Horace William Raynor

Horace William was the son of Joseph and Amanda Ellen Raynor (née Anthony).

Joseph Raynor was born in Strelley, Nottingham, birth registered 1857 (JFM, mother's maiden name Key), and his wife Amanda Ellen (Ellen) was born in Parkgate, Sheffield, in 1858 (reg. Rotherham, mother's maiden name Utley).

They were married at Nottingham St Paul on 10 January 1881 and had six children only five of whom survived infancy/childhood. Their five surviving children were: Charles Henry b. Syerston Nottinghamshire 1881 (reg. Southwell) who was born in Syerston, Nottinghamshire, and Frederick Anthony birth registered 1883 (JFM), Bernard George birth registered 1887 (JFM), Horace William b. 1891 and Harold Curtis b. 1893, who were all born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire. The four eldest sons were baptised at Stapleford St Helen on 15 November 1891 and the youngest, Harold, on 25 June 1893, also at St Helen's parish church.

On the 1881 Census, Joseph and Ellen were recorded living with Joseph's parents, Joseph and Elizabeth, and his brother William at Syerston, Southwell. His father was farming 85 acres.

By 1891 Joseph, a butcher, and his wife were living on Nottingham Road, Stapleford, with their five sons. They had moved to 16 Colwick Street, Basford, by 1901; Joseph was a licensed victualler and three of his sons may have been working for him as Charles and Frederick were barmen and Bernard a waiter. The two youngest sons, Horace and Harold, were school age.

The eldest son, Charles, joined the Army in 1905; he was still living with his parents and gave his address as 31 Morton Street, Nottingham. He was discharged the same year (see 'Extra information').

Joseph was 'hotel manager' of the Saracen’s Head, 237 Sherwood Street, Nottingham, by 1911, and his wife was assisting in the business. Only their youngest son Harold, a cardboard box maker, was still living at home.

The eldest son, Charles, has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, but he probably died aged 30 in 1912 (reg. JFM Loughborough).

Two sons, Frederick and Bernard, were married by 1911. Frederick married Ada Cotton in 1903 (JFM) and in 1911 they were living with their three children, Frederick William (b. 1903 AJM), Hilda (b. 1904) and Constance (b. 1906), at 5 Bentinck Square, Bentinck Street, Nottingham. Frederick was a carter general (wine and spirit merchant) and Ada a lace clipper. Bernard married Dorothy Ann Harland (b. 1889) in Hartlepool in 1909 and they had a daughter Irene (Ena) Mary in 1911 (JFM). They were living on Uppingham Street, West Hartlepool, at the time of the 1911 Census; also in the household was Bernard's widowed mother-in-law, Mary O'Callaghen.

Horace William Raynor was a live-in barman at the Welbeck Hotel 36 Milton Street, Nottingham, in 1911. In 1913 he married Agnes Phoebe Yates (b. Jan. 1890), the daughter of Henry and Agnes Yates of Nottingham. There were no children of the marriage.

The addresses given in Horace's Army records for his parents were The Globe, Sacheverell Street, Derby [1914] and 43 Sacheverell Street, Derby [1919], which may be same address. Joseph Raynor died in Derby in 1914 (reg. OND) aged 56 and the licence of The Globe was transferred to his widow. Ellen Raynor died in Derby on 10 April 1939; her funeral was held in Nottingham.

Army records gave Horace's widow’s address as 5 Albert Avenue, Bobbersmill [1919]. This was the address of Agnes's widowed father, Henry Yates, and both she and a widowed sister, Florence Jebb and her daughter Gladys, were living with him in 1921. The later CWGC record gave Agnes's address as 6a Mitchell Street, Alfreton Road, Radford, but she was recorded on a later electoral roll at 24 Clifford Street (Wollaton Ward), so could either have been living alone or been the only person in the household entitled to vote. Agnes married Alfred Smith at Nottingham in 1928. They were living at 89 Manvers Street, Nottingham, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled; Alfred was a publican. Agnes died aged 75 in 1965 (reg. Nottingham).

Of Horace's three surviving siblings, Frederick, Bernard and Harold:

Frederick, who worked for a wholesale distributer, and his wife Ada were living at 3 Avon Road, Nottingham, in 1939. Also in the home were their two daughters, Constance (unm.) and Hilda Williams (m. Charles Williams 1931, Nottingham) who were unemployed chambermaids. Their brother Frederick William had died earlier that year. Frederick snr. died in 1961 (reg. JFM).

Bernard, a sheet metal labourer, and his wife Dorothy were living on Brierton Lane, West Hartlepool, in 1939. At the same address were a married couple, Arthur Murray and his wife Laura (m. 1932 Hartlepool). Bernard died in September 1965 at his married daughter's home in Beeston.

Harold married Ada Florence Spencer at Derby St. Peter in 1917 and they were living in Derby in 1921. They may have had six children: Harold H (b. 1918), Ellen E (reg. 1920 JFM), Ada Florence (b. 1923), Hannah M (b. 1926), Gladys M (b. 1927) and Edward (b. 1931), births registered Derbys, Raynor/Spencer. Harold's wife Ada died in 1956 and he died in December 1974.