John Booth
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
The CWGC record gives the information that he was the youngest son of William and Clare Booth of 67 Lyndhurst Road, Sneinton, Nottingham. However, it is likely that John was the son of William and his first wife, Ellen, who probably died in 1893. William appears to have been married twice after Ellen's death. The notice in the local paper of John's death in 1914 only gives the name of his father, William, and a married sister, Sabina Dearman. In 1911 William, a widower, was at 29 Kentwood Road, the home of Sabina (24), her husband Herbert Forrest Dearman (23), whom she had married in 1908, and their two daughters Florence (2) and Winifred (under 1 month). A naval record gives John's next of kin as his father, William, of 29 Kentwood Road, Sneinton, so it would appear that William was still living with his daughter and her family at the time of John's death in 1914. The notice of John's death also recorded that John was William's youngest son; in 1891 there is a record of a William Booth, a thirty year old drayman, living at 24 Pierrepont Street, Nottingham, with his wife Ellen (27, b. abt 1864), and their three children Sabina (4), Albert (2) and John (4 months). The death of an Ellen Booth, aged 30, was registered in Nottingham in 1893 (Oct/Nov/Dec) and the following year in 1894 a William Booth married Mary Jane Knight in Nottingham (registered Jul/Aug/Sep). Subsequently, in 1901, a William Booth was living at 47 Woodhouse Street, Nottingham, with his wife, Mary J (41, b. Melton), and three children; Sabina (14), Albert (12) and John (10). Also in the household was a visitor, Elizabeth Booth (36) and two young girls, Emily (17) and Florrie (8) who are described as William's daughters. A Mary Jane Booth (b. abt 1861) died in 1904 age 43. After the 1911 census, when William was still a widower, there is a record of a William Booth marrying a Clara Gell in Nottingham in 1915 and this might be the Clare Booth recorded by CWGC. At the time of the 1911 census John Booth (19, b. abt 1892), was recorded on the Military census as a Stoker 2nd Class, serving in Portsmouth, and an Albert Booth (22, b. abt 1889), presumably his older brother, was recorded on the 1911 Military census serving with the 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters in India. Albert served in France from 4 November 1914 and was discharged from the army on 10 January 1917.
He joined the Royal Navy on 9 March 1911 on a 12 year engagement. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Victory II (9 March 1911-1 April 1911, Stoker II), HMS Renown (2 April 1911-27 May 1911), Victory II (28 May 1911-9 August 1911), HMS Albemarle (10 August 1911-30 October 1911), HMS Eclipse (31 October 1911-11 March 1912), Victory II (12 March 1912-18 March 1912, Stoker I), HMS Duke of Edinburgh (19 March 1912-2 March 1914), Victory II (3 March 1914-31 July 1914), HMS Hogue (1 August 1914-22 September 1914). On the 1911 (Military) Census John was a Stoker 2nd Class serving in Portsmouth. Note on service records, ‘Drowned in North Sea when HMS Hogue was sunk by German submarine'. John's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Ageing cruisers HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue and HMS Cressy, known as the 'Live Bait Squadron', were torpedoed in the North Sea by German submarine U9 on September 22nd 1914. Survivors were picked up by several nearby merchant ships including the Dutch ships Flora and Titan and the British trawlers JGC and Corainder before the Harwich force of light cruisers and destroyers arrived on the scene. Flora returned to Holland with 286 rescued crew who were quickly returned to Britain even though the neutral Dutch should have interned them. In all 837 men were rescued but 1459 died, many of whom were reservists or cadets.
Nottingham Post notice (abridged), 8 October 1914: 'Booth. In the North Sea disaster of HMS Hogue, September 22nd, John Booth, First Class Stoker, youngest son of William Booth and brother of Sabina Deaman, 29 Kentwood Road.' A number of men from Nottingham died in the sinking of the ships of the 'Live Bait Squadron' (HM Ships Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue).
