The Kent family of six boys and one girl came to Stamford between 1901 and 1911 to live at 7 Alexandra Terrace. Father, as an experienced engine fitter probably worked in one of the busy engineering works in Stamford. The three elder boys were all old enough to serve in WW I but records only exist for two of them, Leonard Alderman and John William. The record for Walter Harold may have been lost, or he may have been classified as unfit to serve. Nevertheless all three boys survived the war. This family was one of the ‘lucky’ ones whose boys served throughout the war and came safely home to marry and live long lives.
John William was born in 1898 in Lincoln. He lived with his parents and brothers in Lincoln and Grantham and was still at school in 1911 when the family were living at 7 Alexandra Terrace, Stamford.

In 1914, just 16 years old, he enlisted in the 1st/4th Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment. The Lincolns suffered great loss of men in the first year of WW I and some of the surviving troops were amalgamated with other regiments. John was transferred to the Highland Light Infantry and posted to France in 1915 as Private 201365. He served in that regiment throughout the war and was demobilised in 1920.

He was eventually married, in the summer of 1926, to Florence M Belton. She was born in Stamford in 1903, the only daughter of George (a railwayman) and Emma Belton of Brooks Court, St Marys Street. John and Florence lived in Stamford until his death in September 1969.