Charles Mellor

Charles was born in 1879 in Nottingham and was the son of Charles, a slater, and Harriet Alcock Mellor. His father Charles was born in 1846 in Corby, Lincolnshire, his mother Harriett Alcock Holland was born in Nottingham in 1848, they were married in 1871 in Nottingham and they had the following children Fred b1878, Annie b1877, Charles b1879, Clara b1886 and John Phillip b1890. He married his wife Emma Elizabeth Morgan (born 25th August 1878) at the Nottingham Register Office on 16th March 1901, they had the following children all of whom were born in Nottingham: Albert born 31st January 1903, Emma Elizabeth born 5 April 1906, Annie born 28th December 1909 (died 11th April 1915 of burns), Gertrude b1911, Joseph born 12th August 1912, Edith Lilian born 11th June 1914 (died 13th January 1915 of pneumonia), Frederick Samuel born 15th January 1916 died 1918 and Ivy born 20th July 1917 died 1918 ) Mellor. In the 1901 census the recently married Charles and his wife Emma Elizabeth are living with his in-laws William and Ann Morgan at 11 Norland Road, Nottingham. In 1911 they lived at 47 Caroline Street Peas Hill Road, and are shown as Charles 32 yrs a slater's labourer; he is living with his wife Emma Elizabeth 32 yrs and their children Albert 9 yrs, Emma Elizabeth 5 yrs and Annie 15 months The family were living at 1 Hartwell Terrace Hartwell Street Alfred Street Central St Ann's Nottingham at the time of Charles death.

In 1911 he was a slater's labourer.

Private Charles Mellor attested on 10th December 1914, standing 5' 4" and weighing 118lbs, he was 36 yrs 7 months old, he was a slater, he lived at 47 Caroline Terrace, Peas Hill Road, Nottingham, his next of kin was his wife Emma Elizabeth of the same address. He served with the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) 13th battalion but was transferred to the (6/4644) 12th Bn. Training Reserve. He was admitted to Rugeley Military Hospital, Cannock Chase, on 15th February 1917 suffering from broncho-pneumonia from which he died on 1st March 1917. He is buried in Nottingham General Cemetery, where he is commemorated on the Screen Wall.

Emma Elizabeth Mellor received a weekly pension of 31/3d on 3rd September 1917 for herself and five dependent children. An article which was published in the Nottingham Daily Express dated 13th April 1915 :- An inquest into the death of a five year-old child, the daughter of a Sherwood Forester, was reported on 13th April 1915. “BURNING TRAGEDY. “Another Inquest on a Soldier's Child in Nottingham. “The death of a Nottingham soldier's child, Annie Mellor, aged five, was the subject of an inquest at the Nottingham General Hospital yesterday. [12th April 1915] “Emma Elizabeth Mellor, the mother, who lives at 47, Caroline-street, said that her husband was a private in the Sherwood Foresters. On Friday morning [9th April 1915] the deceased and another child, aged three, were playing in front of the kitchen fire. The deceased was wearing a flannette nightdress, and there was no guard before the fire. Witness went upstairs, and just as she got to the top she heard screams. Rushing down again, she found Annie in flames, her nightdress having caught fire. The witness explained that “the boy” smashed the fireguard. “We have got one now it's too late,” she added. “Have you had visits paid to your house by the inspector of the Children's Protection Society, asked the City Coroner (Mr. C. L. Rothera); and the mother replied: “Yes, twice.” She added that “her children were always well looked after.” She admitted that one of the visits had been paid since her husband enlisted in December. “Dr. Crooks, house surgeon at the hospital, said that the whole of the child's body with the exception of her head and right arm was badly burned. Her death, which took place on Sunday, [11th April 1915] was due to shock following burns. “A verdict having been returned in accordance with the medical testimony, the coroner remarked that this was about the fifth inquest that had been held on soldiers' children.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.