Ancestors of Winster :The family of George Samuel Lowe 1854-1898

From the early pages of this book where I was struggling to find enough information to fill a double page, Im now at the point where a double page really can only just barely scratch the surface of the stories regarding the people involved.
I will likely add some "story" type pages into this book to cover certain aspects more fully, although by the end of this generation the ties to Winster are almost at an end. - it seems a pity to end the book without adding the generations to come though so I will continue for one more generation - doing a page for my Great Grandparents John Lowe and Susan Wheatcroft.

I need to backtrack and do a page on Lydia Hawley who was George Samuel Lowe's mother. She was born in Winster and it appears her family had lived there for generations. I havent done much research on the family to date, so I hope I can get at least one page on the Hawleys done before I need to get this book published.

George Samuel Lowe came from a very small family, unusual in the mid 19th century. He was the second son of George Lowe of Ashover and Lydia Hawley of Winster.  The family lived in Wensley, which is only just over a mile from Wisther. Like many others in the area, George was  Lead Miner.
George married Mary Jane Boam, daughter of Thomas Boam of Winster ion 21st March 1875. Thomas and George Lowe sr were both Lead Miners, so this is likely how the George and Mary Jane met. From the 1871 census it seems that George Samuel  did not follow in his fathers footsteps. As a 16 year old he is listed as an Agricultural Labourer. George and Mary Jane married at St John the Baptist church in Winster in March 1875, and it appears at some point the family did live in Winster as first daughter Lydia Eliza was born there and baptised there just two months after her parents marriage . I have been unable to find baptism records for Elizabeth and Mary Ellen, who born in the same year could have been twins. George Thomas and William seem to have been born in the Wensley area, but by 1881, the family had moved to Cheshire, and George Samuel had joined the Railway. The 1881 census has them living at Smithy Green, Bredbury Cheshire. George Samuel is a Railway Guard. This is where the next few children are born, but by the time Samuel Edwin is born in 1887, the family are back in Derbyshire. and in the 1891 census they are living in Little Rowsley, a village which had a large population of Railway workers.
The family made the move to Derby city before 1895 as Herbert is born there. 29 Drage Street would remain the family home for many years.
Sadly George Samuel died young, aged just 54 in 1898 and Mary Jane was left to bring up her family alone, though by this time her eldest daughters were adults. By 1901 Henry, Elizabeth, John and Samuel Edwin were all working helping to support the family. Eldest daughter Lydia and her husband lived just 3 minutes walk away in Chester Green Road , and Mary Ellen also lived 3 minutes walk away in Mansfield Road. Mary Jane had already lost several children in their childhood- and tragedy would strike the family though during World War 1. 3 sons would serve their country- Henry, John and Herbert. Unfortunately neither Herbert nor Henry would return, Herbert being killed at Gallipoli on August 21st 1915 and Henry being killed on the first day of battle at the Somme in 1916.
It is  understood  that John was present when Herbert died  and narrowly escaped death himself. Mary Jane, mother of 12 children, of whom 6 pre deceased her, still had at least  23 grandchildren by the time of her death in 1919. All lived in close proximity to the family home at Drage Street

Drummer Lowe

Todays layout features my Great Grandfather John Lowe. He was my fathers maternal Grandfather.
Id like to thank Geoff Parton for the copies of the  letter from the bandmaster and for the contract from the Grand Derby Theatre that I used in this layout. Geoff took on the mighty job of researching the soldiers named in the War Memorial in Derby and collected a wonderful archive of material in the process . He was very kind to share the information and material that pertained to my family with me.

John Lowe, like many others in his family and in his group of close friends had been a member of the Sherwood Forresters as a volunteer well before the start of World War I , in fact he had first  signed on on 16th April 1902 with the 1st Volunteer Battalion, aged just under 17. He re attested
on the 16th June 1908 in the Territorial Force - The 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. While his “day” job was an Iron Moulder, the time with the Sherwood Forresters would have been a  social outlet for him, and in addition he received a bounty for each year he served.
It is likely that he learned the drums during his time in the Territorials., and this would shape his life through the war and after.
On the 20th November 1911 he was transferred to the Derbyshire Yeomanry. and this was the division he served in during World War I .
John served in the Middle East Expeditionary Force and was in Egypt and at Gallipoli where his younger brother died.  He  was discharged on 16th November 1916 having completed the terms of engagement having served 14 years and 215 days. During and after the war he was known to all as “Drummer Lowe”, however in 1912 he is listed as a Bugler.
After his discharge, and with a war pension of Fifteen Pounds, John resumed his work as an Iron Moulder at Haslams Foundry  but  in October 1921 he he signed a contract with Vinto Theatres Ltd  to be a drummer at the Grand Theatre, Derby with a salary of £3 - 10s per week .

A Family at War

Wearing their husband’s uniforms, these three sisters-in-law had no idea the tragedy that was about to occur to their close family group. Husbands of all three women, and several other brothers were members of the Derbyshire and Nottingham Sherwood Foresters Regiment.The first tragic death would be would be Herbert Lowe, the youngest brother of Henry and John. He would die at Gallipoli on August 21st 1915 and his brother John would be there when he died.
Then like history repeating itself, not even a year later,  Beatrice’s husband Henry would die in 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and Elizabeth’s husband Arthur Ollerenshaw would be there to see him die. Henry , who was a stretcher bearer, had been carrying a wounded fellow soldier on his back to safety when he was hit by a sniper