Walter Booth

Walter was the son of William and Frances (Fanny) Booth nee Wakefield. Frances Wakefield was born in Nottingham abt. 1860 and her marriage to William Booth was registered in 1877 (J/F/M), Nottingham. According to information provided by William on the 1911 Census he and Frances had been married for 34 years and had had ten children of whom only eight were still living at the time of the census. However, only seven children were named on the census between 1891 and 1911: Sarah Ann (probably b. 1877 J/A/S), William (probably b. 1879 A/M/J), Oliver (b. 1882 A/M/J), Lilian (b. 1884 J/A/S), Albert Sidney (b. 1886 O/N/D), Ethel (probably b. 1889 O/N/D), Walter (probably b. 1893 A/M/J) and Alexander/Alec (b. 1897 J/A/S). All the children were born in Nottingham. In 1891 William (35, b. Belper), a bricklayer's labourer and Frances (32, b. Nottingham), a lace hand, were living at 9 Carey's Place, Nottingham. They had six children; Sarah A (13), a lace hand, William (12), Oliver (9), Lilian (7), Albert (4) and Ethel (1). By 1901 the family was living at 9 Lennox Street, Nottingham. William and Frances were still following the same occupations as they had in 1891. Six children were at home on the night of the census; William (22) a bricklayer's labourer, Oliver (19) a lace threader, Lilian (16) a cotton clearer, Albert (14) a lace threader), Ethel (11) and Walter (8) who were at school, and Alec (4). William and Frances had moved to 3 Platt Street by 1911. William was working as a bricklayer 'on his own account', while Frances was now a newsagent 'at home', suggesting that they lived on the premises of the newsagent business. Only Walter (18) a collier and Alexander (14) a shop assistant 'at home', were in the household on the night of the census together with Frank Booth (7), William and Frances' grandson. Their second son, Oliver, a druggist, had married Alice Bee (marriage registered 1902 J/F/M Nottingham) and in 1911 was living with his wife and daughters Doris Mabel (6, b. 3 Dec. 1904) and Ethel Ada (2, b. 24/12/1909) at 3 Hawksworth Terrace, Sneinton. Oliver died on 4 June 1926, his address was 24 Melton Terrace, Melton Street, London Road, Nottingham. None of William and Frances' other children have yet been traced on the 1911 census. Walter married Annie Swindell, a spinster, at Nottingham Register Office on 13 July 1912. They had one son, William, who was born in May 1913. His widow Annie married Alfred J Cresswell in 1915 (marriage registered O/N/D Nottingham). She was living on Bobbers Mill Road, Hyson Green, when Walter's medals, plaque and scroll were sent to her in 1921. It seems that William and Frances or some of their children later lived on Dover Terrace, Lotus Street, Nottingham, as there is a record of a family of the name Booth living there when a register of residents in part of the parish of Nottingham St Mary's was compiled during the war. Only the boys in the family were named, and they may not all have been living at this address, but the survey was conducted by a number of people whose method (and accuracy of records) varied considerably. However, the compilers did tend to note details of men who were serving or who had died/injured/wounded as a result of war service.

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