George Thomas Hibbert Burton

Gunner George Thomas Hibbard Burton enlisted at Woolwich and served with 'V' 15th Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery. He landed in France on 8th July 1915 and died of wounds on 8th April 1917 and is buried in Faubourg Diamiens Cemetery, Arras.

Article published 17th May 1917 in the Hucknall Dispatch :- “The first photograph is of Gunner George T.H. Burton, who was in the trench mortar battery of the Royal Field Artillery, and who died of wounds on Easter Sunday [8th April 1917]. “Prior to enlisting, Burton, who was 27 years of age, worked at Newstead Colliery. Their home was at 2, Queen street, Hucknall, but since the war the wife, who is a daughter of Mrs. And Mrs. J.G. Machin, of Carlingford road, had taken up a situation at the Nottingham General Hospital. “The war was only a month old when Burton decided to render what service he could do to his country, and being trained at Woolwich and Borden, he went over to France, where he was for two years. He was in many of the great artillery duels with the enemy. Prior to the war he was a drummer in the Hucknall Excelsior Band, as well as assisting other bands, and whilst he was in the Army he was in the Regimental Band. “The deceased gunner has two other brothers residing in Hucknall, and three sisters living at Hucknall, Newstead, and Nottingham. His father died about six years ago, and the widowed mother’s home is in Chequer’s yard. The first intimation they received of his death was by the brief note in our columns last week, and needless to say, it was a great shock to them.” This was not the first report of Burton’s affairs to have appeared in the press. He had married in February 1914 but this proved to be an unhappy relationship. Her father had attacked him after arguing about who should pay for the drink at the wedding and it was not long before his wife left him. The particulars of the separation and assault were heard together before the magistrates in Nottingham on 18th April 1914 and reported in the Nottingham Guardian on 20th April 1914. “AFTER FIVE WEEKS. “HUCKNALL GIRL WIFE SEEKS SEPARATION. “SENSATIONAL ALLEGATIONS. “After only five weeks of married life Ethel M. Burton applied to Ald. H. Heath and other magistrates at the Nottingham Shire Hall on Saturday [18th April 1914] for a separation order against her husband, George Thomas Hibbert Burton, 24, miner, of Queen street, Hucknall. She made some sensational allegations against the defendant. Mr. F. Clayton defended. “I have married the family as well as him,” declared the girl in an aggrieved tone. “I can’t please him and I can’t please the family. He has ill-used me ever since we have been married.” “They were married on February 28th, she proceeded, and parted on April 2nd. She was willing to go back if he would provide a home but not to live with his widowed mother again. All the members of the family came interfering. If there was not one there was another. “Mr. Clayton explained that the widowed mother’s home was promised to [the] defendant on her death, but meanwhile he had to support her. It seemed an absolute absurdity for them to ask the Bench to settle their case. They did not know what married life was yet. There was no doubt that it was the parents that were at the back of the trouble. “Complainant: “I am in danger of my life with him. I have been bound with rope. He denies it but he knows it is right. He tried to hang himself with rope, and then came down and bound me on the sofa. He is all the while carrying knives about with him.” “The Chairman: “You don’t object to a man keeping his mother, do you?” “The Wife: “No, sir, but if he puts his mother and others in front of me I think I am best away. He married me, not the family. If they keep away we shall be all right.” “Defendant: “They have not interfered.” “Complainant: “They have interfered.” “Defendant: “They have all done their best for us.” “On defendant giving an undertaking that there should be no interference on the part of the family, the Bench adjourned the summons for a month. Mr. Heath said that, in the circumstances, it would be better for the two to get together again. If things were not put right the girl would have another chance to come again and ask for an order. “Complainant: “I shall not go back.” “Arising out of the wedding festivities the girl’s father, John George Machin, 40, miner, of Hucknall, was summoned for assaulting his son-in-law, Burton. “Complainant alleged that the beer consumed at the wedding was supplied to [the] defendant’s order. On Easter Tuesday [the] defendant came up to him in the street and demanded that [the] witness should pay for the beer. Burton would have nothing to do with him, and walked away, but Machin spun him round by the coat, and when he refused to answer, knocked him on the ground over a barrel of beer. He went for him again but was restrained by [the] witness’s brother. “Defendant: “I paid for every mortal thing but the beer. I admit the assault under great provocation.” “Let ‘em all come,” observed the girl wife audibly, as the second of [the] complainant’s brothers was called to support the charges. “There is law for this,” was what the complainant said when he picked himself up, according to Mrs. Machin. “Mrs. Burton jnr. also spoke for her father. “It doesn’t seem a very serious case,” observed the Chairman to [the] defendant, “but we shall have to bind you over to keep the peace for six months, and you will have to pay the costs, 5s.” The above articles are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918