| James Bernard "Bert" Langdon was born at East Coker (a small village just outside Yeovil in Somerset) in 1889. He married Mary Elizabeth Smith (born in Newton Bromshold on 4 May 1888) in 1911 at Yeovil. Mary's parents were Thomas Smith, born 1868 Audley (died 1911), and Mary Hannah Brooks born 1867 at Wellingborough (died at Higham Ferrers in 1915).
James & Mary came to Rushden where their son Bernard Thomas was born on 2nd December 1911. A year later another son, Reginald George was born, followed by Mary Joan in 1916. They had been living at 75 Newton Road, Rushden, and James was working as a shoe hand when, at the age of 26 years and 7 months of age, he enlisted at Kettering, and was first examined there on Dec 11th 1915, and then re-examined on 28th February 1917 at Northampton. He was 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 115 pounds, was of good physical development, with a 36” chest, had 4 vaccination marks from his childhood, and his teeth were good.
James died in 1984 at East Coker, after returning to the village in the 1930's from Rushden. Mary died (Q2 1974) in Bromley Kent).
Both Bernard and his brother Reginald played football for Rushden St Mary's in the 1920s and 1930s.
Bernard died peacefully in Pancrasweek, Devon, in 1976, looking out over his garden on a beautiful summer's day.
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