Bernard Cornelius Pottinger

Bernard was the son of William and Harriett Pottinger (née Towle). His father William was born in Radford, Nottingham, in 1850 (J/A/S Radford, mother's maiden name Turner). His mother Harriett was born in 1852 (J/A/S Radford) also in Radford. She was the daughter of Joseph and Amelia Towle (née Stanton) who were married at Nottingham St Mary on 25 December 1851. William and Harriett were married in 1870 (O/N/D Radford) and had at least nine children: John William birth registered 1873 (J/F/M Nottingham) bap. Sneinton St Stephen 6 November 1886; Eliza Ann b. 28 May 1877 bap. Sneinton St Stephen 14 November 1886; Edith Gertrude b. 1879 (O/N/D Nottingham) bap. 14 November 1886; Mary Barbara b. 1881 (J/A/S Nottingham) bap. 14 November 1886; Frederick b. 1884 (A/M/J Nottingham) bap. 14 November 1886; Henry Herbert b. 1886 J/A/S Nottingham) bap. 14 November 1886; George Elder b. 4 July 1889, Oonah Catherine Elizabeth b. 4 February 1891 bap. Sneinton St Alban 18 September 1900 and Bernard Cornelius birth registered 1894 (J/F/M Nottingham). At the time the children were baptised in 1886 the family was living in Sneinton on Ashling Street, but were registered living on Radcliffe Street, Nottingham, on the 1891 Census. William was employed as a tanner, as he had been in 1881. Seven of their eight children were in the home on the night of the census: John a general labourer, Edith (11), Mary (9), Frederick (7), Henry (4), George (1) and Oonah (under 1 year). Their eldest daughter, Eliza (13), was living with her uncle, John Pottinger (48 b. Nottingham), a beer keeper, at The Woodman, Main Road, Crayford, Kent, and assisting his wife Kate with domestic work. William and Harriet's younget son Bernard was born three years later in 1894. William and Harriett appear to have separated by 1901 and the family had split up. William has not been traced on the census but Harriett, described as married but head of household and employed as a lace clipper, was living at 2 Lewis Place, Nottingham, with her son Henry. Four of her children were married. John was living with his wife Mary Elizabeth and his sister Oonah (10) on Newington Street, Nottingham. Eliza was living with her husband Joseph Bowskill at 23 Florence Terrace, Nottingham, with their children Howard (2) and John (1). Edith was living in Ruddington with her husband Joseph Haines and their son Frederick (1) and Frederick and his wife Lottie were living at 3 Albion Place, Nottingham. Mary (20), George (12) and Bernard (7) have not yet been traced on the 1901 Census. There is a record of a Bernard Pottinger (18, b. Nottingham), a pit pony driver, living at 22 Doe Quarry Terrace, Dinnington near Rotherham, Yorkshire, in 1911. He was a boarder in the household of Robert Averill, a coal miner/stallman, and his wife. Bernard married Alma May Young at Hampstead St Cuthbert on 2 August 1915. The marriage certificate shows that he was 21 years old and a soldier based at Wellington Barracks, London, and the son of William Pottinger, a tanner; she was 20 years old and living on Maygrove Road, Hampstead, and the daughter of Newman Young, a labourer. There were no children of the marriage. The CWGC record gives his wife's address as 25 Maygrove Road, West Hampstead, London. Alma married Ernest W Hebditch in 1920 (O/N/D Willedsen Middx). In 1911 his father William, now working as a carter, was recorded on the census living at 15 Bartram Street, Nottingham; his status was given as married (39 years). Harriett, a clipper and lace drawer, was living with her married daughter, Mary (Warren) at Walker's Terrace, Nottingham. Harriett died in 1918 (J/F/M Nottingham). William died in 1924 (J/A/S Nottingham). In 1919 his former daughter-in-law, Lottie, had completed a form for the army in 1919 giving the names of her husband Frederick's surviving blood relatives but named only his father, William, of 13 Bertram Street. Of Bernard's siblings: John William married Mary Elizabeth Wardle on 17 April 1897 at Meadows St Saviour. In 1911 they were living on Kingston Street, Nottingham; he was a carter-cooper and Mary a dressmaker on her own account. There were no children of the marriage. He died in 1931 (J/F/M Nottingham). Eliza Ann married John Thomas Shaw Bowskill (b. 28 March 1874), a labourer with Nottingham Corporation, on 21 December 1897 at St Saviour. They had at least three children: Howard AW b. 16 June 1898, John William b. 14 June 1912 and Bertie Harold b. 23 March 1919. In 1939 they were living on Whitbread Street, Nottingham, with their sons John and Bertie. Their son Howard was married and living on Shortwood Close, Nottingham, and employed as a school caretaker. Bertie served with the Royal Artillery (1693041) in the Second World War (d. 1987). Eliza died in 1965 (J/F/M Nottingham). Edith Gertrude married Joseph Haines on 19 March 1900 at St Saviour. They probably had only one child, Frederick Arthur (b. abt 1900). By 1911 they had moved from Ruddington and were living in Leicester where Joseph was a general carter. Edith died in September 1913 (J/A/S Nottingham), burial 16 September. Mary Barbara married Joseph Isaac Warren (b. 29 December 1880) in 1903 (O/N/D Nottingham, and they had at least seven children: John William b. 1905, Olive Mary b. 4 July 1907, Lottie b. 1909, Samuel b. 1911, Bernard C. b. 9 September 1912, Joseph Herbert b. 4 February 1920 and Catherine E. b. 26 April 1921. In 1911 they were living at 25 Walker Terrace, Bunbury Street, Nottingham; Joseph was a carter and Mary a laundry maid. Three of their four children were living with them - John, Lottie and Samuel - but their eldest daughter Olive (3) lived with her uncle, Frederick Pottinger and his wife Lottie. Mary died on 17 July 1937 aged 55 (burial Wilford Hill 21 July). Frederick married Lottie Henson (b. 5 December 1881) in 1901 (J/F/M Nottingham) and by 1911 they were living at 105 Brentwood, Colwick Vale, Nottingham. Frederick gave his occupation as 'cooper (cash dealer).' Although he and Lottie had no children his niece Olive Mary Warren (3, b. 4 July 1907), the daughter of his married sister Mary Barbara, was living with them and after his death was accepted as a dependant ('adopted child'). Frederick was killed in action in 1915. (See record on this Roll of Honour for additional information). Henry Herbert married Sarah Pallett in 1906 (J/A/S Nottingham) In 1911 they were living at 13 Walker Terrace, Bunbury Street, Meadows, with their children Henry Herbert (5), Edith Ellen (4) and Amelia (1). By 1918 the family was living on Jackson Street, Nottingham. Henry served with the 1/7th Bn Sherwood Foresters (668, 265027 Sergeant) and served in France from 28 February 1915. He was discharged in March 1919 but continued to serve in the 7th (Robin Hood) Bn probably as a Territorial soldier. In May 1920 he was appointed transport sergeant to the HQ Company in Nottingham. He died on 14 July 1925. George Elder married Ethel A Gill (b. 19 May 1887) in 1910 (J/A/S Nottingham). Ethel was the daughter of Alice Gill who after the death of her first husband married Herbert Elliott on 11 September 1897. In 1911 George, a packer in a cotton doubling mill, Ethel and their son Lelsie William Robert (under 1yr) were living her mother and stepfather on Denton Street, Nottingham. By 1939 they were living in Sutton in Ashfield; George was a foreman (silk thrusters). He died in April 1945 (cremation 1 May). Oonah Catherine Elizabeth married Herbert Bonsall in 1908 (A/M/J Nottingham). They probably had five children whose births were recorded in the Mansfield registration district: Joseph William birth registered 1910 (J/F/M), Alice Helen birth registered 1911 (J/F/M), Herbert b. 1912, Hannah E. birth registered 1915 (J/F/M) and Bernard F. b. 1917. In 1939 Oonah and Herbert were living on Kingston Street, Nottingham; Herbert was a coal miner hewer. Oonah died on 27 January 1962.