George Gordon Oliver
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
George Gordon was the son of George Alfred Oliver and Mary Emma Oliver (née Collins) His father George Alfred was born in 1867 at Tipton, Staffordshire, baptised November 1867, and was the son of James and Emma Oliver. The family was living at the Albion Inn, Tividale Road, Tipton, in 1881; his father was a millwright and beer seller. His mother Mary Emma, the daughter of William Collins and his wife Betsy (née Iliffe, m. Bulwell St Mary 1865), was born in Bulwell in 1869 and baptised at the parish church in the November. The family was living on Back Lane, Bulwell in 1871 but by 1881 Mary, aged eleven and described on the census as a pupil teacher, was living with her maternal grandfather, Edmund Iliffe and his wife. George Alfred and Mary Emma, both of the Albion Inn, were married at Tividale St Michael in 1890 and had five children: Edmund Iliffe b. 1891 and George Gordon b. 1892 who were both born in Bulwell and baptised at St Mary the Virgin & All Souls, George on 7 September 1892, and Hubert Harold b. 1895, Mabel Evelyn b. 1897 and Agnes Mary b. 1908 were all born in Hyson Green; Hubert and Mabel were baptised at the parish church of St Paul. George, a coal miner, Mary and their son Edmund were living with Mary's widowed father Edmund Iliffe, a stocking hawker, on Newmarket Road, Bulwell, in 1891. They were still at the same address when their second son George was baptised the following year but were living at 65 Beaconsfield Street, Hyson Green, when Hubert and Mabel were baptised in 1894 and 1897 respectively. By 1901 George, now a provision salesman, his wife and their four children, Edmund, George, Herbert and Mabel, were living at 3 Station Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire. However, they were living at 267 Radford Road, Hyson Green, where George had a grocer's shop, at the time of his death on 8 February 1908 (see 'Extra information'). His daughter Agnes was born five months later in July 1908. The family was still living at 267 Radford Road in 1911; Mary had continued in her husband's business as an off-license and provision dealer and her two eldest sons, Edmund and George, were assisting in the business, Hubert was a butcher's assistant and Mabel a blouse machinist. The youngest child, Agnes, was two years old. Mary's two daughters, Mabel and Agnes, were still living with their mother in 1921, probably at 16 Collinson Street, Hyson Green, and the three were recorded at the same address on the 1939 England & Wales Register; Mabel was a blouse machinist and Agnes an assistant nurse. Mary died at their home in Hyson Green in December 1948. George's brother Herbert was married at Radford St Peter in June 1919; the marriage register gave Herbert's occupation as 'soldier', address Knightsbridge, London. No military records have yet been traced. Herbert later became a police constable. Their brother Edmund began work with a railway company as a yard foreman at Annesley Yard in October 1914 and was employed as a shunter by the time of his marriage in 1920. No military record has been traced for Edmund, and his occupation may have resulted in an exemption from conscription.
George Gordon Oliver held the rank of lance corporal (unpaid) and served with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. It seems likely that he joined the army before the outbreak of war. The 1st Battalion was in barracks in London in August 1914 and in September came under command of 20th Brigade, 87th Division. It was mobilised and landed at Zeebrugge on 7 October 1914. George was killed in action three weeks later on 29 October 1914. His grave was brought into Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Belgium, after the Armistice. (Grave ref. VI.J.18). CWGC - History of Zantvoorde British Cemetery (extract): The cemetery is 8km from the town of Ieper [Ypres]. 'On 30 October 1914, the village of Zantvoorde (now Zandvoorde) was held by the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, numbering between 300 and 400 men. It was bombarded for over an hour with heavy guns and then taken by the 39th German Division and three attached battalions. The whole front of the 3rd Cavalry Division was driven back to the Klein-Zillebeke ridge. The village could not be retaken and remained in German hands until 28 September 1918. The Household Cavalry Memorial, unveiled by Lord Haig in May 1924, stands on the South side of the village at the place where part of the Brigade was annihilated in 1914. Zantvoorde British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when remains were brought in from the battlefields and nearby German cemeteries. Many were those of soldiers who died in the desperate fighting round Zantvoorde, Zillebeke and Gheluvelt in the latter part of October 1914.' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC Additional information: 'Son of Mary Emma Oliver, of 16, Collison St., Alfreton Rd., Nottingham, and the late George Alfred Oliver. Born at Bulwell, Nottingham.' CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die' Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his mother Mary Emma Oliver, Hyson Green, was his legatee. Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths,’ 13 February 1908: ‘Oliver. On the 8th inst., at 257 Radford-road, after a short and painful illness, George Alfred, dearly beloved husband of Mary Emma Oliver, aged 40 years. Funeral Basford Cemetery, 2.45 Thursday. No cards.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, 13 February 1908: Singular Fatality. Strange Story at a Nottingham Inquest. Danger in the Barber’s Chair. There were some remarkable developments at an inquest which Mr CL Rothera, the Nottingham City Coroner, held at the Hyson Green Police-station last evening. The deceased was George Alfred Oliver, aged 40, who carried on business as a grocer at 267 Radford-road. Death took place on Saturday last. Mary Emma Oliver, the widow, said before Christmas deceased began to complain of neuralgic pains in the temples, and on January 16th he was so unwell that he went to Dr Ferraby ...Witness did not know of deceased having met with any accident which would have caused the pain. He had been in bed since the 18th ult., and had not been able to hold his head up. The last time he went out was on the evening of the 8th, when he went to the barber’s for a shave … Deceased also said that while having the shave the head rest in the barber’s chair gave way, and his head was jerked backwards, hurting him badly … [Dr GA Ferriby] had made a post-mortem examination and found that death was due to brain complications. The brain was extremely congested with dark blood which had come from an injury near the base of the skull. In witness’s opinion this had been caused by the jerk backwards in the barber’s chair … [report recorded tests made by a policeman and a juror on the barber’s chair/head rest] The jury decided that there had been an accidental slip of the rest when deceased was in the chair. They returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. They advised Payan [barber, 265 Radford Road] to get the spring of the rest attended to.’ Additional report 12 February and letter from the barber published 15 February.(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths,’ 28 December 1948: ‘Oliver. Sunday, December 26th, May Emma, age 79, of 16 Collison-street, (wife of the late GA Oliver) passed away. Peace at last. Sons Edmund, Hubert, daughters Mabel and Agnes.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
