Henry James Maddock
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- Military History
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He was the son of William Henry and Sarah Ann Maddock. William was born in Nottingham and Sarah in Cambridge and they were probably married in Nottingham in 1888. According to the information on the 1911 Census they had then been married for 23 years and had had eight children born alive of whom only seven were still living at the time of the census. Eight children were named on the census between 1891 and 1911: Rhoda Ann (b. 1889), Sarah Ann (b. 1891 O/N/D), Jeanes/Jeanet Mary (b. 24 July 1894), Florence Cecilia (b. 1896, d. 1902), Morris William (b. 1897), Henry James (b. 1898), Agnes May (b. 12 June 1902) and Ellen Cecilia (b. 7 Nov 1904). Sarah Ann was born in Lambeth, London, but all the other children were born in Nottingham. William was a surgical elastic hosier on his own account and in 1891 he and Sarah were living at 33 New Street, Lambeth, with their two-year old daughter, Rhoda. Their second child, Sarah, was born in Lambeth later that year. By 1901 they had returned to Nottingham and were living at 12 Blue Bell Hill with their six children, Rhoda (12), Sarah (9), Jeanet (6), Florence (5), Morris (4) and Henry (2). Sadly, Florence died in 1902 (death registered J/A/S). In 1911 William and Sarah were living at 92 Alfred Street South, St Ann's, Nottingham, with their seven surviving children: Rhoda (22) who was assisting her parents in their business, Sarah (19) and Jeanet (17) who were both machinists, Morris William (14) who was not in work although he later became a butcher, and the three youngest children, Henry, Agnes and Ellen, who were still at school. Although William was still a surgical elastic hosier on his own account he was also a sub post master, probably at Blue Bell Hill post office. Henry joined the Royal Navy in January 1915 when he was 17 years old. According to an article in the Nottingham Evening Post of 18 July 1917 giving an account of Henry's death, William and Sarah lived at Blue Bell Hill Post Office and this is confirmed on Henry's service record. They later moved to 42 Birkland Avenue, Mapperley, Nottingham, where at least two of their unmarried daughters, Rhoda and Agnes, and probably also Ellen, continued to live after their parents' deaths in the 1920s. Henry's older brother, Morris, served in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (24053 Private) from 17 December 1916 and was discharged as physically unfit for service in June 1919. He was awarded a pension, subject to review after 52 weeks, in respect of a 20% disability as a result of a gunshot wound to his right hip. Following his discharge from the Army he continued to live in the family home. Morris died in 1921 at the age of 24. Jeanet Maddock probably married Arthur Henry Daniels on 12 February 1916 in a Catholic Church in Nottingham, and they had a son, William Henry born 28 April 1917 but who died the following year on 16 June aged 13 months. The cause of death was given as 'Dentition and convulsions'. Her husband served in the Labour Corps (379055, Private) from July 1917 and was discharged from the Army in 1919, aged 30. Their address in 1919 was The Cottage, Gorsey Hill, Mapperley Plains, Nottingham, although during the war they had lived at 13 Ash Street, Peas Hill Road, Nottingham. William died aged 60 on 23 July 1926 and his widow, Sarah, the following year on 6 March 1927. Their eldest child, Rhoda, died on 6 October 1964, Jeanet in 1971 aged 76, Ellen in 1978 aged 73 and Agnes in 1980 aged 78. Sarah Ann has not been traced after the 1911 Census.
Henry joined the Royal Navy on 30 January 1915 and enlisted on a 12 year engagement on 8 January 1916, his 18th birthday. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: HMS Ganges 30 January 1915-26 March 1915 (Boy 2nd Class); HMS Impregnable, 27 March 1915-21 October 1915 (Boy First Class 10 April 1915, Telegraphist 3 July 1915); Victory I, 22 October 1915-4 January 1916; HMS Vanguard 5 January 1916-9 July 1916 (Ordinary Telegraphist 27 July). Record annotated, ‘NP5733/17 – killed 9 July when HMS Vanguard was sunk’. Henry's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. HMS Vanguard was a St. Vincent-class ‘Dreadnought’ type battleship built by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. She was designed and built during the Anglo-German naval race and spent her life in the British Home Fleet. HMS Vanguard saw action at Jutland and returned undamaged from the battle. On the afternoon of 9 July 1917, the ship was destroyed by a spontaneous cordite explosion at Scapa Flow whilst her crew was practising the drill to abandon ship. It is likely that an undetected adjacent coal bunker fire caused the explosive to become dangerously over-heated. Only two of Vanguard’s crew of around 900 survived the disaster.
Nottingham Evening Post, Roll of Honour, 18 July 1917: ‘Maddock. On July 9th, Henry James Maddock, telegraphist, HMS Vanguard, youngest son of Sarah Ann and William Henry Maddock, Blue Bell-hill Post office, age 18. RIP.’ Probate: William Henry Maddock of Birkland-avenue Mapperley Nottinghamshire died 23 July 1926 Administration Nottingham 7 September to Sarah Ann Maddock widow. Effects £431 0s. 2d Probate. Maddock Sarah Ann of Birkland-avenue Mapperley Nottinghamshire widow died 6 March 1927 Administration Nottingham 26 August to Agnes May Maddock spinster [daughter]. Effects £982 3s. 3d. Probate: Maddock Rhoda Ann of 42 Birkland Avenue Mapperley Nottinghamshire died 6 October 1964 at Sherwood Hospital Probate Nottingham 11 August to Agnes May Maddock and Ellen Cecilia Maddock spinsters [sisters]. £150. Probate. Agnes May Maddock of 42 Birkland Av Mapperley Nottingham died 13 June 1980 Probate Nottingham 5 August £18673.
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