Herbert Henry was the son of Herbert Henry and Sarah Jane Storey (née Barwell).
Herbert Henry snr. was born in Ketton in 1862, the son of James Storey and his wife Mary (née Wyles). Herbert, a labourer/groom, was still living with his family in the village in 1881 but joined the Royal Artillery on a 12 year engagement in 1886 having previously served in the Militia (4/Lincoln Regiment). He joined at Colchester on 5 October 1886 and served at home until 21 February 1888 when he was posted to India where he remained until 28 April 1894 (6 years 67 days). He was discharged on the expiry of his engagement on 28 September 1898 but enlisted in Section D (or Supplementary Reserve) 1st Class Army Reserve (RA/57176) on 30 September 1898 (service counting from 4 October 1898). Herbert was recalled to Army Service under Special Army Order of 20/12/99 and served in South Africa from 31 January 1900 to 1 August 1902 (2 years 199 days). He was awarded the South Africa 1899 medal with clasps (‘Belfast’, ‘Cape Colony’, ‘Orange Free State’ and ‘Laing’s Nek’) King’s Medal and Clasps 1901 & 1902. He was discharged on the termination of his second engagement on 4 October 1902.
Sarah Jane Barwell was born in Ketton in 1872, the daughter of John and Lucy Barwell. In 1881 the family was living in Empingham. Sarah had a daughter, Dora Barwell, in 1895 who was baptised at Ketton parish church in November the same year.
Herbert (36) and Sarah (26), were married at Ketton on 12 February 1898 shortly before his discharge from the army. They had three sons who were all born in Ketton: Cyril b. 13 February 1898 bap. 7 March d. 1898 (reg. March); Herbert Henry b. 26 December 1898 (reg. 1899 J/F/M) bap. 12 February 1899 and Albert Victor b. November 1903 (reg. 1904 J/F/M) bap. December 1903.
At the time of the 1901 Census, Sarah (29) and her two children, Dora Barwell and Herbert, together with her sister Gertrude Barwell (9), were living in Geeston, Ketton. Sarah was head of household in the absence of her husband who had been serving in South Africa since January 1900 and did not return to the UK until August 1902.
There is a schools admissions record dated 19 April 1909 which showed that Albert (b. 1903) attended Farthingstone School, Farthingstone, Northamptonshire, 'while on a visit' which ended on 20 July (no year given but probably 1909). He had previously been at school in Luffenham, suggesting that the family had moved there sometime after the 1901 Census.
Sarah Jane died in 1910 (reg. J/F/M Uppingham Rutland) aged about 38.
In 1911 her husband, a railway platelayer, was living in Newtown, North Luffenham near Stamford, with his sons Herbert and Albert, and Dora (Storey) who was described on the census as his daughter.
Herbert was employed as a coal miner and living at 9 Fife Place, Victoria Street, Mansfield, when he attested in 1915. His service record gave his next of kin as his father, Albert (sic) Storey, of the same address. However, Herbert had both a brother and a cousin named Albert Storey and it might be that one of these was living and working with Herbert in Mansfield.
Dora has not been traced after 1911, but her father and brother Victor were living at Lyndon Road, North Luffenham, when Harold was killed in 1916 and were recorded at the same address on the Electoral Rolls 1929-1931.
Herbert snr. died in hospital at Epsom, Surrey in April 1938, although his home was still in North Luffenham. His surviving son Albert Victor may have also served in the army as there is a record of an Albert Victor Storey, age 29, of 159 Albert Road North, Woolwich, who was one of three soldiers who sailed from London on 11 April 1933 to Port Said, Egypt (SS Ballaratt, P&O Steam Navigation Co.). Albert died in 1981 (reg. Leeds).