Person:George Nicholls (2)

Childhood

George Nicholls was born on 9th August 1874 at Amwell Lane, near the hamlet of Nomansland in the parish of Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire. He was the son of a straw plaiter named Maria Nicholls, formerly Hornet, and her husband Daniel William Nicholls, an agricultural labourer. George was one of three children that his parents had together, although his younger brother James died as a baby. Both George's parents had children from previous relationships, with George having several half-siblings.

The 1881 census finds George living with his parents and siblings at Brewhouse Hill in Wheathampstead village. By 1891 they had moved back out of the village to the Nomansland area. George at this time was 16 and working as an agricultural labourer.

Many of George's half-siblings on his father's side emigrated to Australia in the 1880s and 1890s.

Adulthood

George, Annie and their five surviving children, circa 1918

George and Annie married at the parish church of St Nicholas in Harpenden, the neighbouring parish to Wheathampstead. At the time of their marriage, George gave his address as Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden, whilst Annie was in domestic service at Hammonds End in Harpenden. She was originally from Hitchin, about twelve miles north-east of Harpenden. After their marriage they initially lived on Wheathampstead Road (which was renamed Southdown Road in 1923). Contemporary directories list them a few doors down from the Southdown Methodist Church at the house that is now called 109 Southdown Road. Their daughter Rose recalled that the family actually lived at two different houses on Wheathampstead Road - first 109 Southdown Road, then opposite Skew Bridge at a house which was demolished in the 1960s to make way for Heath Close.

George's parents also moved from Wheathampstead to Harpenden some time between 1891 and 1901. They appear in the 1901 census living at Soapsud Alley on West Common. George's father Daniel died a few days after the 1901 census. George's mother Maria then moved to Wheathampstead Road - presumably living with George and Annie, although not necessarily. She died in the infirmary of the St Albans Union Workhouse in 1906.

During the First World War, George appears to have served in the Army Service Corps, although his service records have not been found.^[10] The Army Service Corps was responsible for the logistics of supporting the troops in the field, transporting food and other supplies. The family group portrait appears to have been taken in about 1918, and shows George in his uniform.

Some time between 1911 and 1925 the family moved from Wheathampstead Road to 68 Cravells Road, which was to be George and Annie's home for the rest of their lives. George's sister Clara and her family also lived on Cravells Road. George and Annie held the reception for their daughter Rose's wedding at 68 Cravells Road in 1925. George worked as a bricklayer's labourer, whilst Annie was a straw hat machinist. They also kept pigs and made homemade wine. George lived to see four grandchildren by his daughters Rose, Minnie and Lily (another three grandchildren followed after his death).

George died on 16th October 1931, aged 57. He died tragically, after being struck by a train on the Midland Railway between Harpenden and St Albans, near the Cross Lane bridge. Whilst only a short distance from his home in Cravells Road, the railway there briefly skirts the edge of the parish of Wheathampstead. He therefore died in the same parish in which he had been born. An inquest was held into his death, which heard that he went out on the evening of Wednesday 14th October and got drunk. He then spent all day on Thursday drinking home-made wine and was described as "rambling" and "terribly drunk at night". Annie reported that she'd heard him leave the house at 5.45 on the morning of 16th October. He was found dead later that morning. The inquest jury returned a verdict of "suicide whilst insane". He was buried at the Westfield Road Cemetery in Harpenden. The grave inscription says "Beautiful memories shadowed by grief".

"Beautiful memories / Shadowed by grief"

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT SAINT ALBANS
   1874 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Harpenden in the County of Hertford
   No. 360
   When and where born: Ninth August 1874, Hamwell Lane, Wheathamstead
   Name, if any: George
   Sex: Boy
   Name and surname of father: Daniel Nickels
   Name, surname and maiden surname of mother: Maria Nickels formerly Hornett
   Occupation of father: Farm Labourer
   Signature, description and residence of informant: X The Mark of Maria Nickels, Mother, Hamwell Lane, Wheathamstead
   When registered: Twelfth September 1874
   Signature of registrar: G. Gilpins, Registrar

   
2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Wheathampstead Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Wheathampstead in the County of Hertford in the Year 1874
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   831	1874 September 27th	George	Daniel & Maria	Nicholls	Nomans Land, Wheathampstead	Laborer	Owen W. Davys, Rector

3. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1429; Folio 48; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Daniel Nichols, head, married, male, 47 [1833/4], Farm labourer, b. Gustard Wood, Hertfordshire
   Maria Nichols, wife, married, female, 48 [1832/3], Straw plaiter, b. Batford Mills, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Nichols, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1861/2], Farm labourer, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1863/4], Straw plaiter, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Nichols, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Clara Nichols, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   George Nichols, son, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], Scholar (2nd family), b. Folly, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1114; Folio 47; Page 15, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Hamwell Cottage, Nomansland, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Daniel Nicholls, head, married, male, 57 [1833/4], Agric[ultura]l Labourer, employed, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Maria Nicholls, wife, married, female, 58 [1832/3], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Charlotte Nicholls, daughter, single, female, 18 [1872/3], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   George Nicholls, son, single, male, 16 [1874/5], Agric[ultura]l Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1310; Folio 13; Page 17, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Nicholls, head, married, male, 26 [1874/5], General Labourer, worker, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Annie M. Nicholls, wife, married, female, 29 [1871/2], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Nicholls, son, male, 1 [1899/1900], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 7656; Schedule 170, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Nicholls, head, male, 36 [1874/5], married, General Labourer, worker, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Annie Maria Nicholls, wife, female, 38 [1872/3], married 12 years, 7 children born, 5 children still living, Straw Hat Machinist, worker, working at home, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Rose Nicholls, daughter, female, 9 [1901/2], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   Minnie Nicholls, daughter, female, 7 [1903/4], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   Lily Nicholls, daughter, female, 6 [1904/5], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Nicholls, son, male, 2 [1908/9], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   George Nicholls, son, male, 1 month [1911], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District St Albans
   1931 DEATH in the Sub-District of Harpenden in the County of Hertford
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   431	Dead Body Found Sixteenth October 1931 LM&S Railway Wheathampstead RD	George Nicholls	Male	57 years	Of 68 Cravells R[oa]d Harpenden UD Married Builders Labourer	Bodily injuries caused the 16th day of Oct[o]b[e]r 1931 by being run over by a train in the LM&S Railway near Cross Lane Bridge in the parish of Wheathampstead Suicide whilst insane No PM	Certificate received from Tho[ma]s Ottaway Coroner for Hertfordshire (St. Albans District) Inquest held Nineteenth October 1931	Nineteenth October 1931	R.N. Maff Registrar

8.   Luton News and Bedfordshire Advertiser (Luton)
   Thursday 22 Oct 1931.

   HARPENDEN
   A TRAGIC END - The District Coroner, Mr. T. Ottoway, held an inquest at the mortuary on Monday, concerning George Nicholls, 57, bricklayer's labourer, of 68, Cravell's-road, who was found on the L.M.S.R. near Cross-lane Bridge on Friday morning with the top part of his head severed. Mrs. Nicholls, the widow, giving evidence, said her husband went out after supper on Wednesday night, and got drunk. On Thursday he was rambling. He was drinking home-made wine all day, and was terribly drunk at night. She heard him get up, and go out at 5.45 the next morning, and later identified his dead body. Albert George Franklin, a porter, described how the body was found, and other witnesses were P.C. Miles, who conveyed the remains to the mortuary, and Dr. Donald Maclean. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while temporarily insane."

9.   Herts Advertiser, Saturday 18 April 1925
   "For Better or Worse."
   EASTERTIDE MARRIAGES SOLEMNISED AT HARPENDEN
   MARSHALL-NICHOLLS
   The Rev. E. Michell officiated at the wedding of Miss Rose Nicholls, eldest daughter of Mr. George Nicholls, of 68, Cravells-road, Harpenden, and Mr. Stewart John Marshall, third son of Mr. John Marshall, of 44, Cambridge-street, Luton, which took place at the Parish Church, on Saturday. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a dress of white crepe-de-chene, with lace sleeves and white panels ornamented with silver beads. Her bouquet was composed of white lilies and roses. The bridegroom's gift to her was a silver bracelet. There were three bridesmaids the Misses Minnie and Lily Nicholls (sisters of the bride) and Miss Vera Marshall (niece of the bridegroom). Their dresses were of cornflower-blue crepe-de-chene, beautifully embroidered, while their hats were of silver-grey crinoline with cornflower-blue trimmings to match the dresses. They carried bouquets of pink carnations and tulips. The best man was Mr. George Marshall (brother of the bridegroom). A reception was afterwards held at the home of the bride.
10. ↑ The badge on the hat he is wearing in the 1918 family group photograph appears to be from the Army Service Corps. RootsChat