John Hinchley

He was born in 1891 the son of William and Caroline Hinchley. William was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and Caroline in Mansfield. William married Caroline nee Key in Mansfield in 1879. When they completed the 1911 Census they declared that they had been married 31 years and had had 12 children of whom 11 were still living at the time of the census. Eleven children are named on the census between 1881 and 1911: William, James, Joseph, Annie, Albert, John, Elizabeth Ann, Elsie, Lily, Ernest and Arthur Leonard. All the children were born in Mansfield. When William and Caroline were first married they lived at 2 Russel Court, Mansfield, with Caroline's widowed mother, Elizabeth Key (62). William was a crane engine driver at a colliery and he continued to work in the coal industry throughout his working life. By 1891 William (31) and Caroline (28) were living at 2 Rock Valley, Mansfield, with their children William (11), James (10), Joseph (8), Annie (6), Albert (3) and John (1 month). They were living at 2B Rock Valley by 1901 and had 11 children: William (labourer in a stone yard), James (coal hewer), Joseph (brick worker), Annie (cotton mill), Albert (butcher's boy), John, Elizabeth (7) and Arthur (5) who were at school, and the three youngest, Elsie (4), Lily (2) and Ernest (12 months). By 1911 the family was living at 6 Pelham Street, Mansfield, and only six children were in the household on the night of the 1911 census; John (piano tuner), Elizabeth (cotton mill), Arthur (pony driver colliery), Elsie (cotton mill) and Lily and Ernest who were still at school. John married Nellie Robinson in 1915 (J/F/M). She was the daughter of John and Hannah M Robinson. Nellie's brother, Bombardier Bernard Harold Robinson RFA, was killed in Belgium on 8 June 1917 (see T2T ROH for further details). John's brother Arthur was a regular soldier, joining the 8th Battalion Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment on 20 November 1911. Arthur served in France from 2 March 1915 and was attached to the 172nd Mining Company Royal Engineers from 4 May 1915. He served in France until 29 April 1917 when he was evacuated home after receiving gunshot wounds to the head and left elbow. He was discharged from the Army on 14 September 1917 'in consequence of being no longer physically fit for war service (OCR Para 392 (xvi).' He had served for 5 years 299 days and qualified for the 1914/15 Star and British War Medal and Victory Medal. John's youngest brother, Ernest, enlisted in the Grenadier Guards on 12 April 1920 when he was few months short of twenty. He was discharged on 2 June 1920 as 'unlikely to become an efficient soldier'. His parents were named as his next of kin; they were still living at 6 Pelham Street, Mansfield. His father, William, died in 1927 aged 66 and his mother, Caroline, in 1933.