William Nix
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
William was the son of William and Ellen Nix (nee Warsop). William and his wife Ellen were both born in 1862 (Ellen A/M/J Nottingham, William O/N/D Nottingham) and were married in 1884 (A/M/J Nottingham). According to the 1911 Census when they had been married for 26 years, they had had ten children of whom only six were still living. Their surviving children were William (birth registered 1884 J/F/M Nottingham), Sidney (also Sydney) b. 1891 (O/N/D Nottingham), Elizabeth (Lizzie) b. 1896 (A/M/J Nottingham), Charlotte Ellen b. 1897 (J/A/S Nottingham), Mabel (birth registered 1901 J/F/M Nottingham) and Eliza (birth registered 1905 J/F/M Nottingham). The family has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census and William was not in the family home on the nights of the two following census in 1901 and 1911. In 1901 William (38) a carriage hand (probably in the lace trade), and Ellen (39) a lace clipper, were living at 18 White Street, off Carter Gate, Nottingham, and four of their five children were in the home on the night of the census: Sydney (9), Elizabeth (4), Charlotte (3) and Mabel (3 months). The youngest girl, Eliza, was born four years later. The family was still living at the same address in 1911. William (48) was now registering as an invalid. Ellen (48) was a lace drawer. Five of their six children were at home on the night of the census: Sidney (19) a brickmaker's labourer, Lizzie (14) who worked for a veiling manufacturer, Charlotte (13) a lace hand working from home, and Mabel (10) and Eliza (6) who were both at school. William's brother Sidney enlisted in the army in October 1915 (22471 Private, Leicestershire Regiment); he was then still living with his parents at 18 White Street. Sidney was killed in Mesopotamia on 10 March 1917 (Basra Memorial). William's father died at the end of 1918 (Dec Nottingham) at the age of 55. In September 1919, just a month before William's death, his mother completed a form for the army listing her son Sidney's surviving blood relatives: Mother: Ellen Nix, 31 Brougham Street, Southwell Road, Nottingham Brother: William Nix (35), Ellerslie House, Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham Sisters: Mrs E Hardy (23) 85(?) Nelson Street, Southwell Road and Charlotte Nix (22), Mabel Nix (18) and Elizabeth (sic) (14), all of 31 Brougham Street, Nottingham. Ellen Nix died at the age of 64 in 1926 (Dec Nottingham).
William entered in theatre on 22 August 1914. He was probably severely wounded in action as his final days appear to have been spent at Ellerslie House, Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham, which was set up in 1917 for paralysed ex-servicemen. He was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery on 11 October 1919. William qualified for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Poppy tribute by grave, Nottingham General Cemetery (December 2017): 'William Nix died from wounds 1919. Brother Sydney Nix 25 years, killed in action 1917.' 'Ellerslie House Home for Paralysed Soldiers and Sailors was set up in 1917, at the instigation of the Nottingham Sport Club, and by private subscription. Ellerslie House itself, on the corner of First Avenue and Gregory Boulevard in Nottingham, was purchased by the 6th Duke of Portland and donated to a committee established to provide long-term care for back and other paralysing injuries among ex-servicemen. Medical operations and care were performed at the General Hospital in Nottingham. Within ten years of its foundation its initial constituency of patients began to disappear. It extended its functions to mining and other sources of injury, and was re-named 'Ellerslie House Home'. In 1948 it was placed in Nottingham No. 2 Hospital Group of the Regional Health Board, and continued its work into the 1960s. The catalogue of the Ellerslie House Home collection (Uhf) is available on the Manuscripts Online Catalogue. This small collection of records relates to one of Nottingham's lesser known hospitals, and does not represent the full extent of records which would have been created by the institution. The collection includes accounts (1928-1947), minutes (1917-1938), annual reports (1923-1932), a visitors' book (1923-1948), and newspaper cuttings. Patient and clinical records are not present.' (www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/collectionsindepth/health/ellersliehousehome)
