Joseph Henry Stocks
1911 census - Coal Miner, Pony driver
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Joseph Henry Stocks was born in 1895 at Sutton in Ashfield he was the son of the late William a coal miner and Ellen Stocks (later Oscroft) née Wilkinson and the brother of Edward and Ellen Stocks.
His father William was born in 1856 at South Normanton, he died in 1893 aged 37 yrs, his mother Ellen Wilkinson was born in 1856 at Suton in Ashfield, they were married in 1876 at Mansfield, they had 10 children
Following the death of her husband William Ellen went on to re marry Henry Oscroft in 1894 at Mansfield.
In the 1911 census the family livied at 14 West End Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire. Ellen Oscroft 55 yrs married is living with her children, Edward Stocks 24 yrs a coal miner hewer, Ellen Stocks 22 years no occupation, Joseph Hney 16 yrs a coal miner pony driver and also living with the family is Beatrice Stokes 7 months of age a granddaughte.
Private Joseph Henry Stocks enlisted at Mansfield whilst residing at Sutton in Ashfield, he served with the 9th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he was killed in action, probably by a sniper, on 13 November 1915 when the battalion mounted a guard in Ducks Nest for 24 hours, 6.30 pm on 12 until 6.20 pm on 13th. He is buried in Azmak Cemetery, Suvla. The cemetery was made after the Armistice and therefore Joseph would first have been buried close to the front line.
Pte. Joseph Stocks, 9th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, wrote a letter to his widowed mother from Suvla on 15th October 1915 which was published on 20th November 1915 in the ‘Notts. Free Press,’
“Dear Mother, just a few lines to you hoping to find you in the best of health as it leaves me at present. Christmas is drawing near and, although I shall be not having my dinner, I want you to have a good one, and so I am sending your Christmas box in advance, for there is no knowing what is going to happen out here. It only takes your letters ten days to come now, so I shall be expecting one or two now and again.”
Above is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
Additional research and information Peter Gillings
Joseph Henry Stocks Grave
13155 Private Joseph Henry Stocks was killed in action on 13 November 1915 on Gallipoli. From Tuesday 12 until Wednesday 13 men from the battalion mounted guards in Ducks Nest post. Joseph is buried in Azmak Military Cemetery, grave I. D. 3. Visited, photo taken and cross laid by John Morse