John Edward Exton

John Edward was the eldest son of Edward Exton and his second wife Mary Ann (née Winter). His father was born in Osgodby, Lincolnshire, in about 1858. He married first Harriet Ann Carkwinn (also Carwinn) at Saundby St Martin, Nottinghamshire, on 14 May 1884 (reg. A/M/J Gainsborough). They had four children who were all born in Beckingham (Notts/Lincs border) and baptised at the parish church of All Saints: James b. abt. 1885; Sarah Jane b. 1886; Tom Henry b. 1888 and William b. 1889 reg. 1890 (J/F/M). In 1891 Edward and Harriet (23 b. Heckdyke, Yorkshire) and their four children were living on High Street, Beckingham. Harriett Ann died in 1892 (A/M/J Gainsborough) and Edward married Mary Ann Winter in 1892 (O/N/D Gainsborough). Mary Ann was born in Lincolnshire in about 1868 and in 1891 was working in Manchester as a domestic servant for Rev William Dixon, a Wesleyan minister, and his sister. Edward and Mary Ann had ten children of whom three died in infancy: Lizzie b. 1893 (reg. Gainsborough) bap. Gainsborough Holy Trinity d. 1893; Emma Rebecca b. Mexborough Yorkshire 1894 bap. Mexborough; Maggie b. Barnsley Yorkshire 1896 bap. Barnsley St Peter; John Edward b. North Clifton 1899; Ralph Shields birth registered 1901 (J/F/M Newark) bap. North Clifton St George d. 1901 (J/F/M); Gertrude Edith Ann (Edith) b. Wigsley 1902; Leonard b. Wigsley 1904; Elsie May b. 1905 (reg. Newark) d. 1907 (reg. Gainsborough); Ethel Winter b. Todwick b. 1908 bap. Todwick and Samuel Pearson b. Babworth Nottinghamshire 1909. In 1901 Edward (45), a foreman on a farm, and Mary Ann (34) were living in Wigsley near Newark with two of Edward's sons by his first marriage, Tom (13) a yard boy on a farm and William (11), and their children Rebecca (6), Maggie (4) and John (1). Their first child Lizzie had died in infancy in 1893 and their son Ralph, who had been born early in 1901, died before the census date. Edward's daughter Sarah Jane was working in Gainsborough as a domestic servant, but his son James has not yet been traced on the 1901 Census. By 1911 Edward, who was still employed as a farm foreman, was living with his wife at Randy Cottage, Retford, along with his son Tom, a wagoner on a farm, and six of their seven surviving children Maggie, John, Edith (9), Leonard (7), Ethel (3) and Samuel (1). A daughter, Elsie, who was born in 1905, had died two years later. The eldest daughter, Rebecca, was a domestic servant living at Green Mile, Retford, in the household of Thomas Wilkinson, a farmer. The report of John's death in the local paper in 1918 mentions that his parents had 'four sons serving'. John had two surviving brothers, Leonard (b. 1904) and Samuel (b. 1909), so Samuel would have been too young to serve and Leonard was only 14 years old in 1918. However, John's half-brothers, James (b. 1885), Tom Henry (b. 1888) and William (b. 1889) were of an age to serve. There is a record of a William Exton (b. 1889 Beckingham) who attested in December 1915 and served initially in the Sherwood Foresters, transferred to the Northern Cyclists Bn and then later to the Royal Army Service Corps (R/44257 L/Cpl). He was discharged from the army to Duke Place, Worksop, in August 1919. John's mother Mary Ann died in 1920 (reg. East Retford). His father may have died in 1921 (reg. Sheffield) Emma Rebecca married Arthur Mitchell in 1913 (reg. East Retford). They probably had five children including John Edward (b. 1916) and Leonard Arthur (b. 1923). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Arthur and Emma were living in Balham, Retford, with their son Leonard, a coal lorry lad. Also in the household was Rose Mitchell née Newsome (b. 15 July 1914) who was the wife of their eldest son, John Edward (m. 1937 reg. East Retford). The record of one other member of the household remains closed and may be that of John and Rose's son, John A; they probably had two more sons, Dereck and Thomas A. John Edward served with the Royal Armoured Corps and was killed in France in 1944 (see 'Extra information').