#England #Kent #KIA #Military #WWI
George BAILEY was the middle of five children born to Robert BAILEY (1852 – 1923), a Labourer then Beer House Keeper, and Sarah Mary BELSEY (1863 – 1940).
Robert’s family seems to have been living and working around the outskirts of Dover. Sarah was born in Nonington and most likely lived there until she married William on 28 October 1882. She was around 19 and he ten years older at the time. They married at St Mary the Virgin Church in Wingham.
George was the only boy in the family. His sisters were Sarah Louisa BAILEY (1883 – 1927), Emily BAILEY (1886 – 1890) who passed away before he was born, Edith BAILEY (1898 – 1972) and Alice BAILEY (1899 – 1959).
In the 1881 Census Robert is still living with his parents at the age of 28. At this point he is an Agricultural Labourer. They are living in Wootton Street in Wootton it seems. Cannot confirm Sarah on a Census so the year before they married it is not clear where she is although the rest of her family is still in the parish of Nonington.
In the 1891 Census is appears Robert is now a Brewer’s Labourer and he along with his wife Sarah and daughter Sarah are living in Ash Street in Ash. They have 4 rooms to the property. George’s birth was then registered Q3 1891 in Eastry District.
By the 1901 Census they have moved to the First & Last Pub House in Herne Common, Herne. Here Robert is the Publican. The family has a 13-year-old girl called Agnes SPAIN as their General Domestic Servant. There are just the three youngest children with George’s age given as 9.
Robert was fined 1 in June 1906 for allowing drunkenness and a new licensee took over the inn the following month so they moved away. [It appears the pub closed permanently in 2019]. In 1911 Robert is still a Beer House Keeper but now in Alkham at the Carpenters Arms pub.
Not able to find George in 1911 Census currently so the next confirmed evidence for him is his military papers. Does not appear that he married or had any offspring. In two records he is described as a Teamster which seems to be someone who drives teams of draft animals. Possible Union background to the position from online reading.
Also, there is a 22 year old George Bailey, Farm Labourer, who in May 1913 left Londonderry, Northern Ireland on a ship for Canada. Is this the same person? Seems likely as have definite reference to George Bailey from Carpenters Arms of Alkham on a ship back to Liverpool in December 1915. According to this his previous permanent residence was USA.
Regarding George’s military career we have evidence that in the 1914 – 1918 war he was in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force 2. He appears to have enlisted at Shorncliffe Barracks 3on 11 January 1916 when he was 25. He was just over 6-foot-tall with a 40-inch chest, light hair, fair complexion and grey eyes. His regimental number was 303630.
In April he went to France and had some movements between groups and locations it appears. On 12 June 1917 he seems to have suffered a serious injury whilst on duty but one that was not going to interfere with his future career. He was a Gunner and firing when he seems to have received synovitis (apparently inflammation) and contusion of leg. Unable to fully read the detail.
He seems to have left hospital on 28 July 1917. On 6 October 1917 he was granted leave of absence but no indication why and rejoined on 27 October 1917. He was however considering absent without leave from 14 October 1917 to 20 October 1917 and forfeited 7 days pay.
On 19 November 1917 he created a will which left all his property and effects to his father. Then just a month later was killed in action on 29 December 1917. This seems to have been at Ablain St Nazaire in Northern France. His memorial is at Villiers Station Cemetery, Villers-Au-Bois in France.
I believe that a closer family member to him holds papers and some effects rand there is a letter from the Commanding Officer to his parents following his death. Unfortunately, the photograph of it is not good enough to make legible but have found they have a picture of George in military uniform.
The Canadian military papers available for him are slightly repetitive but there are a lot of them with snippets of information on. Another connected person notes that cause of death was being accidentally shot by a French civilian.
He was probably awarded the Victory and British War Medals. There is evidence that his salary of $15 dollars was paid the two months after he was killed. In May 1918 there was a request that it be reclaimed via his pension but presumably he wasn’t in a position to be paid one. Not sure how they would have then gone about it.
There was a note in the Dover Express on 01 February 1919 giving the information regarding his being killed. The message is given as ‘Only those who have lost are able to tell the pain that is felt in not saying farewell’.
His parents were living at The Hollies in Ewell Minnis later on and most likely remained there until they too passed away. Robert went a few years later in 1923, then her namesake daughter in 1927 but Sarah didn’t pass away until 1940.
George BAILEY was a 2C 3R to myself through his maternal line. I believe the shared ancestors to be my 4x Great Grandparents George BELSEY (1782 – 1852) and Lydia Anne STOKES (1792 – 1847).
George BAILEY was a 3C 2R to myself through his paternal grandfather. I believe the shared ancestors to be my 4x Great Grandparents Henry BAYLY (1768 – 1822) and Mary MILES (c1772 – 1833).
I have a DNA link through one of his siblings to a descendant.
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
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