George Foster Loveday

George Foster was born in 1892, the son of George Edward and Grace Loveday. His father was born in Richmond, Surrey, in 1857 and his mother in Yorkshire (probably Doncaster) in about 1865. According to the 1911 Census they had then been married for 28 years and had had eight children of whom only six were still living at the time of the census. Six children were named on the census between 1891 and 1911: Florence Annie (b. 1885, birth registered Doncaster), Edward Augustus (b. 9 August 1888 Cyprus) Margaret Elizabeth (birth registered J/F/M 1890, Portsmouth, Hants), George Foster (b. 1892 Nottingham), Grace Dorothy (b. 1894 Nottingham) and Lilian May (b. 1896 Nottingham). In 1891 George Edward was a colour sergeant in the Yorkshire Regiment serving at the District Depot in Richmond, Yorkshire. The places of birth of his three eldest surviving children indicate that he was serving in Yorkshire in 1885, Cyprus in 1888 and Portsmouth in 1890. George was the eldest surviving child to be born in Nottingham (1892) by which time his father had left the army. In 1891 George (33) and Grace (25) were living in army quarters in Richmond, Yorkshire, and had three children, Florence (6), Edward (2) and Elizabeth (1). By 1901 the family was living at 5 Moffatt Street, Nottingham, where George senior was working as a hotel out-porter. There were six children, all of whom were still living at home; Florence (16) a lace worker, Edward (12), Margaret (11), George (8), Grace (6) and Lilian (4). George's older brother Edward, who was a cartman/coal miner, joined the Royal Navy at HMS Ganges on 17 November 1904 when he was 16 years old and on 9 August 1906, his 18th birthday, signed a 12 year engagement. By 1911 George and Grave were living at 11 Lewis Street, Nottingham. Only Margaret (21), Grace (16) and Lilian (14) were at home on the night of the census; they and their mother were all working in lace warehouses. Florence and Edward have not been traced on the 1911 Census but the eighteen year-old George Foster was serving in Newcastle upon Tyne with the Special Reserve Artillery (RFA). Edward Loveday survived the war and as a Leading Seaman (232976) transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 7 June 1919 with his last service date being 13 June 1921. He qualfied for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Of George's siblings subsequent histories only Grace has so far been traced in official records; she married George H Swanwick in 1917 (marriage registered J/F/M Nottingham). George's mother, Grace, died in 1933 aged 68 and his father, George, in 1937 aged 80.

No Photos