George Ernest's Story.
George Ernest Washington was born at Laburnum Villa, Sutton Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire on 15th January 1891. His short life would involve heartache and loss as a young child, a huge family after his father remarried, a journey across the Atlantic, enlistment into the Canadian Expeditionary Force and he would become a casualty of the Great War without ever firing a shot in anger.
According to the 1891 census the Washington household comprised of George’s father, Thomas Edwin Washington, at the time a 23 year old fellmonger, (an ancient term for people who traded in animal hides, particularly sheep skins) his mother, Annie (nee Rathbone) aged 31, baby George who was just 2 months old and a domestic servant, Annie Challoner who was 13 years of age. The family had traded in skins for a number of generations and were obviously relatively financially secure.
In 1892 another baby boy, Thomas Edwin was born.
Just three years later on 9th November 1895 Annie died aged 36 years, leaving Thomas, a widower at 27, to bring up two small boys alone. Fortunately Thomas’ parents lived next door and were on hand to help.
Meanwhile a few miles down the road in the village of Minshull Vernon Louisa Brown (nee Hollinshead) was running the local pub and bringing up her four children alone having been widowed some 6 years earlier. The two widowed parents met and were married in 1897. Louisa was 37 years old at the time of their marriage and Thomas was 30.
The Coach and Horses Pub at Minshull Vernon was their home. A small building to house their combined families of six children and two adults. However over the next few years the family would grow with the birth of three more children, William (1898 – 1918, killed in action with the Welsh Regiment and buried in Marteville Communal Cemetery Extension, France), Elsie and Lillian.
On 17th May 1912 George Ernest Washington, now aged 21years decided to strike out for pastures new. He set sail from Liverpool to Quebec on the Allen Line vessel “Tunisian”. He was to join his uncle William Washington, who had emigrated to Canada six years previously and was now living in Ontario. George gained employment working in the local bank and settled into life in his new country.
On 15th January 1916 (his 25th birthday) he enlisted into the Canadian Expeditionary Force and joined the 161st (Huron) Battalion. Within three months he was dead. His death certificate and discharge papers state no actual cause of death.
He is buried in Hensall Union Cemetery, Huron, Ontario, Canada. He has a military headstone and a private memorial.
George’s brother, Thomas Edwin Washington would enlist and serve with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps.
His half-brother William Washington was killed in action in September 1918 and as previously mentioned lies in Northern France.
However his father, Thomas Edwin would also try to enlist. He attested in Liverpool on September 1915 knocking 10 years off his 48 years. His attestation papers say he was demobilised home for four months. He was finally discharged from military service in March 1916 when one can only presume his deception was discovered.
Louisa passed away in 1919 and in 1922 Thomas emigrated to Australia, returning to the family trade of “Fellmongering”, he passed away in North Sydney, New South Wales in 1931.