William Walter Poole
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William Walter was born in 1896 and was the son of William Walter a coal miner and Ann Poole née Priest they lived at 2 Powis Street, Bulwell. His father William Walter (senior) was born in 1868 in Bulwell, his mother Ann Priest was also born in 1868 in Basford. They were married in Basford in 1889 and went on to have a very large family of 11 children, sadly three of their children were to die in infancy or early childhood. Their surviving children , all born in Bulwell were, Maria Poole 21 yrs b1890, Charles William b1892, William Walter b1896, Ida b1898, Horace b1900, Thomas b1902, Dorothy b1905 and Ernest b1908. In the 1911 census the family are living at 2 Powis Street, Bulwell and are shown as William Walter 43 yrs head of the family a coal miner, he is living with his wife Ann 43 yrs and their children Maria 21 yrs, Charles William 19 yrs a coal miner, William Walter 15 yrs, Ida 13 yrs, Horace 11 yrs, Thomas 9 yrs, Dorothy 6 yrs and Ernest 3 yrs.
Private William Walter Poole enlisted in Nottingham and served with the 3rd battalion Grenadier Guards. He landed in France on 5th October 1915 joining the British Expeditionary Force. He was wounded in action and evacuated home but died in St Bartholomew Hospital, London, on 8th January 1916 aged 20. His body was returned to Nottingham and he was buried in the Northern Cemetery, Bulwell, on 13 January.
Inscription on gravestone Northern Cemetery, Bulwell, Nottingham: 'In loving memory of William Walter Poole of the 3rd Grenadier Guards the beloved son of William Walter and the late Anne Poole who was wounded in France and died at S. Bartholomew Hospital, London, Jan 8th 1916, aged 20 years. Duty nobly done. In loving memory of Ann the beloved wife of William Walter Poole who died Sept. 19th 1913 aged 45 years. A loving wife and mother, Also William Walter Poole who died May 24th 1940 aged 72 years. Reunited. Maria Poole their daughter died 15.9.70 aged 80. Life’s work well done. Dorothy Byron died 12th Feb 1994 aged 89. Reunited.' Article from the Nottingham Evening Post dated 13th January 1916 reads :- “DIED OF WOUNDS. “FUNERAL OF A BULWELL SOLDIER. “There was no military display about the funeral in the Bulwell Cemetery, this afternoon [13th January 1916], of Private Wm. Walter Poole, of Musters-street, Bulwell, who died on January 8th from wounds, but nevertheless a very large crowd of people assembled to pay a last respect to the departed hero. Both the line of route and the graveside itself were thronged with spectators.” Above article is courtesy Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
