George Frederick Smithson
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Charles Smithson, a farm worker, married Annie Elizabeth Spencer in 1880 at Mattersey. They went on to have eight children who were all born and raised in Mattersey. They were Lilian born 1882, Alice Maud 1884, George Frederick 1886, Frank 1888, Herbert 1890, Gertrude Mary 1893, Henry 1895 and Emily born 1898. In 1901, both George and Frank had moved from their parent’s home but were resident in Mattersey, George working as a servant horseman and Frank a servant with farm work. Ten years later, George was back in the family home at Thorpe Road, Mattersey working as a market gardener on his own account. His younger brother, Henry was also living at home at that time and was working as a ‘packer’ for a local steel manufacturer and Frank had left to joined the army in 1905. Of the four sons, at least three of them, George, Frank and Henry answered the call to arms when the war came. He married his wife Annie Clark in 1915 at Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire and went on to have a son Kenneth born in 1916.
George Frederick Smithson enlisted at Retford. His choice of regiment was the South Staffordshire’s, joining the 4th special reserve Battalion. 1918 found him in France when he was killed in action on the 28th May. He is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial. George was the second son of Charles and Annie Smithson to die in the war as his younger brother Henry died in September 1915 in Belgium. His other brother Frank, had joined the York and Lancs Regiment, as a regular soldier in 1905 and although he survived the war, was discharged in 1919 due to wounds and awarded a disability pension.
Pte G Smithson Retford Times 12th July 1918 At Mattersey Church on Sunday a memorial service was held for Pte G Smithson. Who was killed in action on May 28th. Pte Smithson was a member of the Church choir for over 20 years. Previous to joining the Colours he was a market gardener. He joined the Army in May 1917 and went to France in October of the same year. He was 33 years of age, and leaves a widow and one child to mourn his loss.
