Frederick Steel

Frederick, known as Fred, was the son of Edward and Emily Steel. Edward was born in Stavely, Derbyshire, and Emily in Somercotes, Derbyshire. According to the 1911 Census completed by Edward, he and Emily, who by then had been married for 32 years, had had 12 children of whom only eight survived. Ten children were named on the census between 1881 and 1911: John William (b. 20 January 1882, Samuel b. abt 1883 Tibshelf d. 18 July 1898, Edward b. Tibshelf, Maud Rachael b. 1888 Stavely (J/F/M Chesterfield), Emily b. 1889 Swanwick (O/N/D Belper) d. 1891, Richard b. 1892 (A/M/J Nottingham), Frederick (Fred) b. 1893 (J/A/S Nottingham), Alice b. 1894 (O/N/D Nottingham), Eva b. 1897 (J/A/S Nottingham) and Ellen (Nellie) b. 1902 A/M/J Nottingham. Samuel died aged 15 on 18 July 1898 (J/A/S Nottingham) and Emily died in 1891 aged 1 (J/A/S Nottingham). Another son, Ernest, who is not named on any of the census, died in infancy. In 1881 Edward (22), a coal miner, and Emily (21) were living at the Old English Gentleman, Nottingham Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire, with their eldest son, John William (2 months). Also in the household was a visitor, Mary Hinds (13), and four lodgers, Thomas Stanton (39), Alfred Wheeler (23), Joseph Maudlin (45) and his son Samuel (24). Edward and Emily had moved to Nottingham by 1891 where they were living at 9 Gladstone Terrace in the parish of Meadows St Saviour. They now had four children; John (10), Samuel (7), Maud (3) and Emily (1). Fred's sister Emily died in 1891 some months after the census, and his brother Samuel in 1898. His older brother John joined the Royal Navy in August 1899 but transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1907. By 1901 the family was living at 11 Waterloo Terrace, Gadd Street, Hyson Green, Nottingham. Edward was now working as a bricklayers' labourer. In the household on the night of the census were his wife Emily (42) and children Edward (16) who worked in a lace office, Maud (13), Richard (8), Frederick (7), Alice (6) and Eva (3). At the time of the same census John was serving in HMS Prince George. John married Florence Louisa Betsworth in 1904 (A/M/J Nottingham); Florence's birth was registered in 1885 J/F/M (Southampton). They had at least three children: Ernest b. 1909 Southampton (J/F/M Droxford Hampshire), Edward b. 1912 (J/A/S Southampton) and Rose (birth registered 1914 J/F/M Southampton). Fred's brother Edward married Eleanor Elizabeth Kirk in 1905 (A/M/J Nottingham), and their sister Maud married Benjamin Wright in 1908 (J/A/S Nottingham). In 1911 Edward and Emily were living at 21 Bateman Street, Hyson Green, Nottingham. Five of their children were still living at home: Richard (18) a bobbin and carriage maker, Fred (17) a beam maker, Alice (16) a cigarette packer, Eva (13) a cigarette box maker and Nellie (8). Also in the household was their grandson, Ernest Steel (2) who had been born in Southampton and presumably was their son John's child, and two boarders, Walter Long (17), a beam maker, and Albert Rolfe (25), a lace threader. In 1911 John (30) was in the Royal Fleet Reserve and working as a postman; he was living at the Royal Sailors Rest at 74-174 Commercial Road, Bucking Street/Chandos Street, Portsmouth. His wife has not yet been traced on the census, but given that their son Ernest was living with John's parents in Nottingham it seems that it was an unsettled time before John re-joined the Navy on 7 April 1911. Also in 1911 Fred's sister, Maud (23) was living at 6 Aston Terrace, Hyson Green, with her husband Benjamin (24), a twisthand lace maker. His brother Edward (26) a colliery labourer above ground, and Eleanor (28, b. Basford) were living at 71 Rye Street, New Basford, with their daughter Nellie (3). His brother John was serving in HMS Alert (205907/RFR.Po.B.1976 Able Seaman) when he was wounded during operations in the Persian Gulf (December 1915). He was presumably evacuated ashore as he died on 31 August 1916 on the long march from Samarnah to Rameelavin after being taken prisoner after the fall of Kut-al-Amarain, Mesopotamia, on 29 April 1916 (Basra Memorial). At the time of her husband's death Florence was living at 28 Emsworth Road, Shirley, Southampton. She married Patrick S McCracken in 1922 (J/A/S Southampton) and died aged 67 in 1952 (September Southampton). Frederick's mother, Emily, died on 9 August 1928 aged 68 years, and his father, Edward, died on 8 January 1935 aged 75 years. Richard married Eliza Ann Lunt (b. 1890 A/M/J Uppingham Rutland) in 1919 (O/N/D December). He died aged 73 on 16 June 1965 (June Nottingham); his home address was 15 Liddington Street, New Basford. Eliza survived him.