Clarence George Fryer

Clarence George was born in Manchester, Lancashire, on 9 April 1883 (reg. A/M/J Chorlton, mother's maiden name Pattison). He was the son of John Thomas (b. Ayston Rutland) and Mary Ann Fryer (b. Bath Somerset) who were married in 1878 (reg. Chorlton Lancs). They had at least seven children, two of whom died before 1911. All but the youngest, Frederick, were born in Manchester: Mary Daisy b. 1879, John Erhur b. 1880, Eva Maud b. 1881 d. 1882, Clarence George b. 1883, Eva Sarah b. 1885, May Rosalie b. 1887 d. 1910 and Frederick b. Bath Somerset 1891. In 1881 John (27), a butcher, and Mary (22) were living on Clowes Street, Gorton, Chorlton, with their two children Daisy (2) and John (under one year). They were still living in Chorlton when their sixth child, May, was born in 1887. The family has not yet been traced on the 1891 census but the youngest son, Frederick, was born in Somerset that year. However, by 1901 John Thomas, a butcher, was recorded on the census at Pomfret Street, Nottingham. There appears to have been a family connection with Nottingham as a William Fryer, a baker, born in Hambleton Rutland (abt. 1849), was recorded on the 1881 Census living on Blue Bell Hill, Nottingham. Although John Thomas was described on the census as married only three of his six surviving children, Eva Sarah (15), May Rosalie (13 d. 1910) and Fred (10), were in the home on the night of the 1901 census. Clarence had joined the Royal Navy in January 1901 but had probably previously worked for his father as a butcher's boy. John Thomas died at the end of 1901 and only his son Clarence has been traced on the 1911 Census. Clarence was discharged from the Royal Navy by purchase in 1904 (see 'Military history') but then enlisted in the Army and in 1911 was serving in Aden with the 1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. Clarence married Lily Atkin (b. 1883) in 1915 (reg. J/F/M Nottingham) and they had twins, Lily and Clarence George, born 4 September 1916. In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled Lily, a sewing machinist, and her daughter Lily, a dispatch clerk (lace), were living on Windmill Lane, off Carlton Road, Nottingham. Lily's son, George Clarence, had married Mabel Gertrude Derbyshire earlier that year and they were living on Frinton Road, Nottingham. George and Mabel had three children, born between 1939 and 1944. George served in the war and was killed in June 1944 (see 'Comments').