Joseph Frank Pashley

Joseph Frank was the eldest son of John and Catherine (also Kate) Pashley (née Burgess). His father John was born in Nottingham in 1863 and his mother Catherine in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 1862 the daughter of Amos and Catherine Burgess. John and Catherine were married at Nottingham St Ann in August 1881 and had four children, one of whom died in infancy. Their surviving children were born in St Ann's, Nottingham, and baptised at St Ann's church: Joseph Frank b. 18 January 1886 bap. 22 February 1886, Mary b. 1888 and James b.1892. Joseph has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census, but in 1901 at the age of 16 he was recorded living on Alfreton Road, Nottingham, with Henry Brearley (49), a pork butcher (own account), and his wife Emma (47) and described as their adopted son. Joseph's parents were living at 7 Dickinson Street, Nottingham, when he and his sister were born, but by 1891 his father, a brewer, and mother, a dressmaker, were living on Livingstone Street, Nottingham with their daughter Mary (3) and Catherine's sister, Florry Burgess (13 b. Bulwell). John and Catherine and their children Mary and James (9) had moved to Lotus Street, St Ann's, by 1901. He was still working as a brewer although he later had the tenancies of public houses. Joseph married Rhoda Bloye in Nottingham in 1907. Rhoda was born in Norfolk in 1887 and in 1901 was living at Castle Acre, Norfolk, with her parents George and Eliza. Neither Joseph nor Rhoda have yet been traced on the 1911 Census. There were no children of the marriage. His parents, both publicans, were at the Sir John Warren, 4 Old Street, Nottingham, when the 1911 Census was taken. Also in the household were their married son James, a grocer's assistant, his wife Elizabeth (née Scothern b. Ilkeston 1890 m. 1910), a cotton spinner, their daughter Nora Elizabeth (b. 1911)) together with Elizabeth's sister Alice (16) a cotton spinner and a female servant. However, according to a report in the local paper, in March of that year the licence of the public house had not been renewed. (See 'Extra information') Their daughter Mary had married William Edwin Atkin in 1909 and in 1911 she and William, a shopkeeper (tobacconist), and their only child were living on St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham. At the time of Joseph's death in 1915 his father was the tenant of the Tiger's Inn, Red Lion Street, Nottingham, but lost the tenancy later that year when the licence was not renewed (see 'Extra information'). His father died in February 1923. His mother was later housed by the Plumtree charity and in 1939 was living at the Plumptre Hospital, Nottingham. She died in June 1940. Joseph's widow was living at the Seven Kings, London, when she placed an 'In Memoriam' notice in a Nottingham paper in 1916. The later CWGC record gave her address as 68 Francis Avenue, Ilford, Essex. She married Henry Clark in 1932 and in 1939 they were living in Redbridge Ilford. Rhoda died in 1958.

Enlisted Nottingham

No 4 Coy, 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards. The 2nd Bn was in Chelsea Barracks in 1914 but drafted to the BEF France, landing at Le Havre on 13 August 1914. It was part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade, 2nd Division, but the battalion transferred to the Guards Divison (1st Guards Brigade) on 20 August 1915. Joseph was killed in action in the area of Neuve Chappelle on 17 March 1915. He was buried in the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, France (grave ref l.D.13). CWGC - History of The Guards Cemetery (extract): 'Cuinchy is a village about 7 kms east of the town of Bethune. A little west of the crossroads known to the army as 'Windy Corner' was a house used as a battalion headquarters and dressing station. The cemetery grew up beside this house ... The original cemetery is now Plots I and II and Rows A to S of Plot III. It was begun by the 2nd Division in January 1915, and used extensively by the 4th (Guards) Brigade in and after February. It was closed at the end of May 1916, when it contained 681 graves. After the Armistice it was increased when more than 2,700 graves were brought in from the neighbouring battlefields - in particular the battlefields of Neuve-Chapelle, Aubers Ridge and Festubert - and from certain smaller cemeteries, including [listed].' (www.cwgc.org)

CWGC: ' Son of John and Catherine Pashley, of Nottingham; husband of Rhoda Pashley, of 68, Francis Avenue, Ilford, Essex.' Nottingham Evening Post, 13 March 1911: ‘Applications Before The Nottingham Justices. Five Houses To Be Closed. At the adjourned Licensing Sessions for Nottingham this afternoon several applications were made to extinguish certain licences on the grounds of redundancy … also objected to the renewal of the Sir John Warren, Old-street, owned by Mr GS Green, Sherwood-street and tenanted by John Pashley, on the ground of redundancy. There were 13 other houses within a radius of 200 years. The rooms were extremely low, being only eight feet in height, while the sanitary arrangements were of a very poor character … the licence had been transferred three times since 1903. The house was not required, and was doing a very small trade.’ Five licences, including the Sir John Warren, were not renewed but referred for compensation. (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, 16 June 1915: ‘Licences Wiped Out. Five Nottingham Houses Dealt With. There were five licences for consideration at the meeting of the Nottingham Compensation Authority, held at the Guildhall this afternoon … The houses concerned were the Tiger’s Head, Red Lion-street, alehouse, tenant John Pashley ... In all the cases the objection was on the ground of redundancy, Mr TF Walker calling evidence showing that the licenses were not required … The renewal of the whole of the licences were refused.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.oc.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 31 March 1915: 'Pashley. Killed in action France, March 17th, Joseph Frank, eldest son of Mr and Mrs John Pashley, Tiger's Head Inn, Red Lion Street, aged 29 years' Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’ Friday 17 March 1916: ‘Pashley. In loving memory of my dear husband, Joseph Frank, killed at Neuve Chapelle, March 17th, 1915. Greatly mourned and sadly missed by his loving wife, Rhoda, Seven Kings, London.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’ Friday 17 March 1916: ‘Pashley. In loving memory of Joseph Frank, who was killed at Neuve Chapelle, March 17th, 1915.From his loving mother, father, brother and sister.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) The family also placed an ‘In Memoriam’ notice in the Nottingham Evening Post the following year Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his widow Rhoda was his sole legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Cards: widow Rhoda Pashley, residence Ilford Essex.