Thomas Walter Church

He was the son of Thomas, a house painter, and Hannah (née Redman). When Thomas was about 3, the family moved to Nottingham. In 1897, Thomas married Catherine Hannah Tudor in Nottingham. Catherine was the daughter of Henry Linthwaite Tudor, a commercial clerk and Annie (née Ganley) but, when Catherine was about 10, her mother died leaving eight children. By 1891, the children were being brought up by their 75 year old grandmother, Lucy Tudor, and her 81 year old widowed sister at their newsagents at 21 Oliver Street, Nottingham. In the early days of their marriage, then living in Hermon Street, Nottingham. Thomas found whatever work he could to support his young family - in 1901, for example, he was working as a bar man in a public house but, by about 1908 the family had move to Beeston and Thomas had found work in his father's trade as a house painter. In 1911, Thomas and Catherine were living at 12 William Street, Beeston with seven children. By the time of his death in August 1917, Thomas' family, including his wife and nine children, whose ages ranged from 20 months to 20 years, was living at 121 Queens Road, Beeston. His eldest son had also joined the Colours and, at the time of his father's death was serving in Mesopotamia. On the Friday before he was killed his wife had received a letter to say he would be coming home on leave. Mrs. Church and two of her sisters had now been notified that there husbands were lost in the conflict.