William Chambers
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
William was the son of Alfred Chambers and his wife Hannah (née Sellars). Both Alfred and Hannah were born in Lincolnshire. They were married at Amber Hill, Lincolnshire, in December 1872; Alfred was resident at Algarkirk Fen and Hannah at Kirton Fen. They had nine children of whom five survived childhood; William was born in Nottingham in 1884. Alfred, an engine driver (workhouse), and Hannah were living at 4 Parkinson's Terrace, Sneinton, in 1901. Only two of their children, William (17) and Alfred (7), were in the home on the night of the census. Alfred and Hannah were living at the same address in 1911 but only Alfred, a miner/horseman was still at home. William married Jane Jones Needham (b. 1882) in 1902 and they had at least two children, Henry Edward (Edward) b. 1902 and Joseph b. 1903. Jane died in 1907. In 1911 William, a threader (hosiery) and his sons Edward (9) and Joseph (7) were three of six boarders living at 6 Bromley Street, Nottingham, in the household of Richard Dale, a fruit hawker, his wife Sarah Ann (née Towle), and their son Richard. It is likely that William's sons were living at 2 Nelson Place, Walker Street, Sneinton, when their father died in 1918. Edward was 16 years old and his brother Joseph was 15. Edward married Elsie E Hobster in 1926 and they were living in the Meadows, Nottingham, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. He died in 1955. Joseph married Lettice Lawrence in 1936 and they were also still living in Nottingham in 1939. He died in 1977.
2nd Bn Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Formerly Notts & Derby Regiment. William died of wounds on 13 August 1918 and is buried in Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, France (grave ref. III.E.36). CWGC - History of Philosophe British Cemetery (extract): 'The cemetery was started in August 1915. In 1916 it was taken over by the 16th (Irish) Division, who held the Loos Salient at the time, and many of their dead were brought back to the cemetery from the front line. Succeeding divisions used the cemetery until October 1918, and men of the same Division, and often the same battalion, were buried side by side. After the Armistice, this cemetery was one of those used for the concentration of isolated graves from the Loos battlefield.' (www.cwgc.org)
Mr HE Chambers of No 2 Nelson Place, Walker Street, Nottingham was contacted following his death. [HE Chambers - probably William's eldest son, Henry Edward] WW1 Pension Ledgers: named his son Joseph (b. 8 July 1903) and the child's guardian, PA Dale. It is likely that the guardian was a relative of the family the Chambers' were boarding with in 1911. Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his legatees were his sons Edward and Joseph Chambers.
