John Alfred Barker

John Alfred was the eighth child and third son of David and Sarah Barker (née Holmes). His father David was born in Ollerton in 1856, the son of Thomas and Hannah Barker, and baptised at Ollerton St Giles on 25 May 1856. In 1871 the family was living on Wellow Road, Ollerton; Thomas was an agricultural labourer. His mother was born in Skepworth in about 1857, the daughter of Elijah and Sarah Holmes. The family was living no Gringley on the Hill, north Nottinghamshire, in 1881; Elijah was an agricultural labourer. David and Sarah were married at Ollerton St Giles on 14 September 1877 and had fourteen children, all born in Ollerton and at least ten of whom were baptised in the parish church: Benjamin b. 27 September 1877 (reg. 1878 J/F/M) bap. 28 October 1877; Eleanor b. 22 May 1879 bap. 15 June 1879; Miriam b. 27 September 1880 bap. 31 October 1880; Annie b. 7 June 1882 bap. 16 July 1882; Kate b. 1884 (J/A/S); Florence Mary b. 1887 bap. 2 June 1889; David b. 1889 (A/M/J) bap. 2 June 1889; John Alfred birth registered 1891 (J/F/M) bap 22 March 1894; Walter b. 1892 bap. 22 March 1894; Edith birth registered 1894 (J/F/M) bap. 22 March 1894; Arthur b. 1895 bap. 18 December 1896; Winifred b. 1897; Eveline b. 1899 and Gerald b. 29 July 1901. In 1881, four years after their marriage, David (24) a Park labourer, and Sarah (23) were living on Wellow Road, Ollerton, with their two eldest daughters, Eleanor (1) and Miriam (6m). Their son Benjamin (3) was living with his paternal grandparents, Thomas and Hannah Barker, on Wellow Road. His grandparents also had the care of another grandchild, John T Cartledge (6). It is likely that Benjamin continued to live with his grandparents as he was with them in 1891 when both they and David and Sarah were still living on Wellow Road. David, now a woodman/labourer, had seven children at home: Eleanor, Miriam, Annie (8), Kate (6), Florence (3), David (2) and Alfred (7m). By 1901 David and Sarah had eleven of their fourteen children at home. Sarah and three of her daughters, Eleanor, Miriam and Kate, were working as laundresses, probably on their own account. Of the other eight children, Florence, David, John, Walter (8), Edith (6) and Arthur (5) were of school age, while Winifred and Eveline were three and one respectively. The youngest child Gerald was born later that year. By 1911, and still living in Ollerton, only nine of David and Sarah's children were in the home on the night of the census. Sarah was a laundress and described on the census as an employer and working from home. Miriam. Kate and Edith were working with their mother as laundresses, David was a grocer's assistant, Arthur a day boy on a farm and Winifred, Eveline and Gerald were of school age. Also in the household was their granddaughter, Florence Edith Ward (b. 21 October 1909). Edith was the daughter of Florence Mary who had married Augustus Simon Ward in 1909 and was probably living in Whitwell, Yorkshire, and who had had their second child, George Herbert, on 15 January 1911. They had another daughter, Kathleen Mary on 2 July 1914. The eldest daughter, Eleanor, was also married (1910) and Annie was probably working in London. Neither Benjamin nor John Alfred have yet been traced on the 1911 Census. David Barker snr. probably died in 1927 and Sarah may have died in 1929. Florence Mary's husband, Augustus Ward, a stud groom, enlisted in December 1915; they were then living in Whitewell, North Yorkshire. Augustus embarked for France on 14 December the following year when he transferred from the Yorkshire Regiment (41604) to the 9th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment (30606). He was initially reported missing on 25 April 1918 but found to have been captured at Kemmel and was a prisoner of war at Friedrichsfeld Camp. He died of influenza on 20 October 1918 aged 35 and is buried in Jeumont Communal Cemetery, France (11 CWGC graves). There is extensive correspondence in Ward's service papers relating to the confirmation of his death which appears initially to have been reported unofficially to the authorities although his pay book and identity disc had been returned in January 1919. Correspondence continued until December 1919 when the War Office finally confirmed that Ward had died on 20 October the previous year. Part of the problem appeared to be that there had been a mistake in recording his service number resulting in confusion with a Herbert Ward of the same regiment, who was a repatriated prisoner of war. (CWGC:286990) Annie, who in 1901 was a cook at a Children's Convalescent Home and Hospital in Shropshire and may have been working in London in 1911, married Charles Robert Smith in 1913 (A/M/J Lewisham London) and had a son, Gerald Charles (b. 19 September 1913 d. 1989). Charles served in the 7th Bn North Staffordshire Regiment (27191 Private) and was killed in action on 25 January 1917 (Amara War Cemetery, Iraq, CWGC:630232). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Annie and her son Gerald were living in Melton Mowbray; also in the household was David Barker (b. 26 April 1927). Annie died in 1959.