Henry Samuel Barton
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
He was born 29th March 1883 in Sneinton and was the son of William and the late Emma Barton née Dawson. His father William was born in 1863 in Nottingham. He married his first wife in 1881; she was Emma Dawson and they had three children, Harry b1883, Mary b1887 and William George b1888. Sadly Emma died in Nottingham age 44 yrs in 1893. His father remarried to Eliza Flint who was born in 1870 in Nottingham. They were married in Nottingham in 1897. Henry's stepmother had two children prior to her second marriage (Annie Flint b1890 and Ada Flint b1894). In the 1911 census the family are living at 2 Hampton Square, Walker Street, Sneinton, Nottingham, and are shown as William Barton 48 yrs head of the family a general labourer, he is living with his wife Eliza Barton 41 yrs a housewife and their children, Annie Elizabeth Flint 21 yrs a pattern girl in the lace industry, Ada Flint 17 yrs a pattern girl in the lace industry, Cyril Edmund Barton 14 yrs a scholar, Jennie Barton 11 yrs a scholar, George Leslie Barton 8 yrs a scholar , Agnes 6yrs a scholar and Alice 3 years. The couple state that they have been married for 14 yrs and have had 5 children. On the 1911 census Henry is shown as being 28 yrs of age born in Sneinton and a Stoker 1st Class; he is one of the crew on board HMS Inflexible which was stationed just outside Dublin on the night of the census.
(RFR Ch. B10176 (Ch)). Henry joined the Royal Navy on 21 October 1901 on a 12 year engagement. He was discharged shore on 24 October 1913 on completion of his engagement and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve (Chatham B10176); he would therefore have been mobilized on the outbreak of war. During his first engagement he served in the following ships and shore establishments: Pembroke II (21 October 1901-18 November 1902), Gibraltar 19 November 1902-7 January 1903), HMS Partridge (8 January 1903-30 November 1904), HMS Limoson (1 December 1904-14 February 1905), Pembroke I (15 February 1905-24 March 1905), HMS Charybidis (25 March 1905-20 July 1906, Stoker 1st Class 1 July 1906), HMS Terrible (21 July 1906-18 September 1906), HMS Astraea (19 September 1906-7 September 1908), HMS Charybidis (8 September 1908-22 October 1908), Pembroke II (23 October 1908-30 November 1908), HMS Lenedos (1 December 1908-15 July 1910), Pembroke II (16 July 1910-11 October 1910), HMS Inflexible (12 October 1910-4 November 1912, Acting Leading Stoker 1 October 1911), Pembroke II (5 November 1912-5 May 1914, Leading Stoker 6 March 1913), HMS Hecla (6 May 1913-9 October 1913), Pembroke (20 October 1913-24 October 1913). He completed his engagement as a Leading Stoker. After mobilization he joined HMS Aboukir and died when the ship was lost with all hands. His body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. The action of 22 September 1914 was a naval engagement that took place during the First World War, in which three obsolete British Royal Navy cruisers, manned mainly by reservists, and sometimes referred to as the 'livebait squadron', were sunk by one German submarine U9 while on patrol. Approximately 1,450 sailors, 527 of them aboard Aboukir, were killed and there was a public outcry at the losses. This incident eroded confidence in the British government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy at a time when many countries were still considering which side in the war they might support. (Wikipedia).
Nottingham Post report 25 September 1914 of the loss of HMS Aboukir including photographs of the Nottingham men who were lost: Harry Barton, leading stoker of 8 Kimberley Street, Colwick Road. Extract from the Nottingham Evening Post dated 22nd September 1915 : - “BARTON. – In loving memory of Harry Barton, lost on H.M.S. Aboukir, September 22nd, 1914. Not forgotten. – Mr. and Mrs. J. Brittain. “BARTON. – In loving memory of our dear son, Henry (Harry) Barton, who was drowned by the sinking of the Aboukir, September 22nd, 1914. One year has passed away, our hearts still sore. – Father, step-mother, brothers, and sisters, also his brother William of H.M.S. Britannia. “BARTON. – In affectionate remembrance of Harry Barton, who lost his life on H.M.S. Aboukir, September 22nd, 1914. Not forgotten. – Mabel, Arch., and Aunt Harriett.” (Above extract courtesy of Jim Grundy and facebook pages of Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918) His brother Cyril Edmund Barton enlisted on 7th May 1915 at Nottingham giving his age as 19 yrs and 3 months, he gave his address as 8 Kimberley Street, Nottingham, and his next of kin as his father William of the same address. He served in the 2/1st battalion South Notts Hussars and transferred on 10th May 1918 to the Machine Gun Guards battalion where he served on the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force. He was discharged back to the South Notts Hussars on 28th March 1919; he had served for 3 yrs and 326 days. A further brother William Barton also served during the Great War. He was born 28th July1888 and enlisted in the Royal Navy on 11th August 1906, he served in HMS Britania and also survived the war.
