Herbert Watkin

Herbert was the son of William Henry and Annie Jemima Watkin (née Dexter). His father William was born in Swafield, Lincolnshire, in about 1846, and his mother Annie was born in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, in about 1853. They were married at the General Baptist Church, Castle Donington, in 1876 and had eight children: Edith b. Castle Donington 1876, Arthur Lewin b. Grantham 1878, Lionel H. b. Lincoln 1880 and Herbert b. Lincoln abt. 1883 and the four youngest children who were born in Nottingham, Minnie b. 1887 d. 1906, Sidney William b. 1891, Stella b. 1891 and Bernard Lewis b. 1895. The Watkin family lived at: 23 Church Lane Lincoln, Lincolnshire [C.1881]; 418 Berridge Road, Hyson Green, Nottingham [C.1891] and 29 Great Freeman Street, St Ann’s, Nottingham [C.1901]. In 1902, William Watkin, who had worked as a painter and decorator, died at Nottingham, aged 56. His second daughter, Minnie, died four years later in 1906 aged 19. In 1911 the widowed Annie Watkin was living at 19 Stoneleigh Terrace, Portland Road, Nottingham (All Saints parish), with three of her seven surviving children, Sidney a bottle washer (mineral water manufacturer), Stella 'hem sticking collars' (linen manufacturer) and Bernard, a printer's assistant. The eldest daughter, Edith, had married William Allen in 1898 and they were living on Laurel Street, Nottingham, with their four sons. Arthur was married to Mary Ann Walmsley (m. 1900). Lionel and his wife Gertrude (Derrick), whom he had married in 1901, were living on Edginton Road, Nottingham, with their three children. Herbert had married Elizabeth Muriel Burton (b. 1886) in 1907 and in 1911 they were living at 14 Oldknow Street, Nottingham, with their son, Thomas Herbert (b. 1907). However, the census record shows they had had another child who had died and this might have been Lionel Harold (b. 1909 O/N/D, Watkin/Burton) although no registration of death has yet been traced. Herbert and Elizabeth had two more children, Ada Louisa b. 1912 and Agnes Annie b. 1915. Annie Watkin was living at 46 Lambert Street, Radford, when her son Bernard, who was still living at home, attested in 1915. However, her son Herbert's later CWGC record gave her address as l8 Bennet Grove, Coppice Road, Mapperley. Annie has not been traced after this, although there is a record of the death of a Jemima Watkin in 1935 (reg. J/F/M Nottingham). Two of Herbert's brothers, Lionel and Bernard also served in the war. Lionel, a postal clerk, attested in the RAF on 28 March 1918 (189591). He was appointed Clerk 3 on 25 May, appointed Clerk 2 on 1 December 1918, and served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 4 July 1918 to 18 March 1919. He transferred to the RAF Reserve on 6 May 1919 and was 'deemed discharged' on 30 April 1920. Bernard served with the 1/7th Bn Sherwood Foresters and was killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. (See 'Extra information') Their brother Arthur Lewin may have served in the RAMC (M-281240). Their sister Stella married 366673 Lance- Corporal Edward Leek Royal Engineers, by special licence in June 1918. Edward died in hospital in 1924 and there is a WW1 Pension Ledger record naming his widow, Stella Leek. Herbert's widow Elizabeth Muriel was living at 14 Oldknow Street in 1921. Also in the household on the night of the census were their three children, Thomas, Ada and Agnes, and Elizabeth's sons Bernard Greenway Watkin (b. 1918) and Ernest Alfred A. Watkin (b. 1920). Elizabeth was still at 14 Oldknow Street when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled; in the home were her two children Arthur G Watkin (b. 1923) and Mabel E Watkin (b. 1927). Elizabeth died in 1952. The notice of her death in the local paper named her daughters Ada, Agnes and Mabel, and her sons Bernard, Ernest, Arthur and Eric. (Eric has not yet been traced on the registrations of birth.) Herbert's son, Thomas Herbert, had died in 1931 aged 23.