Charles Edwin Barker

Charles Edwin was the son of Ebenezer and Ruth Hannah Barker (née Parkin). His father Ebenezer was born in Newhall, Leicestershire, on 5 January 1867, the son of David and Alice Barker. However, his family was living in Greasley, Nottinghamshire, by 1881 when Ebenezer and his father were both agricultural labourers. His mother Ruth Hannah (also Anna) Parkin was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, on 8 August 1869. They were married in 1888 (J/A/S Basford) and had eleven children of whom nine survived infancy or childhood. Their eldest child William was born in Langley, Derbyshire, but their other children were born in Eastwood: William Henry b. 23 June 1889 bap. Greasley St Mary 6 April 1890; John Thomas b. 28 April 1891 bap. St Mary 2 February 1896; Charles Edwin b. 6 September 1892 bap. St Mary 5 January 1896; Charlotte Alice b. 25 October 1895 bap. St Mary 5 January 1896; Lily Mary b. 1897; Mabel Ethel b. 8 March 1899 bap. St Mary 6 August 1899; Ivy Sarah Ann b. 1901; Hilda May b. 1904 and Ruth Frances Queenie b. 1909. The dates of birth are from the baptismal records and all the births were registered in the Basford registration district in the corresponding years. Ebenezer and his family were living in Lynncroft, Greasley, when William was baptised in 1889 and were then recorded at Nottingham Road, Lynncroft, on the 1891 Census. Also in the household with Ebenezer, a stone bottle maker, his wife and their son William (1) were Ebenezer's parents David, a coal miner, and Alice, and their sons Charles, a stone bottle maker, and George, a coal miner. Ebenezer and Ruth were still living in Lynn Croft in 1901. They now had six children: William, John (9), Charles (8), Charlotte (5), Lily (3) and Mabel (2). Ebenezer and Ruth had moved to Church Street, Waingrove, Codnor, Derbyshire by 1911. All nine surviving children were in the home on the night of the census: William a stone bottle maker, John and Charles who were miner/labourers, Charlotte, Lily, Mabel, Ivy (10), Hilda (6) and Ruth (1). The CWGC record gives his parents address as Butterley Hill, Ripley, and in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled Ebenezer and Ruth were recorded living at 68 Butterley Hill. Ebenezer's occupation was given as retired stone bottle maker. They were still at the same address at the time of their deaths in 1948 - Ebenezer on 29 March and Ruth on 2 October. Both made a Will and probate was awarded to their son John Thomas and two of their sons-in-law (see 'Extra information'). Charles' brother, John Thomas, a coal miner, attested in the Notts & Derby Regiment in December 1911 on a short service engagement (7 yaers with the Colours, 5 years in the Army Reserve). He was living with his parents in Waingrove, Derbyshire, and named them as his next of kin together with his brother Charles who was listed as serving in the Sherwood Foresters. John was discharged from the army on 12 February 1912 as 'unlikely to become an efficient soldier.' He attested again in the Notts and Derby Regiment on 16 January 1914, this time on a Territorial Force four year engagement. He transferred to embodied service on 5 August 1914 (1999 Private, 5th Bn Sherwood Foresters) but was discharged on 28 September 1914 as medically unfit for further service.

1911 census - miner

Ripley Derbyshire

Served as Charles Edward Barker. He enlisted at Derby and served with 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters. His brother John Thomas attested in the Notts and Derby Regiment in December 1911 and he named Charles Edward (sic) 'serving in the Sherwood Foresters' as one of his next of kin. Charles was probably an army reservist as he went with the battalion to France on 4 November 1914. The battalion was holding trenches or actually breastworks as the water table only allowed digging around 12 inches down. Therefore thousands of sandbags formed the trench system. The battalion faced Neuve Chapelle and carried out tours of duty on a regular basis. The month of February was seen as quiet but 'trench wastage' (the term used for casualties in trench holding) was still high. Charles was killed on 25 February 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France (Panel 26 to 27). CWGC - Le Touret Memorial (extract): The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave ... Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915) [others listed].' John Morse

Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his mother Ruth Hannah Barker was his sole legatee and he had drawn up a Will in her favour. WW1 Pension Ledgers index card: names his mother, Ruth Hannah Barker, residence Derby Probate: Barker Ebenezer of 68 Butterley-hill Ripley Derbyshire died 29 March 1948 Probate London 11 May to John Thomas Barker [son] window cleaner Frank McClelland [husband of daughter Hilda Mary] engine driver and Sidney Butler [husband of daughter Ivy Sarah Ann] fitter. Effects £280 15s. 8d. Probate: Barker Ruth Hannah of 68 Butterley-hill Ripley Derbyshire widow died 2 October 1948 at 16 Thyra-grove, Beeston Nottinghamshire Probate London 24 November to John Thomas Barker window cleaner Frank McClelland engine driver and Sidney Butler fitter. Effects £1261 5s. 4d.