Ernest Arthur Hempsall

Ernest Arthur was the son of John Thomas and Caroline Hempsall (née Cooper). His father John Thomas Hempsall was born in Bawtry in 1857, the son of William and Sarah Hempsall, and baptised in Bawtry parish church on 31 May the same year. In 1881 the family was living on Bridge Lane, Bawtry; John was an agricultural labourer. His mother Caroline Cooper was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire, in about 1862. In 1871 Caroline (10) was living with Thomas and Ann Cutler in East Retford and described on the census as an orphan. She had a son, William (Cooper) in 1879. In 1881 she was a housemaid in the household of William White, innkeeper, on High Street, Bawtry, while her son William (2) was living with Samuel and Emma Cutler in Bawtry; he was described on the census as a boarder. John and Caroline were married in 1882 and had 17 chlldren of whom three had died before the 1911 Census. Fourteen children have been traced on the census records between 1891 and 1911, including the eldest, William, who was born before their marriage but had his father's surname on the 1891 Census. All the children were born in Bawtry: William Cooper (later William Cooper Hempsall) b. 1879 (reg. J/F/M), Sam b. 1882, Charles Henry b. 1883, Annie Elizabeth b. 1885, Mary Pagdin b. 21 August 1886, Nellie b. abt. 1888, Sarah b. 1889, Theresa Alice b. 19 April 1890, Margaret b. abt 1893, John Thomas b. 1894, Ernest Arthur b. 1896, Oswald b. 30 December 1897 (reg. 1898), Fred b. 2 March 1899 and Albert b. 4 July 1900. There is also a record of the birth of twins, Albert and George, in 1892 (A/M/J Doncaster, Hempsall/Cooper) who died the same year (A/M/J). In 1891 John (34), a groom, and Caroline (29) were living on High Street, Bawtry, with their children William (12), Sam (9), Charles (7), Annie (6), Nellie (3) and Sarah (1). John and Caroline were still living on High Street in 1901; John was now working as an agricultural labourer. In the home on the night of the census were eleven of their children: Annie, Mary, Nellie, Sarah, Theresa (8), Margaret (7), John (5), Ernest (4), Oswald (3), Fred (1) and Albert (under one year). William (Cooper) was an agricultural labourer and living with his paternal grandparents, William and Sarah Hempsall, on High Street, Bawtry. Sam was a wagoner on a farm in Scrooby while Charles was a groom in the employ of John Harrison, a farmer and innkeeper of Bawtry. By 1911 John, a cowman on a farm, and Caroline were living on Gainsborough Road, Bawtry. Only six of their children were still living at home: Theresa a domestic servant, John and Ernest who were both farm workers, Oswald, Fred and Albert. Also in the household were two grandchildren, Lily Hempsall (b. 1906) and Frank Reginald Hempsall (b. 1907 d. 1919). Caroline Hempsall died in 1917 and her husband John in 1938. John completed a form in December 1919 listing his son Ernest's surviving blood relatives. He named only four brothers and four sisters: William living in Harworth, Sam (d. 1965) in Doncaster, John Thomas (d. 1970) and Oswald (d. 1983) both of High Street Bawtry, Annie Bartlett (m. George W Bartlett 1914) and Sarah Hempsall (d. 1955) both of High Street Bawtry, Theresa House (m. George William House 28 March 1918) of Harlow Hill Doncaster and Margaret Keeble (m. William Keeble 1914 d. 1966) of Church Street Bawtry. Four siblings, Nellie, Mary (m. Raymond Thomas Parkin 1909 d. 1962), Fred (d. 1965), Albert (d. 1982), were still living in 1919 while Charles, who has not yet been traced on the 1911 census, did serve in the war and is believed to have survived.