George Daft

George Daft was born in 1877 the son of Henry a bricklayer and Lucy Daft of 5 Westgate Street, St Ann’s, Nottingham. George joined the army in 1896 on a 12 year engagement and served in South Africa from November 1899 to September 1902; he was discharged from the army in 1908. George (25) married Amy Baxter (17) on 29th December 1902 at Christchurch, Coalville, Leicestershire; both were resident in Coalville. Amy was born in Kegworth, Notts/Derbys border, in December 1885, the daughter of William Bryan Baxter, a collier. In 1901 she was a domestic servant in the household of John Simpson, a butcher (own account), of Loughborough, Leicestershire. George and Amy had had five children by 1911 of whom only three survived and then at least a further three children: William Henry b. 1903 and George b. 1907, both born in Ashby de la Zouch Leicestershire, Arthur b. Shirebrook Derbyshire 1909 and Herbert b. 1911, Walter b. 1913 and Lavinia Amy b. 1915 (death reg. 1917 J/F/M) who were all born in Mansfield. In 1911, George, a stallman miner hewer, and his wife were living at 32 Merchant Street, Shirebrook, with their three sons William, George and Arthur. Herbert was born later that year and then Walter and Lavinia. George's widow completed a form for the army in April 1919 listing his surviving relatives. She and her five surviving children (William, George, Arthur, Herbert and Walter) were still living at 32 Merchant Street. Amy also gave the names (illegible) of George's four brothers and four sisters, but was not able to give details of either their ages or addresses.