Clarence William Brinkworth
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
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He was the son of Alice Mary (nee Smart) and William Henry Brinkworth. His parents were married in St Andrew's Church (CofE), Nottingham, on 30 March 1889 but William petitioned for a divorce in 1897 on the grounds of his wife's adultery in September 1891 with a Thomas Lowe of Blue Bell Hill, Nottingham, an accusation which Thomas Lowe denied. William also stated that he had left his wife in September 1891, when they were living at 9 Norfolk Terrace, because of her drunken habits and stopping out all night. William was living in Leicester when he made his petition. The decree absolute was awarded on 28 November 1898 and costs awarded against Thomas Lowe. In his petition William had declared that there was no issue of the marriage although the 1891 census records that he and his wife and their only child, Clarence, who was two years old, were living at 8 Norfolk Terrace, Nottingham. At the time William was a hosiery machine fitter and Alice a hosiery seamer. It appears that his wife, Alice Mary (nee Smart), who had been born in London c.1868 and was living there in 1871, had moved from London to Nottingham with her mother and two sisters, Louisa and Ellen. In 1881 the four women were living at 34 Convent Street, Nottingham; the mother and two eldest daughters were employed in the textile trade, the youngest, Ellen, was still at school. William Brinkworth died in Leicester in April 1900, aged 32 and his former wife, Alice Mary Brinkworth, married Thomas Alfred Boyington in 1902 (registered Nottingham). Thomas Boyington served with the 2nd Bn South Staffordshire Regiment (18648 Private) and died of wounds on 22 November 1916. (For further details see T2T record for Thomas Alfred Boyington.) By 1901 Clarence (12) was living at 12 Dryden Street, Leicester, with his mother, Alice, who called herself Alice Boyington, Thomas Boyington and Alice and Thomas' son, Alfred (1). They were living as boarders in the household of John Stanley, a shoe and bootmaker. Clarence married Edith A. Davis in 1912 (Oct/Nov/Dec) and they lived at 2 Stuckley Street, Hyson Green, Nottingham.
Clarence joined the Royal Navy on 16 May 1904 when he was 16 years old. He signed a 12 year engagement on his 18th birthday, 23 August 1906. His first ships when he joined at 16 were HMS Vincent and HMS Royal Arthur, both training establishments. He later served in a number of shore establishments such as HMS Excellent and HMS Vernon, and served at sea in ships that included HMS Barfleur, Goliath, Superb and Iron Duke. He passed educationally and professionally for petty officer in 1913 and was promoted in 1914 while serving in HMS Iron Duke. His last ship was HMS Egmont. HM Brig 1 was an auxiliary barquentine Q-ship, ex-Emilia C. On 14 December 1917 HM Brig 1 was in action with submarine UC.53 (commissioned April 1917) in the Straits of Sicily; the ship was damaged and three of the ship's company, including Clarence, died as a result of enemy action. Clarence was buried at sea and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Nottingham Post obituary (abridged), 24 December 1917: ‘Brinkworth. Killed in action PO Clarence William Brinkworth age 29 after 15 years service on HM Ships. Wife Edith.’
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