William Nash

William was the only son of Charles and Emily Jane Nash (née Kinsey). His father Charles was born in Snelston near Ashbourne on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border, in June 1865, the son of William and Patience Nash. In 1871 the Nash family - parents and children John, Charles, Patience and Sarah - was living in Snelston, although by 1881 Charles was working as a farm servant (indoors) in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. His mother Emily Jane was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, in December 1860, the daughter of John Shingler Kinsey. Charles and Emily were married at Snelston St Peter in March 1892 and had five children, four of whom survived infancy. The three eldest children were born in Snelston and baptised at Snelston St Peter: William b. 1892 (O/N/D) bap. 29 January 1893, Gertrude Patience b. 1893 (reg. 1894 J/F/M), Mary Gwendoline b. 1897 and Alexandra Marguerite b. Strelley Nottingham 1901. Although the family lived in Snelston until at least 1897 when the second daughter was born, by 1901 Charles, a farm labourer, and his wife were living on Main Road, Strelley, Nottinghamshire, with their four surviving children, William (8), Gertrude (7), Gwendoline (3) and Alexandra (2 months). By 1911 the family had moved to Cossall, Nottinghamshire, where they were living in Robinet Houses. Charles was an estate labourer and his son William a gentleman's servant. The two youngest daughters were still at school but the eldest, Gertrude, was a housemaid at the Rectory, Linby, Nottinghamshire, one of three indoor servants in the household of the widowed rector and his adult son. William attested in the Scots Guards in January 1913. He attested in Leeds giving his occupation as chauffeur, and although several military records give his place of birth as Mirfield (Kirkstall, Leeds), it is more likely that this was where he was living and working. The later CWGC record gave his parents' address as Holly Bush Farm, Trowell, Nottinghamshire. However, in 1939 when the England and Wales Register was compiled, his mother Emily, was living with her married daughter, Gertrude Smith (m. 1920, Harry Smith) at Grange Cottage, Strelley. Gertrude's husband was a horseman/cowman. Although Emily described herself as married, the probable record on the Register for her husband was that of a Charles Nash (b. June 1865), divorced, an unpaid farm labourer, who was living in Ashbourne in household which included his two widowed sisters, Patience Wallis and Sarah Millington. Charles probably died in 1940 (reg. J/F/M Ashbourne) and Emily in 1941 (reg. J/F/M Basford).