Edwin John Leslie Barker
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Edwin John Leslie Barker was the son of James, a farmer, and Florence Barker née Butler. He was born in 1894 and baptised on 22nd April 1894 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. His father James was born in 1850 in Uttoxeter and died in 1910 in Nottingham aged 60 yrs and his mother Florence Butler was born in 1862 in Balderton, Nottinghamshire. They were married in 1883 (Tamworth Registration District). They went on to have seven children, sadly one was to die in infancy. The five eldest surviving children were all born in Uttoxeter: Mary Florence Elizabeth b1885, Percy James b1887, Gladys May 1892, Edwin John Leslie b1894, Lillian Mabel b1898, while their last child, Frederick Dinsdale, was born in 1901 in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. In the 1911 census the family was living at 60 Rothesay Avenue, Lenton, and shown as Florence 49 yrs a widow and her children Cissie 26 yrs a draper's assistant, Percy 24 yrs a grocer's assistant, Gladys 19 yrs a chemist's assistant, Edwin 14 yrs a cashier, and Lillian 13 yrs and Dinsdale 10 yrs who were both scholars.
Edwin John Leslie Barker enlisted in Nottingham on 26th October 1915. He gave his age as 21 yrs and 10 months and his occupation as that of a shop assistant at an outfitters. He was living at 60 Rothesay Avenue, Lenton Sands, Nottingham, and nominated his mother Florence of the same address as his next of kin. He initially joined the Army Ordnance Corps at its barracks in Woolwich on 28th October 1915. He disembarked in Egypt on 8th July 1916 and transferred to the 1/7th Cheshire Regiment on 29th December 1917. Edwin was posted to the British Expeditionary Force in France on 22nd June 1918 and was posted missing in action on 3 September 1918. His death on that date was not confirmed until January 1919. He had served for 2 yrs and 313 days. Edwin has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (Panel 61 to 63). CWGC - Tyne Cot Memorial (extract): 'The Tyne Cot Memorial is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient. Broadly speaking, the Salient stretched from Langemarck in the north to the northern edge in Ploegsteert Wood in the south, but it varied in area and shape throughout the war.' 34,951 names are commemorated on this memorial.
Notice of Edwin's death published 27th January 1919 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “BARKER. – Reported missing September 3rd, 1918, now reported killed that date, Pte. Edwin Barker, 1/7th Cheshire, of 60 Rothesay-avenue. – From mother, sisters, & brothers.” 'In memoriam' notices published 3rd September 1919 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “BARKER. – In loving memory of Private Edwin Barker, who was killed in action September 3rd, 1918. – From mother, sisters and brother, 60 Rothesay-avenue. “BARKER. – In loving remembrance of Pte. Edwin Barker, who was killed in action September 3rd, 1918. – From brother and wife at Hucknall.” Above are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
