Filling the Gaps

Last week I wrote essentially about mother and daughter, Mary and Sarah Batley.  This week's story begins with Mary's first son and Sarah's brother, George, who I said had been born in Norwich in 1851.  Having grown up in Norwich and its suburbs, it will be no surprise to learn that it was in St Mark's, Lakenham, on the southern side of the city, that he was married on 13th October 1873 to a Norwich girl, Jemima Green.  She bore him six children but, sadly two of them died shortly after birth.

As I traced the lives of this family through the censuses, gradually certain gaps were isolated, that would need a bit more attention.  Their second son, George William, born 28th July 1876, was an example.  He was missing in 1901, but reappeared in 1911 with a wife and family of three children.  They had been married for just 8 years; his wife Florence Annie had been born in Ireland: could this explain where George had been in 1901?

Another gap in 1901 was George's younger brother William John, born 12th October 1880 (this was the second use of those names: his brother had died just weeks old, and the names re-used ... as was often the case).  This gap was easier to fill, though.  As I had found many years ago in the case of my great-uncle, William had joined the army and was in barracks at Colchester.  This find opened up new lines of investigation as I pursued the answers regarding George.

Although George and Florence had been married in Norwich, their first son was born in ... Colchester, another significant clue.  At this point, discoveries were coming thick and fast and - even thought it was scarcely a week ago - I can't clearly recall their sequence.  I found Florence's baptism record, showing that this took place in Athlone in the county of Roscommon, although my recent Irish holiday told me that Athlone is in Westmeath.  Study of maps new and old, however, revealed that part of the town lies to the west of the Shannon and was therefore correctly described as Roscommon.  Characteristic of many such towns in both countries, the border has since been shifted to tidy things up.  I also found Florence's birth registration, which revealed the address as 'Batteries', which the map confirmed was in that western part of the town.  The name suggested a military connection there, too.

Last weekend found me downloading a score of military records from which I can now report that, having started adult life as a tinker's labourer, George enlisted on 13th October 1896 in the 4th (militia) Bn. of the Norfolk Regiment.  This was a life that he found to his liking, for within the year, now slightly grown in stature and correspondingly a few pounds heavier,  he transferred to the 2nd Battalion on a Short Service enlistment (7 years with the colours followed by 5 on reserve).  The battalion were in South Africa from 4th January 1900 until 10th February 1903, accounting for George's absence from the census.  By the time of his return to these shores, George was a corporal; he and Florence were married shortly after and their first son was born before the end of the year, presumably in married quarters.

George was promoted to Lance-Sergeant in April 1904 and, still so-described, was discharged to the reserve on 28th August 1909.  On the outbreak of war in 1914, he returned to the regiment.  This war was a different one, though.  I haven't discovered what action he saw, if any; a medical report of  March 1915 referred to a bout of influenza in January that had developed into chronic bronchitis, rendering him unfit for military service.  His discharge on medical grounds was confirmed on 22nd March and he died on 31st May.  He was buried with military honours in Norwich cemetery.

Perhaps inspired or encouraged by his brother, William enlisted in the militia on 18th April 1899.  The militia battalion was 'disembodied' in July 1901, a reduction in strength perhaps justified by the progress of the war, but William was re-engaged in April 1905 to complete his term of engagement, having been under regular training in the meantime.  Finally discharged from the regiment on 19th April 1909, on 9th August of that year he signed a Territorial Force attestation with the 1st East Anglian Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.  Like his brother, he seemed set for a military career.  However, he was discharged on 26th May 1911 under 'para 156(3) of Territorial Force Regulations'.  Research tells me that this clause refers to the soldier's own request, so what prompted it remains a mystery.  He was at home in Lakenham at the census two months earlier.

Many questions remain unanswered.  Why did George claim to be two years younger than he actually was (18 instead of 20) when he enlisted?  The medical report in March 1915 gives 'age last birthday' as 39 when in July 1914 he would have been 38.  The civil registration of his death shows age 37 ... still 2 years short.  Another open question is that of Florence's father.  The family appears in the 1901 census in Norwich, showing that he was born in the Norfolk village of Shotesham, and his wife in Ipswich.  I've found no trace of a military record for him, although Florence's birth registration shows his occupation as 'Corpl GR' and they were married in 1875 in Woolwich, another place with military connections.  Over the years I've become familiar with a number of regimental abbreviations but GR is unknown to me.

This whole exercise has revolved around finding people where they aren't expected.  That's a thought that certainly has relevance at this particular weekend and my thoughts go out to all who find themselves 'where they weren't expected' today.  As one friend put it after completing a substantial shopping expedition earlier this week, "I wasn't expecting to be cooking Christmas dinner this year!"

Wherever you are, I wish all my readers all the best for the rest of the festive season and a brighter New Year.