Albert Horace Lucas

Albert Horace was the son of Thomas William Mayfield Lucas by his second wife Elizabeth Lucas nee Freeman. Albert’s father was born in Marylebone, London, in 1846 (birth registered J/A/S Marylebone), the son of Thomas and Frances Lucas. He was baptised at Christ Church Marylebone on 2 August 1846. Thomas’ first wife, Mary Ann Randall, was born in Hatfield and there is a record of a Mary Ann, the daughter of George and Sarah Randall, being baptised in Hatfield on 1 December 1844. Thomas Lucas and Mary Ann Randall were married in 1869 (marriage registered J/A/S Holborn) and probably had four children: Thomas William (b. abt 1870, Marylebone, death registered 1919 June Marylebone, age 49), Kathleen E (b. abt 1872 Islington), Percival (birth registered 1873 J/F/M Wakefield, baptised 26 January 1873, Wakefield, died 1942 Nottingham age 69) and Edith M (b. abt 1876 Hatfield, Hertfordshire). Thomas was employed by railway companies for most of his working life and this probably explains the children’s different places of birth. Mary Ann Lucas died at the age of 33 in 1878 (death registered J/A/S Hatfield). By 1881 the widowed Thomas, a railway signalman, was living at 24 Kirke White Street, Meadows, Nottingham, with his two sons, Thomas William (11) and Percival (8). Also in the household was a married couple, William and Caroline Wilson, and their two-year old daughter Ethel. William was also a railway company employee and his wife was described as a housekeeper, probably for the household. Thomas’ two daughters, Kathleen (9) and Edith (5) have been traced to Hatfield where they were living with their widowed maternal grandmother, Sarah Randall (63), who was the landlady of the Wrestlers Public House, North Road, Hatfield. It is possible that they had lived with their grandmother since their mother’s death. Thomas’ marriage to Elizabeth Freeman was registered in 1883 (J/F/M Nottingham). Elizabeth was born in Arnold in 1861 (birth registered A/M/J Bingham). According to the 1911 Census when they had been married for 28 years Thomas and Elizabeth had ten children: Eveline/Evelyn Mayfield (b. 1883 O/N/D), Albert Horace (birth registered 1886 J/F/M), Hilda Louise (b. 1887 J/A/S), Flora Elizabeth (b. 1889 O/N/D), Harold Allan (b. 1892 A/M/J), Amy Lilian (b.1894 A/M/J), Sydney George (b. 1897 J/A/S), Cyril Alfred B (b. 1900 A/M/J), Winifred Annie (birth registered 1903 J/F/M) and Ernest Leslie (b. 29 Dec 1906, birth registered 1907 J/F/M). All their children were born in Nottingham and their births registered in Nottingham. In 1891 Elizabeth Lucas (29) was living at 17 Radcliffe Road, Meadows, and listed as married but head of household. She was working as a hosiery seamer. Living with Elizabeth were her two step-children, Percival (18), a telegraph boy, and Edith (15). The children’s maternal grandmother, Sarah Randall, had died several years before at the age of 69 (death registered 1887 J/F/M Hatfield) and this might explain Edith’s move to Nottingham. Elizabeth also had her own four children, Eveline (7), Albert (5), Hilda (3) and Flora (1). Her widowed mother, Sarah Freeman (69) was in the house on the night of the census. Thomas senior has not yet been traced on this census. However, on the night of the 1901 Census both Thomas (54) and Elizabeth were in the marital home at 17 Radcliffe Street with their eight children; Eveline (17) a printer, Albert (15) a brewer, Hilda (13) an apron machinist, Flora (11), Harold (8), Amy (6), Sydney (3) and Cyril (10 months). Thomas’ two sons by his first marriage had left home by 1901. His eldest son, Thomas William (31), was living in Willesdon, Middlesex, with his wife Martha and their four children while Percival (28), now a policeman, had married Alice Burdett in 1899 (marriage registered O/N/D Nottingham) and was living at 2 Peas Hill Terrace, St Ann’s. Eveline Lucas married George Giles R Lewis in 1904 (marriage registered A/M/J Nottingham) and they had a son (birth registered 1906 J/F/M). Albert married Flora Handley in 1908 (marriage registered A/M/J Basford). Flora was born on 24 September 1885, the daughter of William and Caroline Handley of Arnold, Nottingham. Albert and Flora had four children: William Albert (b. 1908 O/N/D), Caroline (b. 1911 J/A/S), Winifred Evelyn (b. 3 December 1912, birth registered 1913 J/F/M) and Maurice Edward (b. 13 February 1915, birth registered 1915 J/F/M). In 1911 Albert, a coal loader, and Flora were living at 20 Garden City, Carlton, with their first child, William Albert (2). However, by the time of Albert's death in 1918 they were living on Church Lane, Arnold. By 1911 Albert’s parents were living at 196 Colwick Road, Colwick. Thomas (64) was now a greengrocer. None of Thomas’ children by his first marriage were in the household but nine of his children by his second marriage were still at home: Hilda (23) a machinist, Flora (21) a machinist, Amy (16) also a machinist, Harold (18) a greengrocer’s assistant, Sydney (13) a van lad for a railway company, Cyril (10), Winifred (8) and Ernest (4) together with the eldest child, Eveline Lewis (27), a dressmaker, and her five year-old son. Hilda probably married in 1911 while her younger sister Flora married Frank Parnham in 1913 (A/M/J Nottingham). Their father, Thomas William, died a few years later at the age of 68, death registered 1915 J/F/M Nottingham). Amy Lilian married Alfred Kirkham in 1916 (marriage registered J/F/M Nottingham). Albert’s brother Harold may have been the only other son to have also served in the war, the younger boys probably never reaching the age of conscription before the time of the Armistice. Harold attested in Nottingham on 5 September 1914 when he was 22 years old and working as a clerk. He was posted to the Notts. Royal Horse Artillery as a driver (612204) and on 9 April 1915 embarked Avonmouth for Egypt, disembarking Alexandria on 25 April for service in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (Western Frontier Force). He was not discharged from the army until 31 March 1920 after serving 5 years, 210 days. His home address in 1920 was given as 50 Kentwood Road, Sneinton. It appears that Albert’s widow, Flora Lucas, married John E Chantry in 1927 (marriage registered O/N/D Basford) and died on 15 January 1974 aged 88. Of his children, Caroline Lucas married Jack Chilton in 1935, Winifred Evelyn married Arthur Davenport in 1942 and died aged 91 in 2004 and Maurice Edward died aged 87 in 2002 (death registered July Nottingham). Of Albert’s siblings: Evelyn Mayfield (Lewis) died aged 35 in 1918. Harold Allen married Clarice Hilda and died on 21 May 1950. Flora Elizabeth (Parnham) died on 30 July 1962. Sydney George married Maude Edna and died aged 67 on 13 October 1964 (death registered December Bingham). Amy Lilian (Kirkham) died on 6 June 1976. Ernest Leslie died aged 78 in 1985 (death registered April Newark).