Numbers in prefixed with ‘A’ are an individual’s ‘GRAMPS’ database identification reference.
Harry Davies Jr. [A0300] Maternal Grandfather.
See Families in GRAMPS: F0289 F0335 F0403 F0471 F0318 F0239
Master Mariner, Able Seaman. Boy, Shipwright, Steam Engine Fitter, Pipe Fitter,
Royal Navy, Army, WW1, WW2
The story of the Davies family starts with the birth of Joseph Davies. Born in Chester in 1826, he became a mariner and married Elizabeth. They had nine children, all of whom I think, were born in Runcorn where the family settled.
One of the children, Harry was born in 1859 and lived and worked in Runcorn as a steam engine fitter. In 1880 he married Mary Jane Bazley [A0321}, the daughter of a cordwainer of Gilbert Street, Runcorn. They had three children, one of whom was Harry Junior[A0311], born in 1886 in Rutland Street in Runcorn.
We think Mary Jane died around 1889 as Harry Senior subsequently married Mary Alice(Atkin) Barstow[A0303] in Runcorn in 1890. They had six children, Elizabeth Gertrude was born in Runcorn in 1891. The other children, John Fryer, Ethel Alice, Hilda May, Walter & Albert Harold were all born in Lostock, which is where the family lived from around 1895. Mary Alice Barstow had been married before to John Barstow, she was the daughter of John Atkin[A3304], a waterman from Lancashire. According to census records of 1911, she had 13 children, of which 3 had died.
Harry Jr. born in 1886, was living with his grandparents in Portland Street in Runcorn in 1891. His Father, Harry Sr.[A0311] was at this time living at Byron Street in Runcorn with his his second wife Mary Alice. Also in this house was Thomas Ellis, one of Harry Junior’s. brothers, Gertrude Elizabeth Davies (2months old) and John & Mary Barstow, two children from Mary Alice’s’ first marriage. Why Harry was at his Grandparents is not known, maybe there was no room at home or perhaps they had their “differences”, but in 1901 they are all living at Boundary Street in Lostock, Northwich.
Harry Jr. started at Lostock school in 1895 and was a plumbers labourer at the age of 15. He worked for an “Alkali Manufacturer” which was most probably Brunner Mond. This became I.C.I. at one time, the largest employer in the town of Northwich, I would imagine. On 31st August 1914 Harry was enlisted in the Royal Engineers and saw active service in the battlefields of France.
He was awarded the Victory Medal, The British War Medal and 1915 Star on 20th September 1915. On the 29th January 1917 Harry married Laura Maddock[A0400] of Wilton-Cum-Twambrooks, Northwich, and on the 18th April 1918 Harry & Laura have a baby boy, Kenneth[A0301], who will go on to marry Edna Carvell [A0422] of Portsmouth. It was on 14th December 1918 that Harry was given a medical discharge from the army. In 1920 he is working as a pipe fitter, again at Brunner Mond we assume.
Later in the same year our Mum, Dorrie Joan is born to Harry & Laura, at Boundary Street in Northwich. Dorrie married Alan Chrimes in 1946. During the course of this research we learnt that there was a third child born to Harry & Laura, Donald, in 1921 at Osbourne House in Northwich, sadly Donald died two months later.
©Andrew Paul Chrimes, Sue Byrne 2022