SAMUEL TURNOCK 

"Mr. Turnock, a postman, of Holmes Chapel, also an Army Reservist, has received his papers instructing him to rejoin his regiment at Portsmouth within the next few days."

(The Crewe Guardian, Saturday 6th Jan 1900)

What do we know about Samuel?

Samuel Immanuel Myadd Turnock was born on 26th October 1867, the illegitimate son of Hannah Turnock. He was baptised the following year, on 7th June 1868, at St Mary's Church in Sandbach. By the age of three, he was being cared for as a foster child ("nurse child") by Thomas and Maria Kinson, at Newfield Buildings, Sandbach. When he was 13, he was working at an iron works, and boarding at 30 Union Street, Sandbach. He started work at the Post Office in Crewe on 18th November 1893, when he was 26 years old. At the end of his ten year service as a postman, he was commended for his diligence and fidelity to his work. However, he did not receive his Good Conduct stripes because he was also subject to two investigations for taking insufficient care of his deliveries:

We know that he lived at Bank House, Holmes Chapel with his wife Alice (1860 - 1908) and their daughter Alice E Turnock, born around 1887.

On 4th January 1900, Samuel rejoined his regiment (unidentified) and spent two years in South Africa. On his return on 12th January 1902, he was medically discharged from the Post Office due to ill health. He died of an abdominal aneurism on 24th August 1904, aged 36. He is buried at St Luke's church, Holmes Chapel.

His wife Alice died four years later, on 18th December 1908.