George Alvey

George was the son of Isaac and Mary Eliza Alvey (née Smith). His father Isaac Alvey was born in Blackwell, Derbyshire, on 3 February 1874. His mother Mary Eliza Smith was born on 12 September 1877 in Woodville, Leicestershire, and baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Woodville, on 13 October the same year. Isaac and Mary were married at Mansfield Register Office in 1893 and had had nine children by 1911 of whom seven had survived infancy or childhood: Lily b. Blackwell 1894; Mary Elizabeth b. Blackwell 1895; George James b. Blackwell 1897; Isaac b. Albert Village, Whitworth, Leics. 1900 (reg. J/F/M Ashby de la Zouch); Robert Arthur b. Shirebrook 20 August 1904; Dorothy b. Shirebrook 1 November 1908 and Eva Phoebe (Phoebe) b. Shirebrook 1911 (reg. J/F/M). Isaac and Mary probably had at least two more children whose names appear on the 1939 England & Wales Register: Walter b. 2 October 1913 and Frank b. 8 January 1920 (both birth registrations give the mother's maiden name as Smith). The births of the older children show that the family was living in the Blackwell area until at least 1897 but in 1900 their fourth child was born in Leicestershire. In 1901 Isaac (28), a coal miner, and Mary (26) were recorded in Albert Village, Ashby Wolds, Leicestershire, with their four children, Lily (6), Mary (5), George (3) and Isaac (1). However, by 1904 Isaac and Mary had returned to Shirebrook and in 1911 were recorded at 82 Victoria Street with their seven children, Lily a domestic servant, Mary Elizabeth 'at home', George an errand boy, Isaac, Robert (7), Dorothy (2) and Phoebe (under 1 year). Isaac jnr. died in April 1917 from injuries received in a pit accident. A report of the inquest gave his address as 8 Longdon Terrace, Stanton Hill, which was probably the family home. (See 'Extra information') Isaac and Mary were living at 8 Longden Terrace, Skegby, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled; Isaac was a retired colliery deputy. Also in the home was his wife Mary and their sons Walter a hewer (colliery) and Frank a roadman underground (colliery). Mary Eliza died in 1947 and Isaac in 1953.

Attended Brunts School, Mansfield.

Residence Mansfield (probably Stanton Hill), enlisted Leicester.

24th Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Formerly 13886 Lincolnshire Regiment and G5/57511 Lancashire Regiment. George was killed in action on 1 November 1918. He is buried in Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-au-Bois, France (grave ref. III. D. 4/6). CWGC - History of Cross Roads Cemetery (extract): 'Cross Roads Cemetery was begun in the first week of November, 1918, by the 1/1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance; and at the Armistice it contained the graves of 61 soldiers from the United Kingdom (now Row A and part of Row B, Plot I). It was then enlarged by the concentration of graves from the battlefields between the Escaut and the Sambre, and from certain other cemeteries [listed].' (www.cwgc.org)

His younger brother, Isaac, a pony driver, died following a pit accident at Sutton Colliery in April 1917. Mansfield Reporter, 27 April 1917: ‘An Unforseen Fatality. Stanton Hill Lad Crushed at Sutton Colliery. An unexpected fall of roof caused by a slip resulted in the death, on Monday, of Isaac Alvey, aged 17, living at 8, Longdon-terrace, Stanton Hill, and employed as a pony driver at the Sutton Colliery, whose left thigh was broken, and from the effects of which the lad died at the Mansfield Hospital the same day. The inquest was held at Mansfield yesterday by Mr D Whittingham (District Coroner) … The father, who is a deputy at the colliery, said his son had been a pony driver there for two years. He was taken home at 7am and attended by Dr Crawford, who ordered his removal to the Mansfield Hospital. His son did not say how he got injured, and witness did not care to ask him. The house surgeon at the hospital said deceased was admitted to the hospital at 8.40am suffering from a compound fracture of the left thigh, and other injuries to the leg. He died about two hours afterwards from shock … (Witness) .. ‘deceased was taking stuff out of the stall. They were heading, when a lump, weighing about 15cwt. Came down in one piece and knocked the deceased down. The roof was regarded as hard and good … one shot had been fired that morning a few yards away, and the stuff came down 15 to 20 minutes after the shot firing. The fall came suddenly without any noise or sign and afterwards witness found a slip running across the head. (Witness) After the shot was fired he tried the roof with his pick and it sounded good … (Witness) Six shots had been fired during the night in the locality of the heading, and another at about 5 o’clock … The jury returned a verdict of ‘Accidental death.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Isaac was his sole legatee.