Joseph Lamb

Joseph was the son of John Lamb and his wife Rebecca (née Stockdale). His father John was born in Wellow, Nottinghamshire, in about 1838. His mother Rebecca was born in 1841 in Dunham, Nottinghamshire, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Stockdale, and baptised at Dunham St Oswald in December 1841. John and Rebecca were married at Dunham St Oswald on 16 May 1867 and had nine children, two of whom, Mary Elizabeth and Albert, died in infancy. Mary was born in 1872 and died the following year aged 9 months; she was buried in Blyth SS Mary & Martin churchyard on 2 June. Albert was born in 1883, baptised at SS Mary & Martin on 14 February 1883 and died aged 19 days; he was buried in the churchyard on 25 February. Their surviving children were: George Henry b. 1868 and John Charles b. 1870 who were born in Dunham and John baptised there, and Frank William b. 1874, Martha b. 1876, Fanny Elizabeth b. 1878, Lucy Ann b. 1880 and Joseph b. 1884 who were born in Torworth. Martha, Fanny, Lucy and Joseph were baptised at SS Mary & Martin, Joseph on 6 July 1884. John snr. was an agricultural worker and in 1871 he and his wife and two sons, George and John, were living in Dunham. However, they were recorded living in Torworth on the next two census. By 1891, though, only three of their seven surviving children were living at home: Fanny (13), Lucy (11) and Joseph (6). George (23) was a malster's labourer and lodging with a fellow malster and his family in Elkelsley, Harworth. John (20) was a farm servant at Scrooby and lodging with an agricultural worker, his wife and family. Frank (17), a farm servant, was still in Torworth but living with the farmer and his family. Martha (15), the eldest surviving daughter, was in Clayworth and a servant with a farmer's family. John Lamb snr. died in 1897 and was buried in Blyth SS Mary & Martin churchyard on 8 October. Rebecca died the following month and was buried in the same churchyard on 7 November. All the siblings were living apart by the time of the 1901 Census. George, a labourer at a maltings, had married Ellen Caudwell in late 1891 and they were living in Ordsall. John, a horseman on a farm, had married Harriet Smalley in 1895 (Blyth SS Mary & Martin) and was living in Harworth with his family. Frank had married Annie Maria Fullwood at Harworth & Bircotes All Saints in 1897 and they were probably living in Rotherham where the births of their first children were registered. Martha had married Charles Fullwood at Harworth & Bircotes All Saints on the same day as her brother's marriage and she and her husband, an agricultural labourer, and their children were living Harworth. Fanny was working as a servant in Ordsall in the home of William Kippex, a tobacconist, and his family. Lucy was a servant in Laughton, Rotherham, working for a farmer and his family. Joseph, a ploughboy, was living in Scrooby with the farm foreman/bailiff and his family. Fanny Elizabeth married George William Lindley, a house joiner, later in 1901 and in 1911 they and their four children were living at 12 London Road, Retford. Also in the home on the night of the census, was her brother Joseph, a labourer at the local rubber factory. It is likely that Joseph was still living with Fanny and her family when he enlisted in 1914. A report of his death in the local paper in 1916 gave his sister's address as 4 Dominie Cross Road, Retford.