Ernest Hayes

Ernest was the son of Harry Elijah and Annie Hayes (née Blundy).

His father Harry was born in Radford, Nottingham, in 1862 and his mother Annie in about 1861 in Lenton, Nottingham. They were married at Radford Christ Church on 2 August 1884 and had ten children, two of whom died in infancy or childhood.

Nine children have been traced including one, Arthur, who died in childhood: Harry Samuel b. 1885 (OND), William Thomas b. 1889 (OND), Ernest birth reg. 1892 (JFM), Arthur John b. 1893 (JAS) d. 1902 (JFM), Florence b. 1895 (OND), Herbert b. 1899, Leonard b. 1901 (OND), Albert Richard b. 1903 (AMJ) and Frederick b. 1904 (OND). Baptismal records have been traced for five of the children, all of whom were baptised at Radford Christ Church: Harry 31 January 1886, William Thomas 27 October 1889, Ernest 27 March 1892, Arthur John 27 August 1893 and Florence 24 November 1895.

Harry and Annie were living at 30 Garfield Road, Radford, when their first child, Harry, was baptised in 1886. However, they were living at 15 Osborne Street from at least 1889 when William was baptised. Harry, a cabinet maker, his wife and their sons Harry and William, were recorded at the same address on the 1891 Census and again on the 1901 Census by which time the couple had six children; Harry, William, Ernest, Arthur, Florence and Herbert. Also in the household in 1901 was Annie's widowed mother, Jane Blundy, a lace drawer.

Harry and Annie's three youngest sons, Leonard, Albert and Frederick, were born between 1901 and 1904. Arthur, the fourth son, died in 1902 (reg. JFM) aged 8.

By 1911 Harry, a joiner, and Annie had moved to 13 Shipstone Street, Hyson Green, where they were living with their eight surviving children: Harry an engineers' labourer, William a steel bar maker, Ernest an engineers' fitter, Florence a lace drawer and Herbert, Leonard, Albert and Frederick who were school age. Also in the household were two boarders, Flora/Florrie Nurse (24), a lace jennier, and her sister Hilda May Nurse (12). The girls were the daughters of Abraham Nurse and his wife Alice (née Wakelin) who in 1901 had been living with their daughters in Hyson Green.

The Hayes' eldest son Harry married Flora/Florrie Nurse on 30 May 1914; home address 13 Shipstone Street, his parents' address.

The Hayes' only daughter, Florence, married John William Thomas Green on 22 December 1917 at Basford St Augustine. They had at least eight children: Doris Annie (b. 1918 JAS), Florence Edith (b. 1920), Hilda (b. 1921), Gertrude (b. 1922), William (b. 1923), Thomas (b. 1925), Maurice (b. 1930) and Audrey (b. 1935) although the 1939 Register includes two closed records which may be those of two younger siblings.

Four of the Harry and Annie's surviving sons, Harry Samuel, William Thomas, Ernest and Herbert, served in the war. Two died on active service: Ernest died of wounds received in action on March 1915 and Harry Samuel died (illness) in February 1919.

Harry, Annie, their four unmarried sons and their married daughter, her husband and their daughters, were living at 13 Shipstone Street in 1921. Harry, a joiner/cabinet maker, and his sons were employed by J Jardine, lace machine manufacturer; Herbert a mechanical junior draughtsman and Leonard, Albert and Frederick who were fitters' apprentices. Florence's husband William was a miner/hewer at Wollaton Colliery.

Harry Elijah's wife Annie probably died in 1924 (JFM) and Harry in 1928 (reg. JFM, burial 12 January).

Harry Samuel's widow, Florrie Hayes, a lace drawer (Birkin & Co), and her sister, Hilda, a machinist ('fancy lines', Jackson & Co.), were living at 39 Gladstone Street, Hyson Green, in 1921. Flora (sic) married Harry Bayliss in 1923 (JAS Nottingham); they later moved to Coventry. Her sister Hilda married Edgar L Fox in 1924 and they also moved away from Nottingham.

William Thomas, probably known as Tom, married Doris Kershaw in 1918 (JFM); they had two daughters, Annie Elizabeth (b. 1919) and Marjorie L. (b. 1923). William was mobilized in 1916 and demobilized in March 1919 to 13 Shipstone Street, Basford; his service record shows that he was already married with one child. In 1921 William, his wife and their daughter Annie were living at 7 Robey Terrace, Hyson Green, in the household of Frederick and Alice Morrell. The second daughter, Marjorie, was born two years later. The family has not yet been traced after 1921 although Tom's name is included in an obituary in the local paper to his brother Albert Richard who died in 1966, but he had probably died by the time of his brother Herbert's death in 1974 as he is not included in the family notices.

Leonard married Florence E Roberts in 1925 (JAS); they had one child, Joan E. (b. June 1927). His wife Florence probably died in 1931 (OND). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Leonard, a widower, who was employed as an engineer, and his daughter Joan E (b. June 1927, later Humphrey m. 1948), were living at 73 Hazelwood Road, Nottingham, in the home of Arthur Spooner, a goods checker London LMS Railway, and his wife Edith. Leonard died in 1975.

Frederick married Annie Tiley in 1928. In 1939, Frederick, a radial driller, and his wife were living at 9 Carver Street, Nottingham. The records of two other members of the household, probably their children Barbara (b. 1931) and Donald (b. 1935), remain closed. Frederick died in 1941 (OND) aged 37.

Albert Richard married Charlotte (Lottie) Pearson (b. 1905) in October 1932 at Radford St Peter. Albert, a fitter, and Charlotte were still living in Nottingham in 1939; the entry on the Register includes one closed record. Albert died in March 1966; he was survived by his wife.

Florence and her husband William Green, a miner, were still living in Nottingham in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. Also in the home were their children Florence (later Askew) a packer, Hilda (later Browett) a tobacco stripper, Gertrude (later Garfoot), William H. an engineer, Thomas a van boy, Maurice and Audrey (later Trout). The records of two other members of the household remain closed. The couple's eldest daughter, Doris (b. 1918), has not yet been traced after 1921. Florence died in 1982 (JFM).

Herbert, an engineers' draughtsman, was living with the Collington family on Mundella Road, Meadows, in 1939. He died in August 1974 and was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery in the same plot as his brother, Harry Samuel. (See photograph with Harry's record on this Roll of Honour.)