Henry Hale
Ward Orderly and Assisting With Convoys
Henry, who was also known as Harry, was born in Sudgrove, Gloucestershire. I have not found his date of birth but he was baptised on 21st March 1869 in Miserden. His father was also called Henry.
Henry Hale's baptism record, his mother was not named
His mother's name is not on his baptism record, however I believe she may have been Ann Hale nee Jones as I have found a marriage record for them with details that match, and a burial record for an Ann Hale who died at the Union House in Miserden from 18th May 1870 aged 24. I have also found a baptism record for Henry's older sister Clara Hannah in 1866 with her parents recorded as Henry and Ann.
In 1871 he lived with his father and Clara at the home of his paternal grandfather Samuel who was 71 and an agricultural labourer, and his (second) wife Elizabeth in Bisley, Gloucestershire. Henry (senior) was described as a widower and general farm servant.
The 1871 census
In 1881 Henry (senior) married a widow called Ellen Constable. Henry lived with them in Sudgrove, along with Ellen's children Frank, Sarah A, Alice P and Josie W. Henry and Frank were working as agricultural labourers.
By 1891 Henry had moved to Keighley and was lodging with a family named Whitaker at 79 Bradford Street. He was working as a railway porter.
On 12th November 1892 Henry married Mary Elizabeth Collingham at the Parish Church in Keighley.
Henry and Mary's marriage record
In 1901 Henry and Mary lived at 77 Spencer Street and working for the Midland Railway Company. They had two sons, Arthur aged seven and Walter aged two.
By 1911 they had moved around the corner to 1 Broomfield Road. Henry was still a railway porter. Arthur was a house painter's apprentice and Walter was working part time as a worsted spinner and was part time at school.
In May 1915 Henry started to use his experience as a railway porter for the the war effort by assisting with convoys at Keighley railway station as well as orderly duties at Spencer Street Auxiliary Hospital. He was give the rank of sergeant within the VAD service. His youngest son Walter was serving with the RAF from March 1918 and survived the war.
In my search for records of Henry, I found that he and Mary travelled to New York in May 1926, and the ship they travelled on was the Lancastria which would later be requisitioned during the Second World War and was sunk on 17th June 1940 with estimated losses of 4,000-7,000 lives, the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history.
Part of the passenger record for the Lancastria. Henry and Mary were joined by their daughter in law's auntie
Henry and Mary's son Walter had emigrated to Flint in Michigan earlier that year with his wife Ada and he was working for the Chevrolet Motor Company.
Henry died in Keighley during the first quarter of 1933.
Walter remained in Michigan and was drafted into the US military in 1941. He appears to have survived again, as he is shown on the US 1950 census.
Sources:
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1988
1871 England Census
1881 England Census
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1986
UK, Royal Air Force Airmen Records, 1918-1940
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (Including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957
England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
