Cecil Henry Meares was born in Instioge, Ireland on 17 February 1876. His mother, Helena Jane Meares (1850-1876), nee Townsend, died only a few days after his birth on 20 February 1876. He was given to relatives (Cowan family) in Ayrshire, Scotland where he was grown up. His father, Henry John Meares (1848-1919) was a soldier and was garrisoned in British colonies and had remarried a member of the Cowan family. Henry Cecil Meares married Annie Christina Spengler (1880-1974) in St. Marylebone, England, on 06 February 1915. He also was a soldier and fought in the Crimean War and in the Boer War. He died in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 12 May 1937.

89 Boro, L. I. Soldiers are killed in Action.
Washington, Oct. 20 - The War Department made public today the names of 2,818 soldiers killed in action in the European and Mediterranean areas. The following 89 Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island men are included: