#Coldred #England #Kent #Military #Shepherdswell #Sibertswold #Wootton #WWI
Arthur BANKS was the youngest of eleven children born to Edward Matthew BANKS (c.1842 – 1932), an Agricultural Labourer, and Mary Ann Elizabeth BEER (1841 – 1910).
Edward was baptised in Wootton, Kent, England on 06 February 1842 along with possibly eleven siblings. Mary was born in Sibertswold [Shepherdswell] about a year earlier it seems. She was baptised 14 March 1841 and aged four months in the census that took place 06 June 1841.
They married in Coldred on 21 November 1864 when both in their early 20s. All three places listed are within a few miles of each other and straddle the A2 to Dover, Kent, England near Lydden Hill Race Circuit.
Arthur had three brothers – Charles BANKS (1865 – 1901), Edward BANKS (1877 – 1917) and William BANKS (1884 – 1967). Haven’t researched to see if they married but they seem to have stayed around the area.
He had seven sisters – Bertha Emily BANKS (1867 – 1942), Martha BANKS (1867 – 1954), Elizabeth Ann BANKS (1870 – TBA), Ruth BANKS (1872 – 1968), Susanna BANKS (1874 – 1926), Edith BANKS (1876 – 1973) and Amelia BANKS (1880 – 1943). Similarly, haven’t reviewed their family lives but does look like again most if not all remained in Kent.
By the 1881 Census Arthur’s parents have already had nine children. All but the eldest girl Bertha are living at 2 Coxhill Cottage, Sibertswold. She is found, aged 14, as a servant for the Cook family at 28 Dour Street, Dover.
In 1884 they have William and then two years later Arthur completes the family. He was born on 15 December 1886 and birth registered in Dover District Q1 1887. Not found a baptism record.
In the 1891 Census the family is still found living at Coxhill Cottages. Six of the children are there including the eldest Charles, also an Agricultural Labourer, who is 25 whereas Arthur is just three.
Presumably all the girls that are old enough are away working unless able to still live there to complete their duties like Ruth. It is possible that the cottage they resided in was part of a farm where the men and boys were employed as Agricultural Labourers.
It was and to some extents still is a rural area. Although the Tithe Apportionment for Sibertswold 1, held on the Kent Archaeological Society [KAS] website, is likely to be from a much earlier date it gives an insight into the area. Some of the land is owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Earl of Guilford at this time.
Another decade on and the 1901 Census has the family living at Halfway Street. Looking at maps, including the 1876 Ordnance Survey 2 one via the National Library of Scotland, this appears to be aa small section of that shown as Coxhill Road so could be the same address.
Arthur is now 13 and working as a Brickyard Labourer. He isn’t the youngest since his 6-year-old niece is also listed. Her mother Elizabeth is not married, nor at the property, so presumably her parents were helping bring up their grandchild.
Arthur’s father Edward at 59 is still working as a General Labourer. Also, in the property is his sister Edith and her husband George JONES (c. 1871 – TBA) as well as two other siblings. Sadly his eldest brother Charles dies that September aged 35 from Exhaustion and Diabetes. He was a farm labourer and so possibly the harvest was too much for him.
In 1910 their mother Mary dies so in the 1911 Census there is now his father, George and Edith (no offspring after 15 years of marriage), William and his niece who is nearer in age to Arthur than most of his siblings.
The address is given as Linden Cottage, Shepherdswell. At 69 his father is still working as a Farm Labourer – presumably William and Arthur both worked at the same place with him.
Regarding Arthur’s military career we have evidence that in the 1914 – 1918 war he was in the East Kent Regiment (The Buffs). His service number was 6073 and he was a Private. He also appears to have been in the Labour Corps with registration 655914.
He was injured on 22 June 1918 with a bullet to the hand whilst in the 6th (Service) Battalion. I think this injury happened during the Battle of the Somme. He was admitted to the 51st Field Ambulance Dressing Station and transferred to another hospital on same day. It was confirmed a month later that he was entitled to wear a Wound Stripe.
He was demobilised from Labour Corps to Class Z Reserve on 18 May 1919. On 11 January 1921 awarded the 1914 – 1915 Star since the date of disembarkation given as 17 August 1915 and on 03 May 1921 the Victory and British War Medals as well.
During the period Arthur was away fighting it seems that his brother Edward died, aged 39, on 23 November 1917 at the Kent County Lunatic Asylum. Appears he had been there since 1897 so must have been admitted about the age of 20.
It would appear that he returned home and on 09 May 1925 married at St Andrew’s Church, Shepherdswell. This was registered Q2 1925 in Dover District and Arthur was almost 40 to his bride’s 26. His address given as Linden Villa, Cox Hill, Shepherdswell and employed as a Gardener.
Although she was 13 years younger it is likely they knew each other for a long time since her family were neighbours as their address in 1901 was also Halfway Street. The following year Arthur’s sister Susanna died in Sheerness in her early 50s.
On 18 September 1928 he became father to twins, still living at Linden Villa and he is stated to be a Jobbing Gardener. His father Edward died in 1932, at the age of 90, having outlived his wife by over 20 years and three of his children.
By the time of the 1939 Register, taken on 29 September, Arthur and family have moved to 2 Box Cottages on Cox Hill. It doesn’t appear that his sister Martha ever married. She is living with them and apparently incapacitated.
Now aged 54 he is still working as a Gardener but also down as an Air Raid Warden so clearly wanting to continue serving the country how he can to protect his wife, children, family and friends.
He loses siblings in 1942, 1943, 1954 (Martha) and 1961 but lived to see children married and grandchildren come along before he died on 02 May 1967, aged 80. Had still been living in the Cox Hill area of Shepherdswell. His spouse lived almost another two decades.
He was a 1C 4R to me. I have confirmed a DNA match on Ancestry with one of his grandchildren.
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- Kent Archaeological Society [KAS] – https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/records/tithes/sibertswold ↩︎
- National Library of Scotland [NLS] – https://maps.nls.uk/view/102343603 ↩︎
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