Benjamin Clements

Benjamin was the son of George and Ann Clements. George Clements was born in East Markham in about 1846 and his wife Ann was born in South Collingham, Nottinghamshire. According to the 1911 Census, his parents had had nine children of whom only eight were still living at the time of the census. Eight children have been traced: John b. 3 November 1867, Rosa/Rose b. 15 May 1870, Harriett b. abt. 1872, Mary Elizabeth b. 19 September 1873 (O/N/D East Retford), George William b. 1877 (J/A/S East Retford), Benjamin b. 1879 (J/A/S East Retford), Bertha b. 1883 (J/A/S East Retford) and Alfred b. 29 May 1892 (J/A/S East Retford). The children were born in East Markham. In 1871 George (26), an agricultural labourer, and Ann (26) were living at Priest Gates, Markham Moor, with their two children John (3) and Rose (11 months). Also in the household were two lodgers, Mary Milnes (20 b. South Collingham), a domestic servant, and her son William Milnes (1). By 1881 George, who was still working as an agricultural labourer, and Ann were living at Mill Cottages, Cleveland Road, East Markham. There were five children in the home on the night of the census: Rosa (10), Harriet (9), Mary E (7), George W (5) and Benjamin (1). In 1891 the family home was still at Mill Cottages but only George (45), Ann (45), now working as a charwoman, and two of their children, John (23) a railway labourer, and Bertha (7) were in the home on the night of the census. Benjamin was recorded on the census as a patient in Leeds General Infirmary. By 1901 only Bertha (17) a housemaid domestic, and Alfred (8) were living with their parents at Mill Field (sic), Cleveland Road, East Markham. Ten years later in 1911 George (65) and Ann (64), who had now been married for 44 years, were living alone at their home in East Markham. Benjamin married Ellen Holroyd (b. Hartill, Yorkshire) in 1900 (J/A/S Worksop) and in 1901 they were living at 5 Spencer Street, Swinton, Yorkshire, where Benjamin was working as a coal miner. Benjamin and Ellen were still living in Swinton in 1911 but had moved to 137 Station Street; they had had two children, neither of whom had survived. Benjamin was killed in July 1915 and his widow subsequently married John H Jones in 1917 (J/F/M Rotherham). The CWGC record gives her address as 23 Highthorn, Kilnhurst, Rotherham Benjamin's father, George, died aged 69 on 20 April 1915 (A/M/J East Retford) and his mother, Ann, died on 6 February 1941 aged 94. Of Benjamin's siblings: John married c1894 and in 1901 was a railway platelayer living at Maltkiln Cottages, Ollerton Road, East Retford, with his wife Elizabeth (35, b. Boughton, 14 November 1865) and child Mabel Annie (6). There were also two boarders in the household. By 1911 John (42), now a permanent way foreman, and Elizabeth (44) had moved to 9 Station Road, Killamarsh, Sheffield, and were living there with their daughter Mabel (16) and two boarders. In 1939 John a permanent way labourer, and Elizabeth were living in Chesterfield. Rosa (also known as Rose) was a domestic servant in the household of the widowed Mary Hotham (69) at Scaftworth Manor, Barton Road, Scaftworth, Nottinghamshire, at the time of the 1891 census. She married John Robert (b. Everton Huntingdonshire, 2 October 1858) on 24 October 1892 (Tempsford Bedford) and in 1901 they were living on Poor House Lane, Tuxford. John (40) was a railway labourer) and he and Rosa (30) had three children, Ethel Doris (9), Frederick William (3) and Albert Edward (1). By 1911 the family had moved to Carlton Lane, Sutton on Trent, Newark. John was a road labourer for the county council. He and Rosa had four children of whom three were in the house on the night of the census: Fred (13), Albert (11) and Leslie (5). In 1939 at the time of the England & Wales Register Rose and John, now a farm labourer, were living in Southwell. Rosa died in 1950 (Sep Newark) age 80. Harriet was probably living in Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1891, as a servant in the household of Edward and Hester Child. She has not yet been traced after the 1891 Census. Mary Elizabeth was a servant in the household of Charles and Sarah Oyler in Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1901. She married Joseph William Taylor (b. 25 December 1876) in 1904 (A/M/J East Retford) the Banns had been read at St John the Baptist East Markham and in Joseph's parish church of All Saints, Salterhebble, West Yorkshire. In 1911 Joseph (34) a domestic gardener, and Mary (37) were living at 10 Lower Shircoat Green Halifax, with their two daughters, Enid (6) and Hilda (1). At the time of the 1939 England & Wales Register Mary and Joseph were both living at the Blend Hotel, Skircoat Moor Road, Halifax, where Joseph was the caretaker. George William was a railway signalman in 1901 and a boarder in the household of John Dewey, also a railway signalman, and his wife Emma at the Railway Station, Legbourne, Lincolnshire. George married Elizabeth Trown on 28 September 1901 at Thornhill St Michael and All Angels, Yorkshire. According the marriage register George (25) was a railway signalman and living in Legbourne. In 1911 he and Elizabeth (34) were living on Old Lane East, Ardsley, Wakefield. George was still working as a railway signalman. He and Elizabeth had had three children of whom only two survived; George Stanley (6) and Clifford (3). George died ion 9 October 1940; he was then living at The Nook, East Markham. Bertha married Arthur Hugh Bryant at Leeds All Souls parish church on 22 August 1910. According to the marriage register Bertha was a housekeeper and living at 2 Blenheim Square, Leeds; her father, George Clements, was a labourer. Arthur Hugh Bryant was a milkman and lived at 56 Kennedy Street, Leeds. Bertha died in 1931 (Sep Leeds North) aged 48. Alfred became a railway clerk and in 1911 was a boarder in the household of George and Caroline Heath at 42 Prospect Place, Doncaster. He married Dorothy A Wilson of the parish of Pinxton, Derbyshire, in December 1913 (O/N/D Mansfield); the banns of marriage had also been read in Alfred's parish church of Bradford St Columba, Yorkshire. Dorothy (b. abt 1893, possibly baptised 2 July 1893, Pinxton) died at the age of 24 in 1917 (Sep Mansfield). Alfred married secondly Edith Wood (b. 30 January 1888), a widow of Back Montague Street, Sandal, Yorkshire, at the parish church of Sandal Magna St Helen, Yorkshire, on 24 May 1920. Alfred (28) was a railway signalman and lived at the Station Cottage, Sandal. In 1939 at the time of the England & Wales Register, Alfred, a railway signalman, and Edith were living at the Railway Cottage, Bardney, Welton, Lincolnshire with their two children, Allan (b. 2 January 1921) a baker's roundsman, and Jack (b. 1 May 1924) who worked for an electrical engineering company. Also in the household was Ruby Wood (b. 3 June 1915) an invoice clerk, who was probably a boarder. Alfred was living at the same address at the time of his death on 30 April 1948; his wife survived him.