Henry William Shaw
- Family History
- Military History
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Henry William was the son of William and Emma Goodwin Shaw (née Bellamy). Both his parents were born in Burton Joyce, his father in 1857 and his mother in 1858. Wiliam and Emma were married at Burton Joyce St Helen on 29 May 1882 and had twelve children of whom six died in infancy or childhood. Their surviving children were all born in Burton Joyce and at least four were baptised at St Helen's: Henry William b. 12 August 1882 bap. 24 September 1882; Mary Eliza b. 26 December 1884 bap. 29 May 1887; Albert b. 23 June 1886 bap. 29 May 1887; George b. 1888; Samuel b. 6 April 1891 bap. 7 May 1891 and Frederick Bellamy b. 1893. In 1891 William, a framework knitter, and Emma were living on Main Street, Burton Joyce, with their four children Henry, Eliza, Albert and George. William and Emma were still living on Main Street in 1911 but only three of their six children were still living at home: George (22) a colliery labourer, Samuel (19) a cowman and Frederick (17) a fitter's labourer. Henry (28) was living in Burton Joyce with his uncle, William Goodwin Copley, and his wife Sarah Jane. His uncle was a carrier and general carter and Henry was his general help. Mary Eliza had married Edward Brown Holmes in 1907 and they were living on Curzon Street, Netherfield, Nottingham; Edward worked in the oil stores at the railway locomotive depot. Mary Eliza died in 1928. Albert had married Ellen Graves in 1909 (reg. J/F/M/ Bingham, Nelly Graves) and they were living on Main Street with the first of their four children, William Henry (b. 15 August 1909). Albert served with the Royal Garrison Artillery (127902 Gunner) and was killed on 30 November 1917. William died in 1927. His widow Emma Goodwin was still living on Main Road, Burton Joyce, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. Emma died on 29 April 1945. She had made a Will and probate was awarded to her sons George, a colliery shunter, and Samuel, a miner.
Private Henry William Shaw enlisted at Nottingham and served with the 2/6th battalion Sherwood Foresters. Henry was killed in action on 21st March 1918 during the German spring offensive. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial. France (Bay 7). He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Arras Memorial (extract): 'The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917 ... The Commonwealth section of the Faubourg D/Amiens Cemetery was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier ... The adjacent ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918.' (www.cwgc.org)
His brother Gunner Albert Shaw served with 270th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery and was killed in action on 30th November 1917. He is commemorated on the Cambrai memorial. (See record on this Roll of Honour) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: His father William was his legatee.
