Joel Drabble

Joel was the son of Walter and Matilda Drabble (née Thompson). His parents were married on 10 September 1865 in Chapeltown, Yorkshire, and had at least 11 children, one of whom, William Thomas, probably died in infancy. The births of the first nine children were registered in Wortley, Yorkshire, no record has yet been traced of the tenth child's registration of birth, and the birth of the youngest was registered in Barnsley: Mary Matilda b. 7 December 1865 bap. Chapeltown 14 January 1866; James b. 12 September 1867 bap. Chapeltown 26 December 1869; William Thomas b. 14 April 1869 bap. Chapeltown 26 December 1869 d. 1870 (A/M/J); Joseph b. 24 May 1871 bap. Chapeltown 4 August 1871; Walter b. 13 April 1873 bap. Chapeltown 3 July 1873; Hannah b. 27 August 1875 bap. Tankersley 5 October 1875; Harriett b. 10 November 1877 bap. Tankersley 25 December 1877; Joel b. 1880 (reg. J/F/M) bap. Tankersley 27 February 1880; John Thompson b. 10 January 1882 bap. Tankersley 12 February 1882; Margaret Louisa b. 26 November 1883 bap. Tankersley 13 January 1884 and Ruth b. 1886 bap. Carlton St John the Evangelist 7 October 1886. Walter, a coke burner, and Matilda were living in Ecclesfield, Wortley, Yorkshire, in 1871 with their children Mary (5) and James (3). Their third child, William Thomas, had died the previous year. By 1881 Walter (37) and Matilda (35) were living on Rockingham Road, Tankersley. Their seven surviving children were in the home on the night of the census: Mary, James, Joseph (9), Walter (7), Hannah (5). Harriet (3) and Joel (1). John, Margaret and Ruth were born during the next five years. Walter snr. died in 1888 and was buried in Royston St John the Baptist churchyard on 3 September. By 1891 the widowed Matilda was living in Wentworth, Yorkshire, with nine of her ten children: James a coke burner, Walter and Joseph who were working in the mining industry, Hannah, Harriet (13) , Joel, John (9), Margaret (7) and Ruth (4). Matilda had moved to Byron Street, Shirebrook, Derbyshire, by 1901. Only four children were still living at home: Joseph and Joel who were both coal miner hewers, John who was working at a colliery and Ruth, a dressmaker's apprentice. Also in the household was a boarder, Josiah Hobson, a colliery labourer. The youngest son, John Thompson, enlisted in the Royal Marines in Liverpool on 2 August 1901; he named his mother Matilda, of Byron Street, Shirebrook, as his next of kin. He served to 5 July 1903 when he was discharged by purchase (£25). John may have served in the war in the Sherwood Foresters (13511 Private). Matilda was still living in Shirebrook in 1911 but had moved to 3 Church Drive. Only Joel and John, both coal miners' loaders, were still at home. Matilda died in 1925 (reg. J/F/M Mansfield). The later CWGC record gave only her name, and her address as 3 Church Drive, Shirebrook.