John Arthur Northage

John Arthur (known as Arthur) was the son of Henry and Harriet Northage. Henry was born in Arnold in about 1862 and was the son of George and Sarah Northage. His wife was probably Harriet Annie Allwood who was born in Edingley, Nottinghamshire, in 1872 (A/M/J Southwell), and it seems likely that she married Henry in 1892 (O/N/D Basford). Henry (39) has been traced on the 1901 Census living on Morris Street, Arnold. He was a farm labourer and although described as a married man was alone in the home on the night of the census. From information given on the 1911 Census by Harriet Northage, Henry died before 1911, probably in about 1907, although no record of his death has yet been traced. The widowed Harriet Northage declared on the 1911 Census that she had been married for 15(?) years and had had seven children of whom only six survived: George Alfred b. 1896 (A/M/J Basford), John Arthur b. 1898 (J/F/M Derby), Ada Kathleen (Kathleen) b. 1899 (A/M/J Basford), Horace Frederick (Frederick) b. 1902 (A/M/J Basford), Clarice Ruby b. 1903 (J/A/S Basford) and Constance Winifred b. 26 November 1907 (O/N/D Basford). With the exception of John who was born in Derby, her children were born in Daybrook. Harriet had at least three surviving children by 1901 (George, John and Kathleen) but neither she, George nor John have yet been traced on the Census. However, Kathleen, who was then two years old, was a 'nurse child' in the household of Richard and Sarah Close who lived on Morris Street, Arnold. The description of her status suggests she was being cared for by Mr and Mrs Close. In 1911 the widowed Harriet (38) was living at 2 Cottage Row, Daybrook. Five of her six surviving children were in the home on the night of the census: George (15) a bottle washer for the Home Brewery, Kathleen (12), Frederick (9), Clarice (7) and Constance (3). Her second son, John (13), a scholar, was an inmate in the Basford Union Workhouse and Infirmary on Highbury Road, Nottingham, at the time of the census. There is a record of the marriage of a Harriet A Northage to George Arthur Ball (also Arthur George) in 1915 (J/A/S Basford). The family was still living at 2 Cottage Row, Arnold, when the eldest son, George, attested in August 1914, but probably moved to 6 Cottage Row a short while later as this was the address given for George's next of kin on a later set of service documents. The CWGC record (John) gives Harriet's address as 6 Cottage Row, Arnold, and in 1939 at the time the England & Wales Register was compiled, the occupants of the house were: Constance W Northage (b. 20 November 1907) single, unpaid domestic duties/incapacitated; Harriet A Ball (b. 5 October 1872) married, unpaid domestic duties; Arthur G Ball (b. 27 December 1872) married, sanitary worker; Celia V Northage later Kerry (b. 22 February 1913, J/F/M Basford, mother's maiden name Allwood), single, mineral water worker; Enid Northage later Leonardi (b. 4 April 1925, Enid Maud Northage 1925 Basford, mother's maiden name Northage), single, hosiery mender. There is a record of the death of a Harriet A Ball in 1962 (Mar Basford); she was 89 years old. Of Johns' siblings: George attested in the Territorial Force on 12 August 1914 but was discharged on 30 September 1914 (TF Regulations 156 II). However, a second set of service documents show that he enlisted in the Army In October 1914 and was transferred to the Sherwood Foresters (17883 Private). He served at home from 15 October 1914, then France from 27 August 1915 to 6 October 1915, followed by another period of home service to 15 December 1915, returning to France on 16 December 1915 until 22 February 1916 and finally on home service from 23 February until 9 December 1917 when he was discharged from the Army as no longer fit for war service. George appears to have been wounded twice in action, probably on 3 October 1915 and 5 February 1916 and then on 19 September 1917 admitted to hospital with gun shot wounds and a compound fracture. George married Alice E Fallows in 1927 (J/F/M Basford) and in 1939 he and Alice (b. 31 July 1898) were living at 4 Cavendish Street, Arnold. George was a road maker. Also in the household was their daughter Eva Northage later Hayes (b. 11 August 1928) who was at school. George died in 1972 (Sep Basford) aged 76. Ada Kathleen (Kathleen) married Abraham Banks in 1926 (O/N/D Basford) and died in 1942 (Sep Nottingham) aged 43. Horace Frederick (Frederick) was named on George's service documents (1915) as one of his next of kin; he was living with the family at 6 Cottage Row, Daybrook. Clarice Ruby married William Smith in 1929 (O/N/D Basford) and died on 22 January 1978. Constance Winifred was living at 6 Cottage Row, Arnold, in 1939 (see above). She died in 1994 (Sep Basford).