Jack Hyde

Jack was the son of John and Mary Hyde (née James). His father John Hyde was born in Hitchen, Hertfordshire, in about 1852 and his mother Mary James in Penzance, Cornwall, in about 1853. They were married at Arnold St Mary in October 1875 and had twelve children of whom only seven survived infancy or childhood: John birth registered 1876 (J/F/M) d. 1878; James b. Arnold 1877 bap. Arnold St Mary 1880; Emma b. Arnold 1879 bap. St Mary 1880 d. 1881; Sarah Ann b. Hucknall birth registered 1883 (J/F/M) bap. Hucknall St Mary Magdalene 1883; William b. Hucknall 1884 bap. St Mary Magdalene 1885; Mary Jane b. Hucknall 1887 bap. St Mary Magdalene 1888 d. 1888; Edward b. Hucknall 1889; Alice b. Hucknall 1891 bap. Hucknall St John the Evangelist 1892; Alfred b. 1896 d. 1896; Jack b. Bulwell 1897 bap. Bulwell St Mary the Virgin 17 August 1898; George b. 1900 d. 1908 and Hilda b. Bulwell 1902. In 1881 John (28) a railway plate layer, and Mary (23) a seamstress, were living in Newton's Yard, Arnold, with their two children James and Emma. Their first child, John, born in 1876, had died two years later. Emma died toward the end of 1881. Another daughter, Mary Jane, was born in 1887 but died the following year. John and Mary were living on Wellington Street, Hucknall by 1891. Of their seven children only four survived: James, Sarah Ann, William and Edward. They had a fifth son, Alfred, in 1896 but he died the same year. Their fourth daughter, Alice, was born in Hucknall toward the end of 1891 and was baptised at the parish church in August 1892; the family was then living at 30 Betts Street, Hucknall. The family had moved to 21 Crown Street Nottingham by 1901. Of John and Mary's eleven children only seven were still living and all were in the home on the night of the census: James a coal miner, Sarah a lace mender, William a potter, Edward, Alice, Jack and George who died in 1908 aged eight. John and Mary were living at 6 Bell Terrace, Portland Street, Daybrook, by 1911. John was now working as a bricklayer's labourer. Only three children were still at home, Edward, who was also a bricklayer's labourer, Jack and Hilda. John and Mary moved again after 1911, this time to 7 Cottage Row, Daybrook, Nottingham. Jack was still living with his parents when he attested in 1914. His brother Edward was also still living at home when he enlisted in the Army (k. 1916). Jack's mother Mary completed a form for the Army in May 1919 listing his surviving blood relatives; she named herself and her husband, both of 7 Cottage Row, and Jack's two brothers and three sisters: Jim [James] (45) Wombwell Barnsley; William (34) Gedling Grove Arnold; Sarah Ann Haigh (37) Wombwell Barnsley; Alice Haigh (27) Wombwell Barnsley and Hilda Hyde (16) 7 Cottage Row Daybrook. John Hyde probably died in 1934 (J/F/M), his wife has not yet been traced after signing for Jack's medals in 1921. Of Jack's surviving siblings: James married a widow, Annie Elizabeth Bateman (née Haigh), at Breedon on Dearne in December 1905. His wife had married John William Bateman, a coal miner, in 1895 (reg. Dewsbury) by whom she had at least four children. John Bateman died in 1905 (reg. Doncaster) aged 33. James and Annie were living on Summer Lane, Wombwell, in 1911 with three of Annie's children James, Polly and Joseph Bateman, all of whom later took the surname Hyde, and their daughter Lilian. According to the census Lilian was the only one of their three children to survive infancy but there is an army record that shows they had a daughter Elizabeth Ann b. 1909 and subsequently Mary b. 1911 and Hilda b. 1914. James attested on 2 December 1914 and served in the 13th Bn York and Lancaster Regiment (1205 Private) and was discharged on 14 March 1916 (served 1y 104d). James and Annie were living on Hall Street, Wombwell, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. He died in 1947 (reg. Staincross Yorkshire). Sarah Ann married Arthur Haigh, a miner, in 1905. In 1911 they were living in Wombwell with their children Sarah Alice and Arthur. Arthur Haigh snr. enlisted in the East Lancashire Regiment (238038 Private) in 1915 and served at home from 10 March 1915 then with the BEF France from 10 April 1916 to 4 November 1918. He was discharged on 22 January 1919 to Almond Street, Wombwell. In 1939 Arthur and Sarah were probably living in Leeds. William, a colliery labourer, probably married Annie Kightley in 1909 (reg. Basford). In 1911 William and Annie were living off Furlong Street, Arnold, with Annie's three daughters Eliza Ann (11), Florence May (9) and Annie Kightley (6). William and Annie were living on Furlong Avenue, Arnold, in 1939; William was unemployed. He probably died in 1949. Alice married Lewis Haigh, a coal miner, in 1906 (reg. Barnsley). In 1911 they were living on Alma Street, Wombwell, with their son George. The couple had returned to Arnold by 1939; Lewis was a coal hewer and Alice a laundry hand. Also in the home was their son Joseph Thomas, a driller for a cycle manufacturer but who was also a member of Arnold Urban District Council's Decontaminator Squad. Alice, now widowed, was living at 7 Cottage Row, Daybrook, her parents' former home, when she died in 1962.

He was employed as a farm worker at Heath Sunrise Farm, Bestwood, Nottingham.

7 Cottage Row, Daybrook, Nottingham. Enlisted Newark.

'A' Company 1/8th Bn Sherwood Foresters. Jack Hyde went to the battalion's headquarters at Newark where he enlisted on 15th August 1914. He was 18 years old and living at 7 Cottage Row, Daybrook, Nottingham. He served on the home front between 15th August 1914 and 1st March 1915 and served in France from 2nd March until his death on 6th April that year (234 days). The battalion served in the area around Kemmel, Ypres salient. The 6th April was a very wet day and there was not much action on the part of the Germans by daylight, but at dusk they became much more active and it was not possible to carry on much work due to the enemy activity. During the night Private Jack Hyde was shot in the head by a German sniper. He had the doubtful distinction of being the first fatality of the battalion in the war. He was buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Belgium (grave ref. E.54). The Brigade chaplain conducted the service in what was then known as Kemmel churchyard or cemetery - 'Kemmel Chateau was north-east of Kemmel village and the cemetery was established on the north side of the chateau grounds in December 1914' (CWGC website) Jack qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

His older brother Edward served in the 9th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (11619 Private) and was killed in Mesopotamia (Iraq) on 5 April 1916. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial. (See record on this Roll of Honour) CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Sleep on beloved, sleep and take thy rest, lay down thy head on thy Saviour's breast' 'History of the 1/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters 1914-1918', Captain WCC Weetman (p49): 'The Boche snipers had the upper hand and could do almost what they liked. Their shooting was extremely accurate, and as the trenches were enfiladed on all sides, and there was in many cases little parados, we soon had casualties, most of which were sentries shot through the head. Our first fatal casualty was Pvte. Hyde of A Company, shot in this way on April 6th.' Nottingham Daily Express 12th May 1915 :- 'Private G. [?] Hyde, of the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters Territorial Force, who has been killed in action in France. Previous to the outbreak of war, Private Hyde was in the employ of Ald. H. Heath, at Sunrise Farm, Bestwood Park, where he was very popular among his fellow workmen. The young soldier was only 18 years of age. His home was at Arnold.' Above courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Jack's personal effects were returned to his father in September 1915. They comprised: holdall containing shaving kit, hairbrush, fork, razor, boot brush, cleaning kit, cigar holder, case containing photo, stamp and cross, pocket book, prayer book, pipe, belt and knife, First Aid book containing post cards and French book, identity disc. Jack had written a service Will in favour of his mother Mary Hyde who was his sole legatee. Retford & Worksop Herald & North Notts Advertiser, 19 March 1918: ‘Sherwood Foresters Who Have Fallen. Captain WL Renwick has forwarded to Newark a list of names of Sherwood Foresters who have made the supreme sacrifice and who lie buried in Kemmel, in Belgium. Amongst those who belong to Retford are: Second-Lieut JR Eddison 21.4.15; Privates E Worthington, H Randall, Albert Hincks, W Johnson, H Husband. W Patterson, H Grant, 14.4.15; A Frary, 12.4.15; J Hyde, 6.4.15, ‘It will,’ he writes, ‘be some little consolation to their loved ones at home to know that their graves are beautifully neat and well cared for, and in each case a cross has been erected. In the summer and autumn when I visited the Cemetery, I found that almost every grave had flowers in bloom.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)