Rugeley - Early days

Through this blog I am endeavouring to bring to life what was happening to my ancestors 100 years ago to the day, there will inevitably be some events which research only reveals after that milestone has passed. So this would seem an ideal time to mention three other ancestors and their Great War experiences in 1914.

Frederick Williscroft was the husband of Mary Hollins my 2nd cousin twice removed. He had enlisted with the 6th North Staffordshire Regiment on the 30th July 1914. At 5ft 8 ½ inches and 35 years 10 months old, Frederick was employed as a tanner working in the same Tanyard, Stokes and Negus Phoenix Tannery, as his father in law William Hollins. William Hollins and his family lived at 64 Queen Street, Rugeley. 

Frederick Williscroft

Frederick was discharged from the army on September 28th 1914 due to being medically unfit.

Frederick’s wife’s first cousin, Horace Wilson was born in 1897 in Rugeley and was the son of Shem and Elizabeth Wilson. Shem was the adopted son of my great, great grand uncle William Hollins and step brother to Mary’s father William Hollins. Horace was the fourth eldest of eight children (4 brothers and 3 sisters)

Horace lived at 60 Queen Street, Rugeley and enlisted with the Grenadier Guards on the 1st December 1914. He was 19 years and 3 months old, 5ft 10 inches, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

Horace was discharged from the army on the 12th December 1914 on the grounds of being inefficient.

William Hollins other daughter Harriet Hollins married James Fisher, a coal miner from 40 Brereton Rd, Rugeley between Jan-March 1914. Harriet was 33 and James 26 was the oldest son of James and Mary Anne Fisher (nee Glaze). Their son James was born between September and December 1914.

James’ younger brother Albert Fisher, also a coal miner before the War, had been discharged from the 1/6th North Staffordshire Regiment on the 18th January 1915

Wimbledon Home Front

Between January and March 1915, Edwin Maurice Bush (my first cousin, 3 times removed) married Rosetta Turner in Wimbledon, Surrey.

Edwin, aged 21, was born in Wimbledon on the 22^nd November 1893 the son of Edwin Ernest and Ada Bush (nee Searle). His father, Edwin Snr. was a bricklayer by trade and Ada his mother had passed away in 1910. 

He was the oldest of six brothers Alfred, Frederick, Arthur, Albert and George. He also had two brothers who had died as infants (Horace and John). 

In 1911 the family were living at 41a Cowper Road, Wimbledon. Frederick was away at an Industrial School for Boys in Isleworth, Middlesex and Edwin who was working as an errand boy was lodging at No. 49 Cowper Road, Wimbledon with the Turner family, just a minute’s walk away.

His wife Rosetta Ada Phyllis Janet Turner, was aged 17, born on the 25^th November 1897 also in Wimbledon and was the daughter of William and Emily Turner. Rosetta had two brothers (Phillip and Martin) and three sisters (Frances, Edith and Alice). Her father had passed away in 1909 and her mother died in 1912 when she was aged just 14.