Benjamin Nicholson was the 4th born of his siblings who numbered 11 by 1911 of whom only 7 had survived, post 1911 his mother had a further 4 known children. His father Henry Nicholson was born in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, in 1867 and at the age of 3-years was in the care of his grandparents, coal miner Abraham Nicholson and wife Hannah, at Beaumont Cottages, Prudhoe, Northumberland. In the 1881 census Henry is listed as their adopted son, aged 13, already working as a coal miner, he remained with them until his marriage, November 7th 1891 in the parish church of Winlaton, Gateshead, County Durham, to Sarah Ann Peake, born in the district of Hexham, Northumberland in 1876, daughter of William Henry and Phoebe Peake natives of Sidgley, Staffordshire. William Henry was born 1893, in Milkweed (Milkwood) Burn, County Durham, Thomas 1896, Phoebe 1897, Benjamin, September 8th 1898 and Isabella 1901, while they were living at 95, Derwentside, Medomsley, sadly she died in 1902. A miner by trade Henry moved his family to Westwood, birthplace of Charlotte in 1904, Abraham 1908 and Martha in 1910. They occupied 2 rooms at 34, High Westwood, in 1911. Henry now had the stipend of William Henry (18) a hewer and Thomas (15) a driver, to help support his every growing family, Matthew was born, May 25th 1913 and in little over a year Britain was at war with Germany.

Upon the outbreak of war Benjamin’s eldest brother enlisted and as Private William Henry Nicholson served with the East Yorkshire Regiment, he was killed in France a month after Benjamin joined the Royal Navy. He enlisted August 26th 1915 aged 17-years and first served as Boy II on HMS Ganges, a shore establishment training ship, as Boy I with Victory I, by February 25th 1916 and June 8th 1916 had transferred to H.M.S. Malaya, a Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class Battleship which had been ordered in 1913 and newly commissioned in 1916. He served aboard the H.M.S. Malaya for the duration of WW1 and rose to the rank of Ordinary Seaman.

H.M.S. Malaya fought during the Battle of Jutland as part of the Grand Fleet, at the conclusion her service mostly consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea.

Returned to shore to Vivid 1, October 3rd 1918, post WW1, Able Seaman Nicholson spent time in on-shore training establishments but also at sea with H.M.S. Caesar, a Majestic Class Battleship involved in operations against the Bolsheviks in Constantinople and the Black Sea, H.M.S. Julius a shore base in Constantinople during August to November 1919 and after further training in the U.K. base Vivid 1, served with H.M.S. Constance a Light Cruiser Battleship, June 10th 1920-September 13th 1922, in the West Indies, the North Atlantic, Nova Scotia, Australia, Caribbean and Bahamas. H.M.S. Constance left Barbados in November 1922 returning to Devonport after Christmas, Able Seaman Nicholson remained ashore, Vivid 1, and left the Royal Navy, November 20th 1923.

Benjamin was married in the district of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, in 1936, to Sylvia Smailes, born April 24th 1908, stepdaughter of the deceased Robert Mawson, who had died, June 6th 1917, in the service of his county, with the Durham Light Infantry in Belgium.

In 1939 the couple were living at 16, Railway Street, Stanley, County Durham, Benjamin is described as, “head waggonway man.”

Sylvia Smailes Nicholson nee Mawson (68) died in 1977, district of Darlington, Benjamin Nicholson (79) in 1978, also in County Durham. With his death this branch of the Nicholson family ceased to exist.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.