John George Todd, Captain Northumberland Fusiliers

John George Todd matriculated in 1901 after attending Durham School in County Durham.

Born: Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear on 4 January 1883

Fell in action: 1 July 1916

Hard-working law student

Todd concentrated hard on his studies and rowing whilst here. He graduated in 1904 with an LLB and did sufficiently well for it be noted in the Jesus College Society Annual Report 1905; “Todd was placed first in the Law Tripos but in Class II” (p20).

Oarsman and coach

Rowing-wise he was unfortunate to be a student at a time when “the style of [Jesus] rowing is not good; indeed it is bad throughout the university” (Jesus College Society Annual Report 1904, p31).

Nonetheless Todd was a member of the first boat in Lent 1902, Lent 1903 and May 1903. By 1904 he appears to have been concentrating on his “Trip” and did not row, though he did coach the second Lent 1904 boat.

Records show that Todd was quite a small man for an oarsman, starting out in Lent 1902 at 9st 7lbs, and gaining seven and a half pounds during the following year. On no occasion did the Jesus boat win any races.

Solicitor

After graduating he returned to the North-East and became partner in the firm of Maughan and Hall solicitors in Newcastle. He married Florence Kent of Darlington and they had two children.

War service

At the start of the war he joined the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers as a Private and was later commissioned to Captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

He fell in action at La Boisselle on 1 July 1916.

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