A former X Factor star’s links to a Barrow World War soldier have been revealed as part of a project to mark the centenary of the end of the war.

Jay James, who appeared on the programme in 2014, investigated his family’s history in the Great War as part of project run by the Royal British Legion.

It was revealed his great-great-grandfather Thompson (Thomas) McBride Livingston - who was born in Armagh, Ireland, but had moved to Barrow by 1911 with his wife Letitia - joined the Royal Engineers in 1916 and went to fight in Salonika, Greece.

After finding out about his First World War ancestry, Jay told the RBL: “I suppose I would say to Thomas Livingstone thank you because as corny as it sounds without his little piece in the war in essence I wouldn’t be here and for that I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Thompson was a pattern maker by trade, making wooden patterns based on a designer’s sketch which could be transferred to metalwork and was praised for his skills by the Royal Engineers during the war.

However, he was also charged multiple times for drinking in the field - probably due to the stress of having contracted malaria, combined with the bleak conditions and extremes of hot and cold weather.

His descendant Philip Livingstone, formerly of Barrow but now living near Bolton, has been looking into his family history following the death of his father William Livingstone - the youngest of Thompson’s six children.

Philip Livingstone said he had never known his grandfather, as Thompson put baby William into an orphanage following the death of Letitia from tuberculosis in 1923 - less than a year after his birth.

Mr Livingstone said he believed Thompson may not have felt able to look after all the children on his own.

Mr Livingstone - who is the first cousin twice removed of Jay James - said his grandfather worked at Cairds Foundry in Barrow and lived on Walney Island. He died in 1970 at the age of 86 in Abbey House, when it used to be a residential home.

His father William Livingstone died in 2007.

“It seems (Thompson) was quite well thought of at Cairds,” said Mr Livingstone.

“Even after he retired they used to send a taxi out to bring him back into work because there were some jobs only he could do.”

Mr Livingstone is continuing to research his family history and, in particular, is keen to hear from anyone who has pictures of Thompson McBride.