John Conning, 17 Keith Street, Stornoway

Private JOHN CONNING
Last address in Lewis: 17 Keith Street
Next of kin: David / Flora Conning, Parents, of 16 Francis Street
Military unit: 31st Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment)
Service number: 696659
Date of death: 18 November 1917 at the age of 26
Cause of death: Died of wounds in France
Interred: Etaples Military Cemetery, grave XXX. L. 24
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial; Nicolson Institute WW1, left panel

Date of birth: 16 June 1890
Height: 5 ft 11¾ in in Complexion: Fair
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Light brown
Religion: Presbyterian
Trade / occupation: Gardener
Current address: Walsh, AL
Not married
Next of kin: David / Flora Conning, Parents, of 16 Francis Street
Volunteered at Medicine Hat on 12 April 1916

The 1901 census shows the family in Garden Cottage, in (what the census refers to as) Lewis Castle Policies.
David Conning (47) is a gardener. He was born at Haddington, East Lothian. His wife Flora was Stornoway born, and 13 years younger than her spouse. They had six children at the time of the 1901 census, namely: Violet (10), John (9), Charles (8) and Lily (8), and James (1). Charles and Lily were NOT twins; they were born a year apart in 1893 and 1894.

Charles Conning also served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was injured and invalided out, but rejoined the armed services in the trawler section of the Royal Naval Reserve.

Stornoway Gazette
Mr David Conning, merchant and fruiterer, Francis Street, formerly head gardener at Lewis Castle, received official notification that his eldest son, Pte John Conning, of the Canadian Infantry, who had been wounded in action about the 7th of November, died in hospital at Etaples on the 18th November. Pte Conning, who was 26 years of age, followed his father's occupation of gardener in the home country, being employed for some time at Beaufort Castle, and afterwards at Ardross Castle. About seven years ago, he emigrated to Canada. His younger brother, Charles, had gone to the Dominion a year earlier, and latterly was successfully farming  and was employed on a ranch adjoining his brother's farm. Eighteen months ago, he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Forces, and a few months later his brother, abandoning his farm, also joined up for the service of the Motherland. Both have been fighting in Flanders for some time. One of their sisters, Florence, is at munitions works in Glasgow. The news of John's death was received with deep and widespread regret in Stornoway, and the sincere sympathy of the whole community goes out to Mr and Mrs Conning and their family in their great and irrepairable loss.