A ceremony to pay tribute to the first man who died in the Great War will be held.

People will gather on Lodge Lane, North Finchley, on Thursday to mark 100 years since the death of Private John Parr, widely recognised as the first Allied soldier to die in the war.

Private Parr lived in the street from 1909 to 1914. He is recorded as killed on August 21 1914, near Mons in Belgium.

A memorial paving stone provided by Barnet War Memorials Association has been lain in the street outside the house where he lived.

One of John Parr’s closest living relatives, Iris Hunt, will attend. The great-niece of his mother, she will read the letter written by John’s mother to the War Office in October 1914, and will lay a white rose on the paving stone. Two wreathes will also be laid either side of the rose.

The paving stone will be unveiled by the Representative Deputy Lieutenant of Barnet, Martin Russell, alongside a speech from the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Hugh Rayner, and a dedication by the Archdeacon of Hampstead, The Ven Luke Miller.

Martin Russell, the borough’s Representative Deputy Lieutenant, said: “This commemorative stone provided by Barnet War Memorials Association is not only a visible reminder of the first fatality of the war, but also a microcosm of the human cost that was magnified many times over the four years of war.”

The ceremony will take place in Lodge Lane from 2.30pm until 3.15pm. It is open to anyone who wishes to attend.