Donald Arthur Featherstone
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Donald Arthur (also Arthur Donald) was the third son of Amos and Millicent Featherstone (née Coleman). Amos was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 1858 and Millicent in Selston, Nottinghamshire, in 1859. They were married in 1882 (reg. J/F/M Basford) and had nine children, eight of whom survived infancy. With the exception of Friar who was born in Selston, the children were born in Mansfield. All but the eldest, John, and the youngest, Norah, were baptised at Mansfield St Peter & Paul: John George b.1882, Friar b. 1884 (reg. 1885), Donald Arthur (reg. Arthur Donald) b. 23 October 1886 bap. (Arthur Donald) 13 August 1895, Daisy b. 1888, Miriam b. 1890, Nelson b. 1895 d. 1910, Kathleen b, 1897 and Norah May b. 1901. In 1891, Amos (32) an iron moulder and Millicent (31) were living on Quarry Lane, Mansfield, with four of their five children: Friar (6), Donald (4), Daisy (3) and Miriam (1). The eldest child, John, has not yet been traced on the census. The family was still living at 25 Quarry Lane in 1901. Their eight children were in the home on the night of the census: John a foundry labourer, Friar a railway carriage greaser, Donald an iron moulder's apprentice, Daisy, Miriam, Jessie (9), Nelson (5) and Kathleen (3). Their ninth child, Norah, was born later that year and their youngest son, Nelson, died in 1910. By 1911 Amos and Millicent were living at 3 Bradder Street, Mansfield. Only four of their children were still living at home: Friar a general labourer (building trade), Mirian and Jessie who were both cotton doublers and Kathleen. John had married Jane Cooper in 1909 and they were living on Victoria Street while the eldest daughter Daisy had married Arthur Fraine in 1908. Donald, now working as a deep sea fisherman, had married Alice Maud Mary Foster in 1910 (J/F/M Sculcoates Yorkshire) and they were living on 4 Rosamund Terrace, Rosamond Hill, Hull, Yorkshire, with their daughter Maud (Agnes Maud) who was born in 1908 before their marriage. Also in the home was Donald's youngest sister, Norah (9). Donald and Alice had two more children, Amos in 1912 and Kathleen in 1915. The later CWGC record gave Alice Featherstone's address as 59 Chiltern Street, Anlaby, Hull. Alice did not remarry and was living in Hull with her son Amos in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. She died in 1954. Donald's mother Millicent died in 1918 (A/M/J) before the death of her son, while his father Amos died in 1939 (reg. J/F/M). Donald's brother Friar was posted to the Army Reserve on 12 December 1915 and moblised on 7 July 1917. He transferred the same day to the RNVR for the Royal Naval Division (R/4902 Ordinary Seaman/Able Seaman) and was posted to the 3rd Reserve Bn on 10 July. On 12 November 1917 he was drafted to Hood Battalion RND, BEF France. His record shows that he was made a prisoner of war on 24 March 1918. He survived the war and returned to Mansfield where he lived with his wife Florence (m. 1914).
Royal Naval Reserve (Hull District). H.M. Drifter Scania. Donald served in HM Drifter Scania, an Admiralty hired drifter, built in 1916 and in service from the December. Scania operated as a net minesweeper and was sunk in the Dover Straits on 2 August 1918 after being in collision with patrol boat P.57. Donald and one other, Decik Hand William Plane, died in the accident. Donald's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent (30). 'The Royal Naval Reserve was composed of personnel from the merchant marine, and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve from other civilian backgrounds. The Trawler Section of the RNR comprised commercial fishing vessels and conducted operations such as patrol, minesweeping, maintenance of anti-submarine defenses and other activities in coastal waters. The trawlers in service were commanded by an officer with the warrant rank of Skipper, RNR.' (uniform-reference.net/insignia/rn/rn_ww1) CWGC - History of Chatham Naval Memorial (extract): 'After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided. An Admiralty committee recommended that the three manning ports in Great Britain - Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth - should each have an identical memorial of unmistakable naval form, an obelisk, which would serve as a leading mark for shipping.' (www.cwgc.org)
Donald's brother, Friar, was mobllized on 7 July 1917 and served with Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division, BEF France. He survived the war. Donald Arthur Featherstone is commemorated in a Book of Remembrance held by Mansfield District Council. WMR 36173: St John the Baptist Parishioners war memorial, Newington, Humberside: Featherstone Donald Arthur CWGC: 'Son of Amos and Millicent Featherstone, of Mansfield, Notts; husband of Alice Featherstone, of 59, Chiltern St., Selby St., Anlaby Rd., Hull.' WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Cards: widow Alice Maud Mary Featherstone b. 22 February 1883 and children: Agnes Maud b. 1908, Amos Donald b. 1912 and Kathleen Monica b. 1915, all resident Hull.
