Arthur Mitchell

Arthur was the son of Frederick and Harriet Mitchell (née Woolley). His father Frederick was born in Sneinton on 21 August 1868, the son of Frederick and Ann Mitchell. He was baptised at Sneinton St Stephen on 11 October 1868; the family lived on Sneinton Dale. His mother Harriett Woolley was born in Nottingham in about 1865. Frederick and Harriet were married at Sneinton St Matthias on 5 March 1892. They had 12 children of whom three died in infancy or childhood. Their nine surviving children were: Florence Harriett b. Sneinton 1894 bap. Sneinton St Stephen 26 November 1894; Arthur b. Sneinton b. 1895 bap. St Stephen 19 August 1895; Winifred b. Sneinton 1897, Harry b. Lenton 1898, Annie b. Lenton birth registered 1900 (J/F/M), Lily b. Lenton birth registerd 1901 (J/F/M), May b. Lenton 1902, Doris b. Lenton 1904 and Nelly (Nellie) b. Lenton 1908. In 1901 Frederick, a fitter (brass), and Harriet were living in Boot Yard, 2 Priory Street, Lenton, with their children Arthur (6), Winifred (3), Harry (2), Annie (1) and Lily (under one year). Their eldest child Florence (7) was in the home of Frederick's parents, Frederick and Ann Mitchell, on Gordon Road, Sneinton, on the night of the census. By 1911 the famiy had moved to 73 Claude Street, Old Lenton. Frederick was still employed as an engineering fitter and his wife was a lace friller for a lace warehouse but working from home. All nine children were in the home on the night of the census: Florence a millhand, Arthur was a skinner labourer (skin yard), Winifred a hosiery finisher, Harry, Annie, Lily, May (8), Doris (7) and Nellie (2). The family was living at the same address when Arthur was killed in 1917 and it was still the family home in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled when Frederick, a fitter (electric switchboards) and Harriet were living there with Nellie Stables (b. 8 June 1908) who was probably their married daughter. The records of two other members of the household remain close and may have been Nellie's children. Harriet died on 28 September 1943 and Frederick probably died in 1951.

In 1911 he was a skinner labourer in a skin yard.

73 Claude Street, Old Lenton/Dunkirk. Enlisted Nottingham

1/7th Bn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), service number previously 4353. The 1/7th (Robin Hood) Bn served in France from February 1915 and later became part of the 139th Brigade, 46th (North Midland) Division. Arthur was killed in action on 8 June 1917 and is buried in Loos British Cemetery, France (grave ref. XIX.B.4). The history of the cemetery suggests that Arthur may have been buried elsewhere and his body reinterred in the Loos British Cemetery after the Armistice. CWGC - Loos British Cemetery (extract): 'The village has given its name to the battle of the 25th September - 8th October 1915, in which it was captured from the Germans by the 15th (Scottish) and 47th (London) Divisions, and defended by French troops on the 8th October. The cemetery was begun by the Canadian Corps in July 1917, and the graves then made are contained in Rows A and B of Plot I and Row A of Plot II. The remainder of the cemetery was formed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields and smaller cemeteries over a wide area North and East of the village [listed].'

CWGC: Son of Frederick Mitchell, of 73, Claude St., Dunkirk, Nottingham. Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Frederick was his legatee.