Joseph Hand

Joseph was born in 1895, the youngest child of Joseph and Alice Hand. His mother died aged 48 the same year; her death was registered in Oct/Nov/Dec (Bingham district), the same period in which Joseph's birth was registered. Alice's husband, Joseph (b. abt 1846), probably died in 1928 aged 83 (Melton registration district). Eight children can be identified from the census between 1871 and 1911 - Rose Annie, Henry, Herbert, Grace, Gertrude, Ernest, Arthur and Joseph. It is possible that there was another daughter, Ethel, born in about 1889 (Barkestone) a few years before Joseph's birth, who has been identified from the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census. The alternative explanation is that she was the illegitimate daughter of their eldest daughter, Rose, who later married David Hayes. Alice and Joseph were married in 1868 and in 1871 were living in Whatton with their two year old daughter, Rose Annie, who had been born in Barkestone, Leicestershire. Ten years later they were living in Vincent's Barn, Bottesford, Leicestershire, where Joseph was employed as a farm bailiff. They now had four children, Rose, Henry (5), Herbert (3) and Grace (under 1m.). Also in the household were Joseph's niece, Sarah A Holmes (8), and an indoor farm servant, William G Simpson (18). Alice's married sister, Elizabeth Simpson (42) was a visitor to the home and may have been William's mother. By 1891 Joseph was working as an agricultural labourer and the family was living in Barkestone. Four children were in the household; Herbert, Gertrude (8), Ernest (2) and Arthur (1). Their eldest child, Rose (22), was a servant in the household of Elizabeth Wright in Long Clawson. An Ethel Hand (Ethel Brown Hand), aged 1, is listed on the same census in the household of her uncle and aunt, William and Hannah Walton of Chapel Lane, Nether Broughton. It would seem that when Alice Hand died four years later her eldest daughter, Rose, took responsibility for some of her siblings. Rose had married David Hayes, a porter with the Midland Railway, in 1896 (Oct/Nov/Dec) and in 1901 was living at 1 Clayton Cottages, Clayton Street, Meadows, in the parish of St George. The entry on the census is confusing as all seven members of the household are listed with the surname 'Hayes' (indicated in most cases as a 'ditto' under the preceding entry of 'Hayes'). There were three adults; David and Rose Hayes and a boarder, named as Herbert Hand Hayes (24). Herbert was probably Rose's brother and perhaps described as a boarder, rather than the head of household's brother-in-law, as he was not a dependent. The other four occupants were children and described as the head of household's own offspring. Two were clearly David and Rose's own son and daughter; David Sadler Hayes (3, b. Nottingham), and Alice Mabel Sadler Hayes (1, b. Nottingham). However, the two other children were named as Ethel Hand Hayes (12, b. Barkestone) and Joseph Hand Hayes (b. Barkestone) and were probably two of Rose's younger siblings. By 1911 David and Rose were living at 9 Buxton Street, Kings Meadow Road, Meadows, Nottingham. According to the census they had had five children born alive of whom four were still living. Their surviving children were: David (13), Alice Mabel (11) Edgar (10) and Harriss John (6). Rose's brother, Herbert (32), a collier hewer, was still living with them and again described as a boarder. Joseph (14) was now described as the brother (not brother-in-law) of the head of household while Ethel Brown Hand (21), whose occupation was given as 'servant', was still described as the daughter of the head of household. At the time the CWGC (IWGC) recorded the details of Joseph's next of kin, Rose was living at 34 Mayfield Grove, Meadows.