Henry Miles
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Henry was the son of George Henry and Sarah Miles. George was born in Warsop, Nottinghamshire, and Sarah in Mansfield on 15 August 1855. They were probably married in 1874 (J/A/S Basford). According to the 1911 Census when they had been married for 36 years they had had eight children of whom only seven survived. Seven children, all born in Mansfield, were named on the Census between 1881 and 1911: Mary, Elizabeth Ann b. 1875, Emma b. 1878, William b. 2 May 1881 (A/M/J Mansfield), Henry b. 4 September 1883, Sarah Ann b. 1886 and Edith Annie b. 1893. The eldest child 'Mary S' (as named on the 1881 Census) may have been born before her parent's marriage as the most likely record of her birth is Mary Slack, birth registered 1874 (J/F/M), although on all the census returns her surname is given as 'Miles'. In 1881 George, a labourer, and Sarah, were living at 3 Russell Court, Mansfield, with their three daughters Mary S, Elizabeth and Emma. By 1891 the family was living at 43 Rock Valley, Mansfield. George and Sarah now had six children: Mary and Elizabeth who were both working as factory hands, Emma, William, Henry and Sarah. By 1901 George, now working as a labourer in a foundry, and Sarah were living at 7 Pelham Street, Mansfield. Six of their seven children were still living at home: Mary, Emma and Sarah who were all working as cotton spinners, William and Henry who were both working as labourers in a foundry and the youngest child, Edith who was at school. Also in the household was Frederick Wilkinson (22) a coal hewer who was described as a boarder; he was to marry Emma Miles later the same year (1901, J/A/S Mansfield). George and Sarah's second daughter, Elizabeth, had married in 1897 and left home. Henry had married Florrie (Florie) Amelia Musson (birth registered 1890 J/F/M Nottingham) in 1910 and at the time of the 1911 Census they were living with his parents at 3 Pelham Street, Mansfield. Henry was an iron founder and Florrie was working in the textile trade. Two of George and Sarah's unmarried children, William a bricklayer's labourer, and Edith who worked in the textile industry, were also living with their parents at 3 Pelham Street. In addition, there were four visitors in the household on the night of the census: Sarah Ann Cambrey a married woman (3 years) and her three children, all of whom had been born in Mansfield: James Cambrey Miles (3, b. 1907), George Henry Cambrey (2, b. 1908) and Mary Cambrey (4 months, b. 1910). Sarah Ann was probably George and Sarah's daughter. Sarah and her three children emigrated to Canada the following year. There is a record of the four of them sailing from Liverpool on 15 November 1912 onboard the SS Empress of Ireland (Canadian Pacific Railway) bound for St John, New Brunswick. They all appeared in later Canadian records and Sarah Ann probably died in British Columbia in 1936. Henry's wife Florrie, was probably living with her parents at 81 Nottingham Road, Mansfield, at the time of his death. Florrie married Albert Marvell in 1916 (J/F/M Mansfield) and died in 1939 (reg. Bradford West Yorkshire) aged 49. Henry's brother William enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters on 4 September 1914 (16385 Private). He was still living with his parents at 3 Pelham Street, Mansfield. However, he was discharged on 24 November 1914 as 'unlikely to become an efficient soldier vide para. 392 III(c) KR' as he had 'defective vision.' Henry's father George died in 1924 aged 72. George's widow Sarah was still living at 3 Pelham Street at the time of the national register in 1939. She was living with her unmarried son William, an unemployed bricklayer's labourer, and her married daughter Edith Dicks and her husband George W Dicks (b. 1891) a colliery hewer, who were married in 1912. Also in the household was Harold Dicks (b. 1920), colliery haulage below ground, who was probably Edith and George's son. Sarah died in 1941 aged 86. Her daughter Edith Annie Dicks died in 1984.
Henry enlisted on 7 September 1914 in the Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) as 16376 Private but transferred to the Royal Marine Light Infantry (Portsmouth Battalion) on a short service engagement on 16 September 1914. He served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from 28 February 1915 and died of wounds at Gallipoli on 18 July 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. Miles was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from two regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).'
Mansfield Reporter & Sutton Times, 6 August 1915: 'Another Mansfield man to yield his life for his country is Private H. Miles, of Pelham-street, who formerly worked at a Mansfield foundry. The letter notifying his death was as follows: – Record Office, Royal Naval Division,47, Victoria Street, S.W. 27th July, 1915. Mrs. Florrie Miles, 3, Pelham-street, Mansfield. Madam, – I deeply regret to inform you that a telegram from Alexandria has been received here to-day announcing that your husband, Private Henry Miles, Po/S/203, R.M.L.I., who was serving in the Portsmouth Battalion, with the R.M. Brigade of the R.N. Division, died of wounds on the 18th July, 1915, received in action near the Dardanelles, on the 13th July. Any further information that I may receive, shall be posted to you at once. I have the honour to be, Madam, your obedient Servant, A. RANDALL-WELLS. Lieut. R.N.V.R., O. i. C. Records.
