Bernard George Simpkin

Bernard was the youngest son and youngest child of Thomas and Mary Simpkin (nee Parkin, m. 1869) who both predeceased their son. Mary died on 18 July 1902 aged 53 years and her husband on 23 August 1917. Thomas Simpkin served with Nottinghamshire Constabulary and Nottingham Police, first as a police constable although by 1881 he was a sergeant and then by 1891 a superintendent, retiring before 1901. Some time after 1901 he became the postmaster at East Bridgford; his unmarried daughter Emma later became the village's postmistress. Thomas and Mary had a numerous family; thirteen children (five sons, eight daughters) were named in the census between 1871 and 1911: Mary Elizabeth (b. Ranby), George Thomas (b. Misson), Charles Henry (b. Misson), Annie (b. Everton), Emma Jane (b. Everton), Martha Ann (b. Sneinton), Louisa Ellen (b. Sneinton), Laura (b. Sneinton), Gertrude (b. Nottingham), Mabel (b. Sneinton), Thomas William (b. Sneinton), Albert Henry (b. Sneinton) and Bernard George (b. Nottingham). In 1871 Thomas (35) and Mary (22) were living at Field House, Everton, with their five children, Mary Elizabeth (7), George Thomas (6), Charles Henry (3), Annie (1) and Emma Jane (1 month). Ten years later in 1881 they were living at 64 Long Hedge Lane, Sneinton. Nine children were in the household the night of the census; Mary Elizabeth, George, Charles, Annie, Emma, Martha Ann (8), Louisa Ellen (6), Laura (3) and Gertrude (1). Sadly, Charles Harry (b. abt 1867) died in 1887 aged 20 and his sister Gertrude (b. abt 1881) died in 1888. The eldest girl, Mary Elizabeth, married George Thomas Leach in 1888. By 1891 Thomas and his wife were living at 86 Blue Bell Hill Street, Nottingham, with seven of their children; Annie, Emma, Louisa, Laura, Mabel (9), Thomas William (6) and Albert Henry (4). There is no trace of Laura after this date. Visiting her parents on the night of the 1891 census was their married daughter Mary Leach, together with her husband, George, and their son, also called George (13 months). Martha Ann married Richard Henry Meakin, a coal merchant in 1891; they were to live most of their married life on Blue Bell Hill, Nottingham, and of their six children five were still living by 1911; George Thomas, Emma Mary, Clara Hilda, Richard Henry and Elsie. Martha died in 1914 aged 42. Annie married Charles Henry Leach, a baker, in July 1893. The following year in 1894 Bernard's eldest brother, George Thomas (b. abt. 1865) died aged 29. Mabel was married in 1900 to Frank Oliver Green, a farm labourer, with whom she had at least five children; Arthur Bernard (died 1904 age 4), Frank Thomas Leslie, Albert Edward, Doris Mary and Mabel Marjorie. Mabel probably moved to East Bridgford after her marriage and she was still living in the village at the time of her death in 1965. Thomas and Mary were still living in Nottingham at the time of the 1901 census but were now at 36 Manor Street, Sneinton. Their sons Thomas (Tom), Albert and Bernard were still in the family home together with their married sister Louisa Elizabeth Lee, her husband John (a railway porter with the Midland Railway) and their son, John (1). Bernard's sister, Emma, was visiting their sister, Annie, in Walthamstow, Essex, on the night of the 1901 census; Annie and Charles Leach now had two daughters. Bernard's mother died the following year in 1902 and by 1911 Bernard, his father and Bernard's siblings, Emma and Albert, were living together in East Bridgford where his married sister, Mabel, also lived. His father had been the village postmaster but by 1911 Emma was the post mistress and her brothers also worked in the post office, Albert as a telegraphist and Bernard as a postman. Albert Henry married Sarah A Wilsden in 1911 (Bingham registration district) but died at the age of 28 on 20 February 1915. He is buried in St Peter's churchyard, East Bridgford, so he may have continued to live in East Bridgford after his marriage. Bernard's father died in 1917. Bernard's sister, Emma Jane, with whom he appears to have lived until he joined the Army in 1915, completed a form for the army in September 1919 listing Bernard's surviving next of kin. These were named as his surviving brother, Thomas William Simpkin of 14 Hudson Street, Nottingham, and his five surviving sisters Annie Leach (50) 43 Latimer Street, Nottingham; Emma Jane Simpkin (48) High Street, East Bridgford; Louisa Ellen Lee (45) 39 Young Street, Nottingham; Mabel Green (37) High Street, East Bridgford; Mary Elizabeth Leach (55) 6 Burchell Road, ?Peckingham. Emma died in 1951 and Mabel in 1965, her husband may have pre-deceased her as probate was awarded jointly to her son, Albert Edward, and George Lee, who was probably the son of her sister, Louisa Elizabeth Lee.