G. Potts
Yorkshire Regiment
19th February 1919
Derek Haynes has submitted the following:
The birth of George was registered in the September Q 1889 in Sunderland. He was born to parents George & Margaret Potts (nee Davison) whose marriage was registered in the September Q 1886 also in Sunderland.
George & Margaret had 14 children, 10 of which died between the years 1893 and 1909; they ranged in age from 18 days to 5 years.
The children who died were:
Thomas, born December Q 1887 died 15th September 1893 aged 5 years
William, born September Q 1893 died 2nd October 1893 aged 7 weeks
John William, born September Q 1894 died 2nd September 1894 aged 3 weeks
Alice, born December Q 1895 died 19th April 1896 aged 6 months
Mary Ann, born June Q 1897 died 12th September 1897 aged 5 months
Isabella, born March Q 1899 died 25th September 1899 aged 9 months
Alfred, born March Q 1901 died 25th October 1902 aged 21 months
Mary Ann, born June Q 1897 died 12th September 1897 aged 5 months
Nellie (Ellen), born December Q 1902 died 14th November 1906 aged 4 years
Robert, born September Q 1909 died 22nd September 1909 aged 18 days
All of the above children died in Southwick and are laid to rest in Southwick Cemetery.
Along with George the other surviving children were:
Eliza Jane, born 1885 – no birth registration found
Margaret, born June Q 1891
Cecilia, born September Q 1905
All the births were registered in Sunderland.
In 1901 the family, which consisted of George, his parents and three siblings, were residing in two rooms in Victoria Street, situated in the area known as Low Southwick. Victoria Street was just a short walk from the heavy industries of shipbuilding and engineering which was taking place at the time on the banks of the river Wear. George senior was employed as a coal miner, working above ground as a screener.
By 1911 George now 22 years of age had followed his father into the mining industry, where he was employed as a labourer above ground. It was more than likely that both father and son were working at the same colliery as it was usually the case - the father would put in a good word for a son or sons if any vacancies occurred. The family was still residing at the same address as in 1901 with the addition of another family member, Esther, the granddaughter of George and Margaret. The birth of Esther Potts was registered in the September Q 1910 in Sunderland; it would appear she was the child of one of the elder daughters.
Unfortunately the only record of George’s Army service found was his medal card; this tells us that he enlisted into the Yorkshire Regiment, serving as a Private with the regimental number 44923. At some time George was transferred to the Labour Corps where he was given a new number 381600.
There was a discrepancy with George’s first number the CWGC give his first number as 44933 which could be a typing error.
The war had ended but again this was not a good time for the Potts family. On 29th January 1919 George’s mother Margaret, aged 52 years, passed away. She was laid to rest on the 3rd February 1919 in Section 3 Grave no. 875 of Southwick Cemetery. It would only be seven days later after his wife’s death that George senior aged 54 years passed away (7th February 1919) in Sunderland Royal Infirmary. On the 12th February 1919 he was laid to rest in the same plot as his wife.
So soon after the deaths of their parents grief would hit the remaining members of the family. Only twelve days after the death of his father, George passed away in the Jeffery War Hospital, Sunderland on the 19th February 1919 aged 29 years. He was laid to rest on the 23rd February 1919 in Section 3. Grave no. 878 of Southwick Cemetery. A CWGC headstone marks his final resting place.
The Jeffery War Hospital was situated in Monk Street, Monkwearmouth a walk of about twenty minutes from where the Potts family resided.
For his service to his country George was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
Note from NEWMP: The service number 44933 was checked with the CWGC who agreed that the number on their record was wrong, it should be 44923, and has been adjusted. The headstone will also be adjusted in die course.
