881 Census

1881 Census

The earliest record finds John at just four years old, living with his family at 9 Oxford Street, Seasalter, Kent. His father, Charles Etheridge, 41, was a General Practitioner in Medicine (M.R.O.S. Eng., L.S.A.), while his mother, Elizabeth, was ten years his junior at 31. John was one of six children at the time: Mary (6), William (5), John (4), Archibald (3), and Charlotte (1). The family employed three servants — a sign of their comfortable standing in the community.

1891 Census

891 Census

Ten years later, the Etheridge family had moved to 97 Oxford Street, Ivy House. By then John was 14 and recorded as a cadet at a Medical Training College. A younger brother, Alan, aged 9, had joined the household. His aunt, Amelia J. Arden, served as a governess, and the family also employed a young domestic servant.

1921 Census

1921 Census

By 1921, John had followed the sea. Now aged 44, he was married to Sarah Butcher, and the couple had a two-year-old son, also named John. They were boarding at 26 Castleland Street, Barry, in the home of Hector A. Curle. The census records John’s occupation as Mercantile Marine Officer — though at that time he was unemployed, a reminder of the uncertainty faced by merchant seamen between wars.

Later Life

1933 Electoral Register

The next surviving reference comes from the 1933 Electoral Register, which records John living at 52 Dock View Road, Barry. It was from this South Wales port that much of his later life was tied.

UK, Merchant Seamen Deaths 1939-1953

When war once again swept across the world, John returned to the sea. The S.S. Capito (Bristol) became his final ship.

South Wales Daily Post, 1943

South Wales Daily Post

The South Wales Daily Post, dated 17^th September 1943, carried a notice of John’s death. The paper described him as a veteran of three wars — the Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War. Having retired from active sea duty, John nevertheless continued to serve as Chief Officer. His long career reflected the vital but often unrecognised role of merchant seamen, whose work carried supplies and risk alike across dangerous waters.

Funeral at St. Paul’s

John’s funeral was held at St. Paul’s Church, Sketty, where family, friends, and colleagues gathered to honour his long service at sea. The service paid tribute not only to his work as a Chief Officer in the Merchant Navy but also to his remarkable career spanning three major conflicts. His burial at St. Paul’s placed him among the soldiers, airmen, and home defenders of Sketty, uniting his story with theirs in the community’s shared memory of sacrifice.