Fred H. Higgs

Fred was the son of George and Jane Higgs (née Glanfield). His father George Higgs was born in about 1849 in Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, and his mother Jane Glanfield in Fareham, Hampshire, also in 1849. They were married at Arnold St Mary, Nottingham, on 10 April 1875. According to information provided by Jane on the 1911 Census, she and George had 13 children of whom seven had died. Six children were recorded on the census between 1881 and 1911, one of whom (Harry) died young, and the registrations of birth have been traced of five children who died in infancy. The six named on the census were: Lottie/Lotte b. Arnold birth registered 1875 (J/F/M) bap. Arnold St Mary 10 September 1875; Harry b. Arnold b. 1881 (J/F/M) bap. St Mary 13 March 1881 d. 1883 (J/A/S); May b. Arnold 1885 bap. Nottingham St Paul 14 December 1892; Annie b. Nottingham 4 November 1886 bap. St Paul 14 December 1892; Fred b. Nottingham 1891 bap. St Paul 14 December 1892 and Florrie b. Nottingham 4 June 1893 bap. St Paul 1 November 1893. The five children who died in infancy or childhood were: Thomas b. 1877 (A/M/J) bap. Arnold St Mary 23 July 1877 d. 1877 (J/A/S); Thomas b. 1878 d. 1878; William b. 1879 d. 1880; Frank b. 1883 d. 1883 and Bob b. 1888 (J/F/M) d. 1888. In 1875 when Lottie was baptised, George and Jane were living on High Street, Arnold, Nottingham, and were still living there when Thomas was baptised in 1877. They had moved to Mann's Yard, Arnold, by 1881: George, a road labourer, and Jane, a seamstress, and their two children, Lottie (5) and Harry (2m) together with Annie Hardy (14), a nurse girl (domestic). By 1891 the family had moved to 12 Platt Street, Nottingham, and George and Jane had four children; Lottie a frame seamer, May (5), Annie (4) and Fred (under 1 year). Also in the household were three lodgers. George, a labourer at a gas works, and Jane had moved to 50 Woolpack Lane, Nottingham by 1901. In the home on the night of the census were May and Annie, both hosiery cleaners, Fred and their youngest child Florrie. They also had four lodgers. Their eldest surviving child, Lottie, was married and living at 41 Woolpack Lane. George committed suicide in 1907 (see 'Extra information') and in 1911 his widow was running a 'small sweet shop' from 50 Woolpack Lane. Only May a 'turner off', Fred a labourer and Florrie a pattern girl were still living at home. Her two other daughters, Lottie and Annie, were married. According to notices of Fred's death in the local paper in 1916, his mother was living on Barker Gate, Nottingham, and he was engaged, probably to a girl named Sarah. His mother Jane Higgs died in January 1927. Of Fred's four sisters: Lottie married a widower, John Thomas Green, in 1899. John had married Lucy Ball in 1887 by whom he had three children, Arthur (b. 1888), Gertrude (b. 1890) and John Thomas and they also adopted a child, Albert Ball, presumably one of Lucy's relatives. Lucy died in 1898 and John then married Lottie. He and Lottie had at least one child, Elsie May (b. 1900). In 1901 they were living at 41 Woolpack Lane with his three children and their daughter. They were still living at the same address in 1911 but had moved to 57 Barker Gate, Nottingham, by 1916. Lottie died on 5 April 1935; she was then living at 45 Barker Gate. Her husband survived her. May married a widower, George Beesley Salmon, in 1921. George had married Mary Amelia Lee on 3 January 1889; she died on 18 November 1918. May and George lived on Kibworth Close, Basford, where he died on 13 August 1933. May, a hosiery turner-off, was still living at the same address in 1939 when the England & Wales register was compiled. She died in 1968. Annie married Frederick James Brunton (b. 5 December 1886) in 1906. He probably served in the war with the Northumberland Fusiliers (291594) and then the Labour Corps (547866). In 1939 Frederick, a railway clerk, and Annie were living on Sunrise Avenue, Nottingham, with their daughter Winifred (b. 18 July 1912) who was incapacitated. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Annie died in 1972; her husband predeceased her. Florrie married Horace F Bide (b. 17 October 1890) in 1918. In 1939 Florrie and Horace, a railway foreman (or fireman), were living in Walesby, Nottinghamshire, with their daughter Joy (b. 2 September 1929). The records of three other members of the household remain closed. Florrie died in 1969.

He was a labourer in 1911

Enlisted Nottingham

1/7th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers Fred died of wounds at No. 45 Casualty Clearing Station on 16 September 1916. He is buried in Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France (grave. ref. II.C.I). He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension (extract): 'Field ambulances used the Communal Cemetery for Commonwealth burials from September 1915 to August 1916, and again during the German advance of March 1918. It contains 127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The XV Corps Main Dressing Station was formed at Dernancourt in July 1916, when the adjoining Extension was opened. The 45th and 56th (1st/1st South Midland) Casualty Clearing Stations came in September 1916 and remained until March 1917 ... At the Armistice, the Extension contained more than 1,700 burials; it was then enlarged when graves were brought in from isolated positions in the immediate neighbourhood and certain small cemeteries [listed].'

Nottingham Evening Post, 13 May 1907: ‘ Tragedy of Drink. The Suicide in the Arboretum. The Nottingham City Coroner held a number of inquests at the Hyson Green police-station this evening. The first case was that of George Higgs, 60, of 50, Woolpack-lane, a Corporation labourer, who, it will be remembered was found hanging in an outhouse in the Arboretum on Saturday. [NEP 11 May 1907] The widow, Jane Higgs, said that deceased left his work on Monday last, and since then had been in almost a continual state of intoxication. In fact, he was so bad that he ‘seemed almost as if he was mad.’ He was so violent that witness had to leave him. Fred Pemment, who works regularly in the Arboretum, said he had visited the lavatory near the refreshment rooms on Saturday morning. He could not open the door, as the latch seemed to be fastened from the inside. A crowbar was requisitioned, and on entering the place he found the body of deceased hanging by a cord from the latch, and leaning forward on the knees. Above his head, on the woodwork of the door, the word ‘Higgs’ was scrawled in chalk. Witness had seen and accosted deceased earlier in the morning. He seemed depressed, and said that he did not feel very well.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 29 September 1916: ‘Higgs. Died of wounds, September 16th, Private Fred Higgs, Northumberland Fusiliers, beloved and only son of Jane and the late George Higgs, (-) Barker-gate. Not dead to those who love him from his sorrowing mother and sisters.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 29 September 1916: ‘Higgs. Died of wounds, September 16th, Private Fred Higgs, Northumberland Fusiliers, loving brother of Mrs Green, 57, Barker-gate. Ever will his memory fade. Lottie, Tom and family.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 29 September 1916: ‘Higgs. Died of wounds, September 26th Private Fred Higgs, Northumberland Fusiliers. Too greatly loved to be forgotten. Fiancée’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) 'In Memoriam' notices were placed in the Nottingham Evening Post on 17 September 1917 by (1) mother, sisters, brothers-in-law (Fred in France) [Frederick Brunton] (2) sister and brother, Thomas, Lottie, and niece Elsie (3) Sarah [probably fiancee] Registers of Soldiers' Effects: His mother Jane Higgs was his sole legatee.