Garnet Stenson
- Family History
- Military History
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Garnet Stenson was the son of Henry and Jane Stenson (née Straw). Henry was born in Nottingham in about 1856 and Jane also in Nottingham in 1857. They were married at Radford St Peter on 17 February 1878 and had 12 children one of whom died in childhood. Their surviving children were: Elizabeth b. 1878, Kate b. 1881, Henry b. 1883 and Garnet b. 1884 who were all born in Sneinton, and Mary Ellen b.1885, Jane b. 1887, Martha b. 1889 (reg. J/F/M), Gertrude b. 1890, Joseph b. 1892, Percy b. 1898 (reg. J/F/M) and Ivy b. 1899 who were all born in Beeston. The child who died young was probably John b. 1880 (reg. J/F/M Radford) d. 1882 (reg. J/F/M Nottingham). Garnet and four of his siblings, Elizabeth, Kate, Henry and Mary, were baptised at Beeston St John the Baptist on 18 July 1886. Henry and Jane have not yet been traced on the 1881 Census, but they were living in Sneinton when their first five children were born but had moved to Beeston by the time of Mary's birth in 1884. In July 1886 when the children were baptised, the family was living on Windsor Street. The family was still at Windsor Street in 1891: Henry an iron turner, Jane, and their eight chiildren Elizabeth (12) a lace mender, Kate (9), Henry (8), Garnet (7), Mary (5), Jane (4), Martha (2) and Gertrude (1). In 1901 Jane, married but described as head of household, was living at 104 Queen's Road, Beeston, with her eleven children: Elizabeth a warehouse lace pattern girl, Kate a fancy machinist, Henry a lace draughtsman, Garnet a lace threader, Mary a fancy machinist, Jane a cotton winder, Martha, Gertrude, Joseph (8), Percy (3) and Ivy (1). Henry was probably living in a lodging house in Attercliffe, Sheffield, and working as a steel shell turner. By 1911 Henry, an iron turner, and his wife were living at 63 Windsor Street, Beeston. Only five of their children were still at home: Martha a machinist (blouse factory), Gertrude a finisher (telephone works), Joseph a reader off/lace draughtsman, Percy a grocer's errand boy and Ivy who was still at school. Their other six children were married: Elizabeth to William Giles in 1904, Kate to William Edwin Saxby in 1905, Henry to Fanny Fox in 1907, Jane to Arthur Frank Cunnington in 1908, and Mary Ellen to Arthur Tebbutt in 1910. Garnet had married Lily Kent (b. 1887 Meadows, Nottingham) in 1910 (O/N/D) and they had a son, Horace, in October the same year. In 1911 Garnet, his wife and child were living at 242 Wellington Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire. In 1916 Lily was living at 57 Granville Avenue, Long Eaton, and although the WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Card gave her place of residence as Long Eaton the later CWGC record gave her address as 9 Curtis Grove, Wilford Road, Meadows, Nottingham. Lily was still at 9 Curtis Grove when the England & Wales Register was compiled in 1939. Also in the household was her son Horace and his wife, Annie. Lily died in September 1954. Garnet's father died on 19 June 1914 and his mother on 11 September 1931; she was then living at 104 Queen's Road, Beeston, which had been their address in 1901. Garnet's brother Joseph probably served in the war as there is a WW1 Disability Pension record for a Joseph Stenson, born Beeston, who served in the Sherwood Foresters (12616 Private) and was discharged from the army on 20 March 1919.
9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment). Garnet Stenson served with the battalion in Gallipoli and Egypt before the battalion was posted to France. The battalion arrived in France on 1 July 1916 and spent a month on the Arras front. It then moved to the Somme where on 26 September the battalion took part in the Battle of Thiepval. Garnett was killed during the action but his death was not confirmed until August the following year. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 10C 10D & 11D). He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
CWGC: ' Son of Henry and Jane Stenson; husband of Lily Stenson, of 9, Curtis Grove, Wilford Rd., Nottingham.' Nottingham Evening Post, 7th August 1917: “STENSON. – Missing September 26th, 1916, now officially reported killed in action, Private Garnet Stenson, Sherwood Foresters, beloved husband of Lily Stenson, 57, Granville-avenue, Long Eaton. Deeply mourned. – From his sorrowing wife and little son Horace." “STENSON. – Missing September 26th, 1916, now officially reported killed in action, Private Garnet Stevenson, Sherwood Foresters. – From brother-in-law George and family, Harry (in France)." “STENSON. – Missing September 26th, 1916, now officially reported killed in action, Private Garnet Stenson, Sherwood Foresters. – From Mr. and Mrs. Kent [parents-in-law], Arthur (in France).” Notices courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his widow Lily was his sole legatee. Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 20 June 1914: ‘Stenson. On June 19th, Henry Stenson of Beeston, beloved husband of Jane Stenson, aged 57 years.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 12 September 1931: ‘Stenson. On September 11th, Jane, age 73, of 104 Queen’s-road, Beeston, beloved widow of the late Henry Stenson. Interment Beeston Cemetery, Monday, 2 o’clock.’ (www.britishnewspapearchive.co.uk)
