Richard Talbot

Richard was the only surviving child of William and Ellen Talbot (née Gardner).

His father William was born in Nottingham in 1870 (JAS/Hughes) although his service record gives his date of birth as 15 June 1871. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Talbot (née Hughes), who probably had 13 children: Richard b. 1849, Eliza b. 1851, Thomas b. 1852, Ann b. 1855, Mary b. 1856, Elizabeth (Lissey) b. 1858, Kate b. 1861, Clara b. 1861, Elizabeth (Betsy) Maria b. 1863, Ellen b. 1865, Emma b. 1868, William b. 1870 and Arthur b. 1872.

His mother Ellen (Nellie) was born in Nottingham in 1872 (AMJ), the daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Gardner (née Barrows m. 1865). Her father died in 1878 aged 44, and in 1881 her widowed mother, a lace finisher, her son William (18 b. abt 1863) a litho printer, and Ellen (9) were living at 3 Ristes Place, Nottingham. Mary Ann Gardner married Henry Mason in 1883 (AMJ).

William and Ellen were married on 18 January 1888 and had seven children, six of whom died in infancy or early childhood. Their surviving child, Richard, was born in 1890 (OND) and baptised at Sneinton St Albion on 21 December the same year. His six siblings were: Sarah Florence b. 1889 (JFM) bap. 5 May 1889 St Paul d. 1889 (JAS); Wallace Henry b. 1892 (reg. JAS Newark) d. 1894 (AMJ); Lilian b. 1894 (OND) d. 1894 (OND); Ellen birth reg. 1896 (JFM) bap. St Mark 10 June 1896 d. 1900 (OND); Olive birth reg. 1898 (JFM) d. 1900 (OND).

According to the baptismal records, William and Ellen were living on Woolpack Lane in May 1889, 1 Carey's Place in 1890 and 11 Castle Court in June 1896.

William has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census, but Ellen, a box maker, and their son Richard (b. 1890, u/1y), were living with Ellen's mother Mary and stepfather Henry Mason, a tailor, at 34 Sneinton Road, Nottingham.

The couple's first child, Sarah, born in 1889, had died the same year. Their other five children, a son and four daughters, were born between 1892 and 1898; the two youngest, Ellen and Olive, both died in 1900 (OND).

In 1901, William, a shoemaker, and Ellen, a cardboard box maker, were living at 252 Alfred Street Central with their son Richard and William's father, William Talbot (75), who was also a shoe maker. William snr. was a widower, his wife Elizabeth having died earlier that year. William snr. died in 1908.

William (40), a boot and shoe maker, Ellen (39) and Richard (20), a labourer, were living at 12 Peas Hill Road, St Ann's, in 1911.

Richard's father enlisted in September 1914 and was serving in Chatham Battalion, RMLI, with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, when he was seriously wounded in May 1915. He was medically evacuated to the UK and died in a Royal Naval Hospital from the effect of his injuries on 20 February 1916 (reg. 1916 JFM Medway, age 46, b. abt 1870). (See 'Extra information').

Ellen Talbot was living at 8 Wrigley's Terrace, St. Ann’s Well Road, at the time of her husband's death in February 1916. She was awarded a pension of 15 shillings a week, first payment made 1 March 1917.

Ellen has not yet been traced on other records after this date.