Levi Squires
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Levi Squires was born on 26th August 1892 at Newton, Derbyshire, he was baptised on 16th August 1896 at Blackwell, Derbyshire, he was the son of Harry a coal miner hewer and Sarah Squires née Thraves of King Street, Hodthorpe, Nottinghamshire. His father Harry was born in 1869 at Nottingham his mother Sarah Thraves was born in 1873 at Pilsley, Derbyshire, they were married in 1891 at Mansfield and went on to have 8 children sadly 1 died in infancy or early childhood. In the 1911 census the family are living at King Street, Hodthorpe, Harry 42 yrs is a coal miner hewer, he is living with his wife Sarah 38 yrs and their children, Charles 19 yrs a coal miner hewer, Levi 18 yrs a coal miner hewer, Harry 12 yrs a scholar, Sarah 11 yrs a scholar, Alexander 7 yrs and George 5 years of age.
Lance Corporal Levi Squires enlisted at Worksop, he served with the 2nd battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he landed in France on 11th March 1915 and died of wounds on 8th May 1917 at Bethnal Green Military Hospital, he is buried at St Lawrence Church, Whitwell.
The report of his death and funeral was published in the 'Belper News' on 25th May 1917 :- “HODTHORPE SOLDIER’S DEATH. “FUNERAL AT WHITWELL. “After having served his King and country France since March, 1915, Pte. Levi Squires, Sherwood Foresters, son of Mr and Mrs Harry Squires, of Hodthorpe, Whitwell, succumbed at the Bethnal Green Military Hospital recently to wounds sustained in action. He was removed to England on May 7th, suffering from extensive wounds caused by the bursting of a shell between April 16th and 17th, and died on the following day. It is a coincidence that he was previously wounded on April 16th, 1916. The body was removed home for the internment. Deceased, who enlisted in September, 1914, was 24 years of age and unmarried, and formerly worked at the Whitwell Colliery. His father enlisted as a sapper in the Royal Engineers in September, 1915, and is still in France. “Military honours were accorded the funeral which took place at the Whitwell Churchyard, the firing and bearer party and buglers being supplied by the welbeck [sic] Camp. The Rector, the Rev. E. H. Polehampton, M.A., took the service both at the Hodthorpe Mission Church, where the deceased was a member of the Bible Class, and at the graveside. “The mourners were the mother, Mr and Mrs Chas. E. Squires, brother and sister-in-law; Miss Grace Wareham, the deceased's fiance: Messrs Harry, George and Alexander Squires, brothers; Misses Alice and Sarah Squires, sisters; Mr and Mrs Bachelor (Mansfield), Mr and Mrs W. Buxton (Shuttlewood), Mrs Buxton (Newton, Alfreton) uncles and aunts; George, James, and John W. Bachelor, Miss Ada Buxton, cousins; Mr and Mrs Youle (Sheffield), Mrs Turton, Mr and Mrs A. Wilson (Whitwell), Mr V. Palmer (Belph), Mr S Bullock, Mrs Wilson (Mansfield), Mrs and Miss Lizzie Wareham, Mrs T. Jones (Hodthorpe), etc. Floral tributes were sent by mother, Mr and Mrs C. Squires. “Alice and Sarah,” Miss Grace Wareharn, soldiers’ wives and mothers, Hodthorpe, neighbours and friends, Hodthorpe, Mr S. Ramsden and workmates at the Whitwell Colliery, Aunt Emma, Mr and Mrs H. Roberts and family, Mr and Mrs Storey and Stephen (in France), Mr and Mrs A. Wilson, Mrs Wilson (Mansfield), Hodthorpe Bible Class, Mr and Mrs Swann (Hodthorpe), Mrs Colclough, Mrs Francis (Belph), Mrs Bennett (Hodthorpe), “Victor and Seth,” a soldier friend, and Mrs Crofts, senr. (Hodthorpe), and Mr and Mrs Crofts, junr.”Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
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