Wallace Draper
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Wallace was the youngest son of Henry and Fanny Louisa Draper (née Hardy). His father was born in Worksop, probably in 1857, the son of William and Ann Draper. His mother was born in Saxilby, Lincolnshire, in 1859. Henry and Fanny were married in 1879 (reg. Gainsborough) and had eight children, the eldest of whom was born before their marriage. All the children were born in Misterton: William Henry (reg. Hardy later k/a Draper) b. 1877, Joe b. 1880, Charles b. 1882, Fred b. 1885 d. 1892, Gertrude Alice (reg. Gertrude) b. 1887, Ellen b. 1889, Arthur b. 1891 and Wallace b. 1895. Their four youngest children were baptised at Misteron All Souls, Wallace on 20 November 1895. In 1881 Henry, a general labourer, and Fanny were living on Station Road, Misterton, with their second son, Joe. Their eldest son, William Henry, was living with his paternal grandparents, William and Ann Draper, in Worksop. The family was still living in Misterton until at least 1911 by which time Henry was working as a 'portable engine driver (threshing machines)'. Only three of their seven surviving children were still living at home: Joe (27) a labourer with a railway contractor and who had previously served in the 3rd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment (attested 1900), Arthur (20) a brickyard labourer, and Wallace (16) a farm labourer. William had married Mary Amelia Hughes in 1899 and they and their family were living in Sheffield where he was a tramways motorman. Charles, an iron moulder, his wife Rose Harriet (née Holmes, m. 1904) and their children were living in Misterton with his widowed mother-in-law. The two sisters, Gertrude Alice and Ellen, have not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, but Gertrude probably married in 1913 (William H Weston) and Ellen in 1915 (Clark Credland). Wallace's disability pension record named his mother, Fanny, as his next of kin and gave her addresses as Willoughby Street, Gainsborough, and 21 Station Terrace, Retford. In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, the widowed Fanny was living in Welton, Lincolnshire; she died in 1941 (reg. J/F/M Welton). Henry Draper has not been traced after 1911 and may have predeceased his son. Wallace's brother, Arthur, served in the RNVR (RND), Z/8937 Tyneside Ordinary Seaman (rated Able Seaman 9 August 1916). He joined on 9 December 1915, home address Rostholme, Bentley, Doncaster, occupation waggon lowerer. He named his mother of 20 Primrose Street, Gainsborough, as his next of kin. Arthur survived the war and was living in Bentley when the 1921 Census was compiled.
Wallace joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 14 December 1912 on a 12 year continuous service engagement. His RN record gives his date of birth as 24 November 1894 although his birth was registered in 1895 (A/M/J Gainsborough) and he was therefore 17 years old when he joined. As a 17 year old he would have been rated 'Boy 2nd Class' and not entered on a continuous service engagement until his 18th birthday, 'boy' time not counting toward his service engagement. Wallace served in HMS Princess Royal, a Lion-class battlecruiser, from 22 November 1913 to 17 December 1915 and was wounded during the battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. He was rated Stoker 1st Class while serving in HMS Princess Royal. Wallace was attached to accounting base Victory II from 18 December 1915 to 7 November 1916, joining HMS Blake on 8 November but only serving in the ship until 5 December 1916. Wallace was discharged (invalided) from the RN on 31 August 1917; his pension record gave his last ship as HMS Broke. He died from tuberculosis on 13 March 1920.
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