Joseph Oswin
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Joseph was born in 1883 the son of James and Mary Ellen Oswin (nee Glover). His father James (birth registered J/F/M Nottingham), the son of James and Therese Oswin, and mother Mary (b. Woodhouse Eaves, Derbyshire 1859, registered Ashbourne O/N/D), the daughter of James and Sarah Glover, were married in Nottingham in 1880 (registered Apr/May/Jun). It was recorded on the 1911 Census that James and Mary had had 14 children born alive of whom only 11 were still living. Eleven children were named on the census between 1881 and 1911: James 1880 (O/N/D Nottingham), Mary Ellen Oswin b. 1882 (J/F/M Nottingham), Joseph Oswin 1883 (A/M/J Basford), Thomas Edward Oswin 1884 (J/A/S Basford), John Oswin 1885 (O/N/D Nottingham), Eliza Annie 1888 (A/M/J Nottingham), William Oswin 1890 (J/F/M Nottingham), Bertie Oswin 1892 (J/A/S Nottingham), Lily Oswin 1894 (J/F/M Nottingham), Samuel Oswin 1897 (J/F/M Nottingham) and Elizabeth Oswin 1898 (A/M/J Nottingham). Although all the births were registered in Nottingham census records give some of the children's place of birth as Ilkeston. In 1881 the year after their marriage James and Mary were living at 31 Royal Oak Hill, Sneinton, with their 5 month old son, James. James (21) was a framework knitter and Mary (21) a cotton winder. By 1891 James and Mary were living at 12 Victoria Place, off Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham, in the ecclesiastical parish of St Paul, Nottingham. They now had seven children James (10), Mary E (9), Joseph (8), Thomas E (7), John (5), Eliza (3) and William (1). By the time of the next census in 1901 James (42) and Mary (41) were still living at 12 Victoria Place which was now in the parish of St Phillip; ten of their eleven children were in the household on the night of the census: James (21) an army pensioner, Joseph (18) a general labourer, Thomas (17) who was in work, John (15) a general labourer, Eliza (13), William (11), Bertie (9), Lily (8), Samuel (5) and Elizabeth (3). James (junior) married Annie Chesworth in 1901 (marriage registered O/N/D Nottingham) and in 1911 they were living at 7 Queen's Place, Barker Gate, Nottingham. James (33) was an army pensioner. He and Annie (34, b. Macclesfield) had had seven children of whom only three survived; May (8 b. 1903), Annie (3, b. 1908) and James (1, b. 15 May 1910, d. 1980). Another son, Joseph, was born in 1913 (birth registered J/A/S Nottingham) but died aged one year (death registered J/F/M 1915). Correspondence from the army after the war about his brother William's plaque and scroll was sent to James at 11 Bentinck Street, Manor Street, Sneinton, Nottingham. James died on 25 March 1943 at the age of 62 (death registered March Nottingham, burial 29 March). Mary Ellen Oswin, who was not at home on the night of the 1901 Census, married William Hall in 1902 (marriage registered J/A/S Nottingham) and in 1911 they were living at 5 Lytton Street, Nottingham. William (38) and Mary (29) had had three children of whom only one, Constance H (9m) survived. However, they probably had two more children, Elsie (b. 1912, O/N/D) and William (b. 1914, J/A/S) who survived childhood. Mary Ellen Hall died in 1941 aged 59 (death registered June Nottingham). Joseph Oswin married Mary Denman in 1905 (marriage registered A/M/J Nottingham). Other records suggest that Jospeph's wife was also known as 'Daisy'. In 1911 they were living at 3 Albion Place, Newington Street, Sneinton. Joseph (29) was a general labourer while Mary (27) was a lace dresser. They had three children, Lily (5, b. 14 October 1905), Frederick (3, b. 31 August 1907) and Joseph William (9m, b. 15 June 1910). Also in the household was a visitor, Kate Callaghan, and also Mary Ann Denman (54 b. Armagh) Joseph's widowed mother-in-law. Joseph and Mary had a fourth child, Annie, who was born on 30 October 1910 but died age 10 in 1922 (death registered December Nottingham). Thomas Edward Oswin married Florence Beresford in 1907 (marriage registered J/F/M Nottingham) and in 1911 they were living at 7 Victoria Place, Sneinton. Thomas (27) was a general labourer. He and Florence (22) had three children; Florence (4), John (3) and Amy (1m.). Amy's birth was registered in 1911 A/M/J; she died the following year before her first birthday and was buried on 21 March. However, Thomas and Mary had another daughter in 1914 (O/N/D) and also called her Amy. Thomas died aged 46 in 1930 (death registered December Nottingham). John Oswin married Lily Louisa Rawson (b. 1889) in 1907 and in 1911 they were living at 23 Victoria Place, off Pennyfoot Street. John (25) was a general labourer for Nottingham Corporation. He and Lily (22) had two children, Elizabeth Ellen (2, b. 1908, A/M/J) and Eliza Anna (1, b. 13 September 1909). They had a son, John, later that year (b. 18 June 1911, d. 1982) a second son, James, in 1913 and another son, Reuben, born 19 January 1915 (d. 2004). A report of John's death in the local paper in 1914 gave his address as Kingston Street, Sneinton. Eliza Annie Oswin married John Paul Bostock in 1909 (marriage registered O/N/D Nottingham) and in 1911 they were living at 15 Victoria Place, off Pennyfoot Street, Sneinton. John (22) was a stoker in the Merchant Navy and Eliza (22) was working from home as a lace mender. They had one child, John (u/1month). Also in the household was Eliza's younger sister, Lily Oswin (17), a lace dresser. Eliza and John probably had two more children, George (b. 1913, A/M/J) and Mary E. (b. 1914, J/A/S). William was still living with his parents at 12 Victoria Place in 1911 along with three of his siblings, Bertie (19), a general labourer for a removal contractor, Samuel (15) an errand boy for a greengrocer, and Elizabeth (13) who was still at school. Their father, James, died in 1912 (registered Jan/Feb/Mar Nottingham) aged 54. Lily Oswin married Samuel Wood in 1912 (marriage registered J/F/M Nottingham). They probably had at least two children, Gertie who was born in 1912 but died the same year, and Ada born in 1913. Lily died on 9 December 1957 aged 64 (death registered December Nottingham, burial 14 December). Joseph's mother, Mary Oswin, later lived at 1 Bentinck Street, Sneinton. She died aged 60 in 1917 (death registered June Nottingham, burial 27 April), five years after her husband's death. Joseph's brothers, John and William, also died in the war. John served in the 1st Bn Leicestershire Regiment (7197 Private) and was killed in action on 25 October 1914 (Ploegsteeert Memorial), leaving a wife and children. William, who had served in the Territorial Force from 1908, served with the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters Expeditionary Force in France from 11 November 1914 (2792 Private). He suffered shrapnel wounds on 5 August 1915 and was evacuated to England; he died of his wounds in Bagthorpe Military Hospital, Nottingham, on 30 November 1915 (Nottingham General Cemetery). William was unmarried. Another brother, Thomas Edward, also served in the war and survived; he served in the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (265039 Private) - he had previously served in the 1/7th Battalion (1146 Private). The eldest surviving child, James, who was described in the 1901 and 1911 Census as an 'army pensioner' (1901 census: 'lost leg in action') may have been wounded in the Boer War as there is a record of a Corporal Oswin (6339) of the 4th Battalion Sherwood Foresters serving in the South Africa Field Force, who was wounded at Roodeval on 7 June 1900.
Private Joseph Oswin enlisted in Nottingham and served with the 10th battalion Sherwood Foresters. He served in France from 28th July 1915 and was killed in action on 14th February 1916. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium (Memorial Panels 39 & 41).
Joseph's photo was published in the Nottingham Evening Post on 12th April 1916. An 'In Memoriam' notice was published in the same paper on 14th February 1917: 'OSWIN – In memory of Joseph, beloved husband of Daisy Oswin, killed in action February 14th, 1916. Wife and children.' For further family details see the William Oswin's record. Following is an article published in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 24th March 1916 and is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 and includes his comments on the men mentioned in the article. “THE WIDOW'S ALL. “SEVEN SONS GIVEN TO THE ARMY. “A Nottingham widow, Mrs. [Mary] Oswin, of 62, Trent-lane, has given all her seven sons to the army. Three have fallen in action. In addition, she has two sons-in-law with the colours, and about 20 more distant relatives. Three cousins — brothers — have all made the great sacrifice. “The eldest son — ex-Corporal James [1], 36, formerly the 4th Sherwoods — would have been with the forces to-day but for the loss of a leg in the South African campaign. Private Joseph [2], 34, 10th Sherwoods, was blown up by an enemy mine on February 14th last. A married man living at Regent-hill, Carlton-road, he leaves a widow and four children, Private John [3], 33, 1st Leicesters, had put in 12 years with the colours. He was called up as a reservist, and was killed in action five weeks after going out. He leaves a widow and five children, living in Pipe-street, Southwell-road. “Private Thomas Edward [4], 32, 1/7th Sherwoods, was also called up as a reservist, and has been in action for months. His home is in Walker-street. Corporal William [5], 27, 2nd Sherwoods, had also put in 12 years' service with the colours, and was called up on the reserve. He was 11 months in action, and received the King's stripe on the field, before he received the wounds from which he died in the Bagthorpe Military Hospital. Private Bert [6], 24, enlisted into the Robin Hoods since war broke out, and being discharged as unfit, subsequently managed enter the 17th Sherwoods. Private Samuel [7], 18, 11th Sherwoods, enlisted at the age of 16½ years, had 11 months' training, and has been at the front some ten months. “In addition to these seven sons, one son-in-law, First-Class Stoker John P. Bostock [8], 1st Naval Brigade, was taken prisoner in the defence of Antwerp. A second son-in-law, Private Samuel Wood [9], 1/7th Sherwoods, lies sick in the Bagthorne Military Hospital. He, too, has seen service at the front.” [10] [1] Cpl. James Oswin, 4th Battalion Derbyshire Regiment, was wounded in action at Roodeval on 7th June 1900. [2] Pte. Joseph Oswin, 10th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, was killed in action at 'The Bluff' on 14th February 1916. He was married to Mary Oswin and is commemorated on the Menin Gate. [3] Pte. John Oswin, 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action on 25th October 1914. He is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial. [4] Pte. Thomas Edward Oswin landed in France with the Robin Hood Rifles on 28th February 1916. He was disembodied on 9th February 1919. [5] Cpl. William Oswin, 2nd Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, died of wounds on 30th November 1915. He is buried in Nottingham General Cemetery, commemorated on the Screen Wall. [6] Pte. Bert Oswin, 17th (Welbeck Rangers) Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, later transferred to the Labour Corps. [7] Pte. Samuel Oswin, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. [8] Sto. 1 John Paul Bostock, Collingwood Battalion, Royal Naval Division, was taken prisoner on 17th September 1914. Repatriated due to his ill-health on 12th September 1917, he was discharged as no longer physically fit for service on 14th November 1917. [9] Pte. Samuel Wood, 11th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, landed in France on 27th August 1915. He transferred to the Labour Corps and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 27th March 1919. [10] 'Nottingham Evening Post', 24th March 1916.
