Albert Newton
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Albert was born in 1897 the son of Thomas Albert and Emma Newton (née Lane). Both his parents were born in Nottingham, his father in 1862 (reg. J/F/M) and his mother in about 1861. Thomas and Emma were married in Nottingham in 1883. According to the information they provided on the 1911 Census when they had been married for 27 years, they had had ten children of whom nine survived. Nine children were named on the census between 1891 and 1911: Mabel Elizabeth b. 1884, Gertrude/Gerty b. 1886, Lavinia [Lavinia Millicent] b. 1888, Francis Thomas b. 1890, Harold Percival b. 1893, Albert b. 1897, Leonard b. 1899, John Archibald b. 1901 and Lewis Edward b. 1904. Apart from the youngest child, Lewis, who was born in Daybrook, Arnold, Nottingham, all the children were born in Nottingham. In 1891 Thomas (29), a bleacher, and Emma (29) were living at 9 Burrows Gardens, Sneinton, with their four children; Mabel (6), Gerty (5), Lavinia (2) and Francis (6m.) By 1901 the family was living at Mill House, Sneinton, and Thomas was now a foreman bleacher. He and Emma had eight children; Mabel a curtain overlocker, Gerty a lace hand, Lavinia, Francis, Harold (8), Albert (4), Leonard (2) and John (1). The family was living at 6 Cathcart Street, Nottingham, by 1911. Thomas was now working as a stoker. Only seven children were in the home on the night of the census; Lavinia a lace cutter, Francis a labourer, Harold a laundry hand, and Albert, Leonard, John and Lewis (7) who were all at school. In 1914 Thomas and Emma were recorded on a register of people resident in the parish of Nottingham St Mary living at 29 Leicester Street, Nottingham. However, the register notes that Leonard was in France and Albert was 'missing'; either the date in the register was incorrect or the information was later updated. Emma probably died in 1927 at the age of 66 while Thomas Albert died in 1936. Albert's younger brother, Leonard, served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (64891 Private) and was killed on 24 October 1918 (Amerval Communal Cemetery Extension, Solesmes).
6th Bn Leicestershire Regiment formerly Sherwood Foresters (4037 1/7th Bn and 266346 2/7th Bn). Albert was killed on 27 May 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial, France. He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Soissons Memorial (extract): 'The original British Expeditionary Force crossed the Aisne in August 1914 a few kilometres west of Soissons, and re-crossed it in September a few kilometres east. For the next three and a half years, this part of the front was held by French forces and the city remained within the range of German artillery. At the end of April 1918, five divisions of Commonwealth forces (IX Corps) were posted to the French 6th Army in this sector to rest and refit following the German offensives on the Somme and Lys. Here, at the end of May, they found themselves facing the overwhelming German attack which, despite fierce opposition, pushed the Allies back across the Aisne to the Marne. Having suffered 15,000 fatal casualties, IX Corps was withdrawn from this front in early July, but was replaced by XXII Corps, who took part in the Allied counter attack that had driven back the Germans by early August and recovered the lost ground. The Soissons Memorial commemorates almost 4,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom forces who died during the Battles of the Aisne and the Marne in 1918 and who have no known grave.' (www.cwgc.org)
Albert's younger brother Leonard served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (64891 Private) and was killed on 24 October 1918. (See record on this Roll of Honour) Albert was born 1897 (A/M/J) so may have been 21 when killed although the CWGC record gives his age as 20. Nottingham St Mary Parish Register, p.452 (1914): '29 Leicester Street. Newton Albert [Thomas Albert], 6 children baptised. Frank [Francis Thomas], Percy [Harold Percival], Leonard in France, Albert missing.' (Nottinghamshire Archives, ref PR,6786) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father, Thomas Albert, was his legatee.
