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Remembered Today:

Aircraftman 2nd Class (Driver) 8324, George Clark


HTSCF Fareham

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This chap was part of the 81st wing, enlisting with the RFC on 26/07/1915, then like a lot of others, migrated automatically to RAF on 01/04/1918. He died from influenza and bronchial pneumonia at No.10 Casualty Clearing Station, Hazebrouck on 30/01/1919 (buried Tourcoing (Pont-Neuville) Communal Cemetery).

 

He was the husband of Maria Clark of 31 Portland Street, Fareham, Hampshire, whom he married at Fareham Register Office on 18/02/1914. Other detail - Originally enlisted in the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (01/11/1909).

 

According to his RFC/RAF record, he was born in Poplar in 1890 and was the son of George Clark (marriage certificate). What I am really hoping is that someone might have further knowledge of this chap and be able to help with identifying both of his parents, where they lived and 8324 Clark's exact place and date of birth.

 

Fingers crossed that somebody can shed some light on this matter that has been driving me nuts for about two years now.

 

Thanks!

Edited by HTSCF Fareham
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Ancestry have a pension record {via Fold 3} for ACII George CLARKE, 8324 R.A.F. His widow is recorded as Maud Clarke of 31 Portland Street, Fareham.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

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45 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

Ancestry have a pension record {via Fold 3} for ACII George CLARKE, 8324 R.A.F. His widow is recorded as Maud Clarke of 31 Portland Street, Fareham.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

 

I purchased a copy of the marriage certificate and it is definitely Maria Ashmore that he married.

 

I'd already seen the document on Fold3, but purchased the marriage certificate in a hope of establishing his parent(s).

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5 minutes ago, HTSCF Fareham said:

I purchased a copy of the marriage certificate and it is definitely Maria Ashmore that he married.

 

Going round in circles on the civil records here :)

 

So if you have the marriage certificate, what was the fathers occupation and was he still alive at the time of the marriage?

 

I take it you've seen that on the 1911 Census of England & Wales the 21 year old unmarried Gunner George Clark, serving with the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and stationed at Fareham, was recorded as born Aldgate, London. A check of the 1891 Census seems to show Aldgate laying partly within the City of London Civil Registration District and partly within Whitechapel – so close but not Poplar.

 

He does appear on the 1918 RAF Muster  as Clark, no E.

 

Cheers,

Peter

Edited by PRC
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3 minutes ago, PRC said:

 

Going round in circles on the civil records here :)

 

So if you have the marriage certificate, what was the fathers occupation and was he still alive at the time of the marriage?

 

I take it you've seen that on the 1911 Census of England & Wales the 21 year old unmarried Gunner George Clark, serving with the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and stationed at Fareham, was recorded as born Aldgate, London. A check of the 1891 Census seems to show Aldgate laying partly within the City of London Civil Registration District and partly within Whitechapel – so close but not Poplar.

 

He does appear on the 1918 RAF Muster  as Clark, no E.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Thanks for looking, Peter.

 

His father, George Clark, was deceased (General Labourer). The witnesses were a Maud Cross and Frederick Baker.

 

George was 23 and Maria 24, with George being a Gunner at Fort Nelson with the RGA. Interestingly, Maria's father is not mentioned at all.

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Maria Ashmore is shown as a servant in Fareham in 1911. She was born in Birmingham. There is no Maria Ashmore born in Birmingham in the 1901 census, but thewre are some Maud Ashmores. The names Maud and Maria seem to be interchangeable.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

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1 hour ago, PRC said:

I take it you've seen that on the 1911 Census of England & Wales the 21 year old unmarried Gunner George Clark, serving with the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and stationed at Fareham, was recorded as born Aldgate, London. A check of the 1891 Census seems to show Aldgate laying partly within the City of London Civil Registration District and partly within Whitechapel – so close but not Poplar.

 

I have seen this and to be honest, I haven't completely ruled it out. When you take into account his age at time of census (21) and then being 23 when he got married in 1914.

 

I think that "Maud" on his air service record was actually the witness!

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2 hours ago, HTSCF Fareham said:

Other detail - Originally enlisted in the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (01/11/1909).

 

1 hour ago, PRC said:

I take it you've seen that on the 1911 Census of England & Wales the 21 year old unmarried Gunner George Clark, serving with the 108th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and stationed at Fareham, was recorded as born Aldgate, London.

 

4 minutes ago, HTSCF Fareham said:

I have seen this and to be honest, I haven't completely ruled it out.

 

Not quite sure why ruling it out would even be a consideration - I assume there is only one source for Poplar being his birthplace, (his RFC\RAF record), and the chances that there were two George Clarks of the right age and from the same end of London serving in the same RGA battery but only one going on to join the RFC\RAF seems fairly remote. Of course as always with genealogy you can't rule anything out :)

 

2 hours ago, PRC said:

A check of the 1891 Census seems to show Aldgate laying partly within the City of London Civil Registration District and partly within Whitechapel

 

And looking for a match for that George on the 1891 Census of England & Wales brings up an 8 month old George Clark, born Whitechapel, who was living at No 24 K. Peabody Buildings, Glasshouse Estate, St Mary Whitechapel. (A bit of online googling shows this was probably K Block – see https://surveyoflondon.org/map/feature/1697/detail/

 

This was the househouse of his parents, George, aged 45 and a Dock Constable from Hampton(? - tbc), Suffolk and Elizabeth, aged 43 and from Old Ford, London. There is only the three of them in the household. On the 1901 Census the family have moved to Block D 2. Father George, aged 54 and now shown as born Hopton, Suffolk, has become a Porter, Model Dwellings. As well as mother Elizabeth, (52, born Newington, London), the 10 year old George, born Whitechapel has been joined by a foster brother \ nurse child, the 2 year old William Atkins, born Clerkenwell. The address is shown as being in the Holborn Civil Registration District.

 

Messing thing up slightly, there is a potential match for that younger George on the 1911 Census of England & Wales and it will be harder to eliminate him. Born Whitechapel and working as a Porter & Packer, that 20 year George is living in a lodging house in Blackfriars, London. But it could therefore be that age, place of birth and forenames may vary from other civil records for that individual.

 

I can’t obviously find George senior or Elizabeth on the 1911 Census of England & Wales, and no likely deaths registered in the Holborn District.

 

Dotting the ‘t’s and crossing the ‘i’s.

 

The birth of a George Cross, mothers’ maiden name Miller was registered in the Whitechapel District in the July to September quarter, (Q3) of 1890 – a possible match for the 8 month old George on the 1891 Census.

 

Parents George, (34, Porter, born Hopton, Suffolk) and Elizabeth, (32, born Old Ford, Middlesex) were already married at the time of the 1881 Census.

 

George Clark Senior doesn’t appear on any earlier censuses, but there is a George CLARKE, born Hopton, who appears on the 1851 census, (aged 6) and the 1861 Census, (16, an Agricultural Labourer) and then disappears. On both censuses he was living at Hopton, Suffolk and parents were David & Sarah. The baptism of a George CLARKE, no date of birth recorded, took place in “Suffolk” on the 6th September 1846, parents David & Sarah– so if they are all the same man then really does look like any other forenames can be ruled out.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB39-Q8D

 

And still no luck searching for a clear match for the marriage of either a George CLARK or CLARKE to a Miss Miller,

 

Still no joy with a match for the death of a George or Elizabeth CLARKE in Holborn (or Poplar).

 

So not sure how many steps forward and how many steps back that is:)

 

Cheers,

Peter

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It looks as if this nut is still proving difficult to crack!

 

To add to the research that you have made, I'll throw in the following that's already been carried out:-

 

CLARK, GEORGE MMN LYNCH  
GRO Reference: 1890  M Quarter in POPLAR  Volume 01C  Page 688 - George mmn Lynch died the same year and another George Clark mmn Lynch was born in 1896.

CLARK, GEORGE MMN MORGAN  
GRO Reference: 1890  M Quarter in POPLAR  Volume 01C  Page 627 - It's possible that George may be the one at 33 Box Street, Bromley in 1891. Parents listed as John & Ellen. Next eldest son is Frank aged 4 born Islington, who may well be the Francis Clark mmn Morgan born Islington 1887. Bromley comes under the Poplar Registration District, and mmn Morgan ties with the other George Clark born 1890.

In 1901 they are at 1 Blackthorn Street, Bromley but the father is now listed as William, although occupation & PoB are the same as 1891. There is also a stepson with a surname that looks like Garrard, and an Ellen Garrad or Garrard married William Clark (Milkman) in 1885, Bethnal Green. Her father was William Morgan and his was Joseph Radley Clark.

 

 

If only George's RGA service record still existed, this might give some more clues! :huh:

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Okay, I've found out that George Clark was Gunner 32327, 108th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery before joining the RFC.

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