Pte. John MacGregor

Son of Malcolm MacGregor, of 12, Tolsta Chaolais, West Stornoway, Scotland. Born in Scotland. Brush maker. John joined the Royal Navy as a boy & was on the China Station at the time of the Boxer Rising early 1900's. After serving in the navy for 12 years he settled in New Zealand working as a motor driver before the war. Enlisted from Rotherfield Hotel, Christchurch. Served in Egypt, 1914-15, at Gallipoli, and on The Western Front. Died after discharge from disease contracted while on active service. Died of double pneumonia. Year of birth either 1878 or 1880.

Private JOHN MACGREGOR
Last known address in Lewis: 12A Tolsta Chaolais
Son of Malcolm and Chirsty (Christina) Macgregor.
Service unit: Canterbury Infantry Battalion (N.Z.E.F)
Service number: 6/92
Date of death: 11 July 1920 at the age of 40
Died of war wounds at the Metropolitan Private Hotel
Interred: Christchurch (Sydenham) Cemetery, New Zealand, Block J2. Lot 53.

An inquest concerning the death of John McGregor, who was found dead in his bed at the Metropolitan Private Hotel yesterday morning, was held before Mr. S. E. McCarthy, Coroner. Mr. H. L. Widdowson stated that he had held a post-mortem examination of the body of deceased and had found both lungs bound to the chest walls by recent adhesions. The whole of the left lung and the lower lobe of the right lung were completely consolidated by pneumonia. There was slight inflammation at the beginning of the aorta. In his opinion, death was due to double pneumonia. Frederick William Cochrane, proprietor of the Metropolitan Private Hotel, stated that the deceased had been a boarder at his house for about six weeks. He last saw him alive on July 10, at about 6.30 p.m. His condition was then normal. He saw him dead in bed in his room at 7 o'clock yesterday morning. Deceased was fully dressed. William Webster, residing at the Metropolitan, knew the deceased by sight. He last saw him alive at 9 a.m. on Sunday. Deceased was in his normal condition. He went to call McGregor at 7 o'clock on Monday morning, and found him lying on the bed, dead. He knew deceased was a returned soldier and thought he had been employed at Strange and Co.'s. Constable A. Duckworth deposed that he had been called to the Metropolitan Hotel by telephone yesterday morning and removed the body to the morgue. He saw no marks of violence on the body. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased had died of double pneumonia, between 9 a.m. on July 11 and 7 a.m. on July 12. Source: Sun (Christchurch) (13 July 1920, p. 2).

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohMa.html / Ref 11.4.2021
3. Sun (Christchurch) (13 July 1920, p. 2).