Leslie Francis Twidale was born in 1899 at Kelham and was the youngest son of the late George a farmer and Emma Jane Twidale née Herrod of Home farm, Westhorpe , Southwell.
His father George was born in 1848 at Ashby Grove, Lincolnshire, he died on 21st March 1907 at Southwell he was 59 yrs old and his mother Emma Jane Herrod was born in 1856 at Farndon, They were married on 22nd December 1874 at Thorpe, Southwell, they went on to have 17 children, sadly two died in infancy or early childhood, their children were, Margaret b1887 Farndon, George b1881 Thorpe Lodge, Lincs, Herbert b1880 Harmston, Henry b1883 Harmston, Matthew Harold b1886 Harmston, Sleightholme b1887 Harmston, Ethel Annie b1888 Harmston, Amelia Hannah b1889 Harmston, Kate Mabel B1891 Kelham, Annie Maria b1892 Kelham, Fanny Edith b1893 Kelham, Hannah Herrod b1895, David b1897 Kelham and Leslie Francis b1899 Kelham.
In the 1911 census the family are living at Home Farm, Westhorpe Southwell and are shown as Emma Jane 54 yrs a widow and farmer she is living with her children, Margaret 34 yrs a dairy worker, George 30 yrs a farm labourer, Henry 28 yrs a farm labourer, Matthew Harold 25 yrs a farm labourer, Fanny Edith 18 yrs, David 14 yrs a scholar, and Leslie Francis 12 yrs a scholar.