Henry Voce
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
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He was the son of Arthur and Mary Isabella Voce (nee Farrell). Arthur (b. 1851, Nottingham) and Mary (b. abt 1857, Salford, Manchester) were married in Nottingham in 1876 and had nine children of whom seven were still living at the time of the 1911 census. Seven children were named on the census between 1881 and 1911: Arthur James/James Arthur (b. 1878, christened Nottingham St Peter 4 December 1878), Agnes (b. 1881, christened Nottingham St Peter 29 January 1881), Maria (b. 1883), Henry (b. 1885), Kate b. 1887), Rebecca/Rebekah (b. abt. 1889) and Ethel (b. 1893). In 1891 Arthur, a blacksmith, and Mary were living at 11 Bombay Street, Nottingham, with their six children, Arthur James (12), Agnes (10), Maria (7), Henry (6), Kate (3) and Rebecca (1). Also in the household on the night of the census were Arthur's widowed mother-in-law, Isabella Farrell (66, b. Manchester), and his sister-in-law, Agnes Farrell (16, b. Nottingham). It seems likely that Arthur was admitted to Notts B. Lunatic Asylum on 6 September 1894 and died there on 25 January 1895. He was 44 years old. By 1901 his widow was living at 14 Abbotsford, Nottingham, in the parish of St Anne's with her son Henry (16) and her five daughters Agnes (18, lace mender), Marie (18, lace jenner), Kate (14), Rebecca (12) and Ethel (8). Also in the household were her widowed brother-in-law Robert H Voce (34, domestic gardener) and her nephews James Farrell (10) and William Farrell (6). Her son Arthur, was not in the house on the night of the census and may have already left home on marriage. Henry joined the Army in 1905 when the family home was probably at 11 Twell Street, St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham. At the time of the 1911 Census Henry was serving in India with the 4th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps. That same year his mother and two of her daughters Rebecca (21, lace jenner) and Ethel (17, lace joiner) were living at 20 Wellington Street, off Alfred Street, Nottingham, with her married daughter, Agnes Elson (30), her husband George and their two young children. Mary's son, Arthur James (32, house painter), was living with his wife Elizabeth Emma and their six surviving children at 17 Nugent Street, Nottingham. Henry was discharged to the Army Reserve in 1912 and gave his intended place of residence as his mother's home at 11 Grimsby Terrace, Watkin Street, Nottingham. In 1920 Mary provided a list of her son's surviving blood relatives for the army; all six of Henry's siblings had survived. Mary was living at 11 Grimsby Terrace, Watkin Street, Nottingham, while Arthur was living off Carlton Road, Nottingham. The document is damaged and the names of his sisters are illegible although their ages and addresses can be read. However, their names are listed in the Register of Soldiers' Effects: Mrs Agnes Elson, Mrs Maria Small (‘or Somall’), Mrs Kate Cottee, Mrs Rebekah Broughton and Miss Ethel Voce. From the ages on the form completed for the army it is probable that his sisters were living at the following addresses: Agnes Elson (39), 11 Grimsby Terrace, Watkin Street, Nottingham; Maria Small/Somall (37), Ripley, nr Derby; Kate Cottee (34), 1 Rushton Terrace, Twell Street, Nottingham; Rebecca Broughton (32), Querneby Road, Mapperley, Nottingham and Ethel Voce (29), 36 Kingsley Road, Sneinton, Nottingham. Mary Voce died in 1926 (registered June, Nottingham) aged 70. Her eldest son, Arthur, may have died the same year (registered September, Nottingham) aged 47, and her eldest daughter, Agnes Elson in 1963 (registered June, Rotherham) aged 82.
He enlisted on a Short Service Engagement (3 years with the Colours and 9 years in the Reserve) on 4 January 1905 at the age of 18y. 8m. He was on home service from 4 January 1905 to 7 December 1905 then served in India from 8 December 1905 until 27 December 1912. The Regimental Defaulter Sheet records only two occasions on which he was awarded punishment: 25 December 1910, Meerut, India: (1) Absent from Rifle Orderly about 8.30pm (2) Drunk in camp about 9.30pm (7 days CB), and 25 October 1912, Rawalpindi: (1) Drunk in barracks about 9.50pm (2) Creating a disturbance in the barrack room about 9.50pm (7 days CB, fined 5/-). He transferred to the Army Reserve on 31 December 1912; his service documents were annotated ‘Transferred to Army Reserve on the expiration of (-) Service. Brought home prematurely from ‘India’ under authority of War Office letter No 115AR/General No 676 (A.G.2.b. dated 6/6/1912.’ He had completed 7 years 362 days service on transfer to the Army Reserve. He was mobilized on 5 August 1914 and the dates on his army record suggest that he served with the BEF from 10 September 1914, the date on which he was killed. He had served a total 9 years 250 days, including reserve time. He was buried at 'Pe(-)ate 6.5 miles WNW of Arras' but his grave was later lost and he is now commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial. In addition to the Great War Medals (1914 Star and clasp, British War Medal and Victory Medal) he had been awarded the Coronation Durbar medal.
Nottingham Evening Post notice (abridged) 7 October 1914: ‘Voce. Killed in action 23rd (sic) September Harry Voce late of KRR. Mother, brother, sisters.’ (A date of death of 23 September was noted in the Soldiers' Effects Register and then amended to '10 September 1914') Register of Soldiers’ Effects. Legatees: Mary Isabella (mother), Arthur James (brother) and sisters Mrs Agnes Elson, Mrs Maria Small (‘or Somall’), Mrs Kate Cottee, Mrs Rebekah Broughton and Miss Ethel Voce. Harry appears to have been employed at Saxondale Hospital which was the Notts County Lunatic Asylum (opened 29 July 1902). Nottinghamshire County Council was responsible for the Asylum's Committee of Visitors and the minutes of the Committee's meeting on 27 October 1914 records the following item: 'Item 2 European War Crisis (p215). Immediately after the outbreak of War, 13 of the Asylum Attendants were called to the Colours out of a total of 31.' It is possible, therefore, that Harry was an attendant at the Asylum or was employed in some other capacity at the institution. There is a record in Nottinghamshire Archives of subscriptions made in 1919 toward the cost of installing a five-light window in St Philip's church, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham, in memory of men from the congregation and parish who died in the Great War (Nottinghamshire Archives, ref PR 11,201). The list of subscribers include a Miss Voce (4 shillings). It is possible that this was Henry's sister, Ethel, who in 1920 was living in Sneinton. The window was dedicated in 1919; St Philip's was demolished in 1964 and it is presumed that the window was destroyed and the brass tablet containing the names lost. No record has been found of the names on the memorial so it is not known if they included Henry. According to the information on the City and County Memorial at the entrance to St Mary's parish church, High Pavement, the parish of St Philip lost 65 men.
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