Arthur Bert Pollington

Arthur Bert (Bertie) was the son of Robert Walter John and Harriett Pollington.

His father was born in Norfolk and baptised in Upwell, Norfolk on 29 July 1855. His mother was born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. They were married in 1876 (OND Wisbech) and had ten children of whom seven were still living at the time of the 1911 Census: Ernest Walter John b. Wisbech 3 February 1878 (JFM Wisbech), Ethel May b. Wisbech 1881 (JFM Wisbech), Robert Oscar (Oscar) b. Grantham 26 November 1884 (OND Grantham), Albert Victor (Victor) b. Grantham 17 June 1887 (JAS Grantham), Celia Violet (Violet) b. Grantham 13 February 1890 (JFM Grantham), Percy Claude (Claude) b. Nottingham 29 March 1892 (AMJ Nottingham and Arthur Bert (Bertie) b. 4 May 1895 (AMJ Nottingham).

In 1881 Robert (25) an agricultural labourer and Harriet (24) were living in Wisbech. They had two children, Ernest Walter John (3) and Ethel May (2). Also in the house was Robert's neice, Jesse Margaret Stone (11m).

By 1891 the family had moved to 3 Spring Gardens, Spitalgate, Lincoln. Robert was now working as an iron dresser and he and Harriet had five children: Ernest (13), Ethel (10), Oscar (6), Victor (4) and Violet (1).

Robert and Harriett were living at 5 West Street, Nottingham, by 1901. Five children were in the home on the night of the census: Oscar (17) who like his father was an iron dresser, Victor (13), Violet (11), Claude (9) and Bertie (6).

The family had moved again by 1911 when they were living at 12 Lower Eldon Street, Sneinton, Nottingham. Only Percy (19), a twisthand (lace nets), and Bertie, a sugar boiler confectionery, were still living at home.

Bertie joined the Royal Navy on 11 December 1914 and died on 2 July 1919.

His father Robert died in 1924 (AMJ Nottingham, buried 12 May) and his mother Harriett died in 1933 (AMJ Nottingham, buried 7 April).

Of Bertie's siblings:

Ernest Walter married Sarah Ann Denny (b. 21 February 1878), the daughter of Henry Denny, at Coventry St Thomas on 6 February 1897. They were both living at 93 Sovereign Place, Coventry. In 1911 they were living at 18 Lower Eldon Street, Sneinton Road, with their two children Grace (13) and Archie (9). Ernest (33) was an iron planer at an ironworks and Sarah (33) was a lace mender. At the time of the 1939 England & Wales Register Ernest and Sarah were living at 39 Plantaganet Street, Nottingham. Ernest died aged 93 in 1971 (AMJ Basford, buried 16 June 1971).

Ethel May married William Ainsworth in 1900 (OND Nottingham). In 1911 they were living at 7 Bayford Cottages, Bathley Street, Meadows, Nottingham. They had not had any children. Ethel died aged 54 in 1935 (JAS Nottingham, buried 3 September).

Robert Oscar (Oscar) joined the Machine Gun Corps 68 Coy on 11 February 1916 (35329 Private); he was then living at 100 Sneinton Road, his mother's address. He served in France from 15 July 1916 and was wounded in June 1917 suffering a gundshot wound to the left knee and medically evacuated to the UK where he was treated at the War Hospital Huddersfield. He returned to France and in June 1918 was wounded in a gas shell attack and admitted to the General Hospital Rouen. He was demobilized on 12 February 1919. He married Lizzie Lavinia Bream (b. 6 September 1887) in 1933 (JAS Nottingam) and in 1939 they were living at 33 Cambell Grove, Nottingham; Oscar was a labourer in an iron foundry. He died aged 72 in 1957 (JFM Nottingham). His wife Lizzie survived him (d. 1958).

Albert Victor (Victor) served in the Militia but on 9 April 1904 at the age of 18 years and 1 month he joined the Lancashire Fusiliers. He served continuously from 9 April 1904 until his discharge on 27 March 1919. He served in Malta (1905-06), Egypt (1906), Malta (1906-07), India (1907-1912), and then Home Service (1912-14). He served in France from 22 August 1914 to 3 March 1916 when he was sent to Egypt where he remained until September 1918. He returned to the UK on 16 September and was discharged from the army on 27 March 1919. He returned to his mother's home at 100 Sneinton Road. He married Lily Anne Dare (b. 14 May 1892) in 1919 (AMJ Wandsworth London) and they were living in Wandsworth at the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register. He was working as a pipe fitter's mate. Their son, Arthur V. b. 6 February 1921 (d. 1989 Bent Greater London), a lorry driver's mate, was also in the household. Victor died on 23 August 1957 at the Wilston Hospital Mitcham, Surrey; he was then living at 29 Freshwater Road, Tooting. Lily Anne survived him.

Celia Violet (Violet) married Edgar Sherwood in 1909 (AMJ Nottingham) and in 1911 Edgar (22) a packer of stationery goods, and Violet (21) a lace worker were living at 13 Storer Street, Carlton Road, Nottingham, with their daughter, Ivy Winifred (1, b. 5 November 1909, married 'Carrington' 1930, at least one child, Edgar Carrington, d. 2002 aged 92). Edgar died aged 26 in 1914 (AMJ Nottingham, buried 11 May 1914) and in 1915 (JAS Nottingham) Violet married Ernest Woodward (b. 26 July 1891). In 1939 Violet and Ernest, a milk roundsman, were living at 17 Rosedale Road, Nottingham, with their daughter Audrey E Woodward [Tinkler] b. 15 August 1930. Celia Violet died aged 90 in 1980 (JAS Basford).

Percy Claude (Claude) married Celia Johnson (b. 31 March 1891) in 1912 (OND Nottingham) and had three children; Walter John b. 1913, Frederick Claude b. 1914 and Beatrice May b. 1917. In 1939 they were living in Nottingham; Claude was working as an engineering main belt man. Also in the home were two of their three children, Frederick C. b, 13 November 1914 a lorry driver in the fish trade, and Beatrice May (later Warrington) b. 29 June 1917 a seamstress soft furnishing. Walter had married Dorothy Cross in 1936. His son Frederick served with the 1/5th Sherwood Foresters in the Second World War and became a Japanese prisoner of war in 1942 after the fall of Singapore and died on 12 September 1944 when a troop ship was sunk. Percy Claude died on 17 November 1972 (OND Nottingham) aged 80 and his widow, Celia, on 21 April 1976.