Walter Sweet
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
He was born about 1878, the eldest son of Thomas and Virginia Sweet who by 1911 had been married for 54 years and had had 14 children of whom only eight survived. The names of nine children appeared on the five census between 1871 and 1911: Sarah, Mary A., Emma, Rosa, Walter, Thomas, Annie, Christa and Minnie. Sarah, the eldest child who was 15 in 1881, is not included on any of Thomas' census returns after that date. Thomas, a stonemason, had been born in London while his wife was Greek and had been born in Smyrna, Turkey. The family was recorded in Gloucestershire in 1871; their three children, Sarah (5), Mary (4) and Emma (1), were included on this census. According to the census, their eldest daughter, Sarah, had been born in Turkey. By 1881 they were all settled in Nottingham at 11 Neville Street, Meadows. Thomas and Virginia had had another daughter, Rosa (6) and two sons, Walter (3) and Thomas (10 months). Also recorded in the household was Thomas's widowed mother, Ann Sweet. By 1891 the family was living at 33 Lowdham Street, Sneinton; Thomas' mother, Ann, and his eldest daughter, Sarah, were not in the household but they had a lodger, William Piecroft (16), who worked in the lace trade. In 1901 Thomas, Virginia and all their children apart from Sarah were living at 18 Castleton Street Nottingham. Finally, in 1911 Thomas and Virginia were recorded at 136A Queen's Walk, Meadows; two of their unmarried children, Thomas (30) and Minnie (19), were still at home, while a married daughter, Annie (Wilmott) and her two sons, Leslie (4) and Sidney (8 months), were also in the household. Thomas died in 1911 (registration Apr/May/June), age 63. Walter had married Eliza Ellen nee Bower in 1903 (registration Jul/Aug/Sep) and in 1911 they were living at 1 Collingham Footway, Nottingham, and were the parents of four children; George, Virginia, Annie and John. Two more children were born to Walter and Eliza: Rose in June 1912 and Elizabeth in June 1916.
Walter Sweet entered theatre (France) after 1 January 1916 and because of his trade may have been a Derby Scheme man (deferred mobilisation). Walter died of pneumonia in the Stationary Hospital Abbeville while the battalion was in St Pierre Divion, Somme. He was buried in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension (grave ref. II.C.8). John Morse
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Thine for ever may we be here and in eternity' Nottingham Evening Post, Roll of Honour', 19 February 1917: 'Sweet. Died of pneumonia February 9th 1917, Private Walter Sweet, Sherwood Foresters, husband of Eliza Sweet, age 38. Wife and six children.' Notice published 12th February 1917 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “SWEET. – Died of pneumonia, February 9th, 1917, Private Walter Sweet, Notts. and Derbyshire Regt., beloved husband of Eliza Sweet, aged 38. – Sorrowing wife and six children. “SWEET. – Died of pneumonia, February 9th, 1917, Private Walter Sweet, Notts. and Derbyshire Regt., aged 38. Peace after pain. – From his loving niece Minnie.” 'In memoriam' published 9th February 1918 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “SWEET. – In loving memory of my dearly beloved husband, Pte. Walter Sweet, Sherwood Foresters, died pneumonia February 9th, [1917] France. He sleepeth with the unreturnable brave; one year of silent sorrow. – Wife and children.” Above are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknalll 1914-1918
