My Great x3 Half Uncle George (1876 - 1952) was a Corporal in the army, a railway porter and guard, and a young half brother of my Great Great Grandmother Emma Wright (nee Bennett) (1871 - 1944).
George was born on 21st September 1876, in Exeter, Devon, to James Clapperton (about 40), a Scottish veteran of the Crimean War and a draper's porter, and Sarah Ann Clapperton (formerly Bennett, nee Andrews) (about 32), a housewife.
I cannot find a record of marriage between Sarah Ann and James Clapperton, though they would live for years as husband and wife.
George had two old half siblings from his mother's first marriage to railway labourer James Bennett, who died after an accident at work:
- William 1868 - 1942 (73 years old)
- Emma 1871 - 1944 (73 years old)
George was the second of eight full siblings (four boys, four girls):
1881 Census:
In August and September, George's older brother James, aged eleven, was twice arrested - first for stealing sweets, then for stealing prawns. He was sentenced to three weeks in prison; then sent to an Industrial/Reformatory School for five years.
Sometime between 1885 and 1888, the family moved from Little Clifton Street to New Cheeke Street.
As a boy, George had a favourite cat - belonging to a neighbour, William Millman.
On 31st March 1888, George saw the cat go in the direction of another neighbour, Frederick Denham's house. When he next saw the cat, it was "laying on his doorstep with its head smashed in".
Young George went to Mr Denham's house and on stating his suspicions that he killed the cat, "received a volley of abuse" from Denham's wife. Mr Millman then went to his neighbour's house to threaten him. Denham then took Millman to court for using "abusive and obscene language" towards him: Millman had threatened to "knock his brains out". Denham claimed he knew nothing about the cat.
From the Western Times of 5th April 1888:
The loss of his favourite cat must have been hard for the young boy. Sadly, within less than a fortnight, he suffered a greater loss.
On the evening of 11th April 1888, George's younger sister Ada was tragically killed - knocked down by a tram.
Ada was only a toddler, out of her mother's sight for barely a minute, while she fetched water from the house next door, and watched over by George, aged only eleven. In a passing moment a younger brother, Walter, aged eight, left the front door open, going out to play with friends. Little Ada wandered out, just when the older brother wasn't looking, and just when a tram came pass. The tram-driver braked suddenly, but too late. George, oh how racked with guilt and shock and sadness he must have been, when he then ran to his mother to tell her.
From the Western Times on 17th April 1888:
1891 Census:
As a teenager, George worked as an errand boy; then as a labourer, employed by Mr Hatcher of Exeter. He also served with the Devon and Somerset Volunteer Engineers.
On 15th March 1895, George (3055), aged eighteen, joined the Fourth Battalion Devonshire Regiment as a private.
George's Army Service Record gives a physical description of him as a young man: George had fresh skin, blue-grey eyes, fair hair, and was 5' 4 1/2'' in 1895 and had grown to 5' 5 1/2 by 1896. His fair colouring was very much like his father.
On 11th March 1896, George (4705), aged nineteen, transferred from the Fourth Battalion to the Devonshire Regiment as a private. George served in the East Indies from 28th February 1898 to 20th September 1899, and in South Africa from 21st September 1899 to 21st May 1903. He re-engaged for service on 11th march 1908, for four years, until 10th March 1912.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 29th May 1900, and to Corporal on 13th March 1902.
In Jan/Feb 1898, George (21), a soldier, married Minnie Jane Elizabeth Algar (23), a domestic servant from Barnstaple, in Exeter
George and Minnie didn't have any children.
George's parents' relationship fell apart around 1898. They had been living apart for fifteen months, when James was charged with assaulting Sarah in 1899. By then, Sarah was living with her future husband, stone mason William Luscombe.
At the time of the 1901 Census, George would have been serving in South Africa with the army. Minnie was living and working as a domestic servant for the Gay family, headed by Butcher William Gay, back in her native Barnstaple. When George returns, the couple appear to settle in Barnstaple.
On 18th January 1907, when George was thirty, his father, James. passed away, aged seventy-one, in Exeter. His death was reported in the Western Times on 23rd January 1907:
His funeral took place on 24th January 1907 at Exeter's Higher Cemetery. Owing to his military service, his funeral was highly attended and reported in the Western Times on 25th January 1907:
1911 Census:
Interestingly, George and Minnie have a live-in servant, which is quite unusual for my working class family.
In 1913, when George was thirty-six, his younger brother Walter passed away. In the Royal Marines for thirteen years, Walter had served on many ships, before being invalided out on 16th November 1911. Eighteen months later, he passed away, aged thirty-two, in April 1913.
At the time of his death, Walter was living with George and Minnie at 3 Summerland Street, Barnstaple.
His death was reported in the Western Times on 8th April 1913:
1921 Census:
George and Minnie lived at 3 Summer Street from before 1911 to 1927.
The Electoral Register shows at various times one to five other people living at that address - possibly lodgers and/or servants - with George and Minnie during the 1910s and 1920s.
In 1928, George and Minnie moved to 1 Gordon Villas, also in Barnstaple.
In the 1930s, George and Minnie moved from Minnie's native Barnstaple back to George's native Exeter.
1939 Census:
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1952, George passed away, aged seventy-five, in Exeter.
In Sep/Oct/Nov 1956, Minnie passed away, aged eighty-two, in Exeter.
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