Colin McMillan has provided the following:
In 1891 George Watson Elliott was 2 and the youngest child of 47 year old John Elliott, a slater, and 41 year old Jane Elliott. George had six siblings, four sisters and two bothers whose ages ranged between 5 and 14 years old. All the children as well as the parents were born in Wooler and at the time of census were living in Church Street, Wooler.
By 1901 several changes had taken place. Jane (50) was widowed and now head of the household. Some of the older children, Thomas, Jane and Sarah had left home but the family had been added to by the addition of 9 year old Nona and 7 year old Marion. George was 12 and still at school. Older siblings Mary (26) and Isabella (19) were still living with the family as was John (15) who was an apprentice joiner. They still lived at Church Street, Wooler.
The 1911 census shows that the family had moved to Morpeth and were living at 2 Wansbeck Street. Jane (61) was no longer the head of the household as that role had been taken over by John (25) who was single and worked as a colliery labourer above ground. The older sisters Mary and Isabella who would have been 36 and 29 respectively were no longer there.
We don’t know when or where George joined the army. At one time he served with the Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 51171 but at a later time transferred to the 2/4 Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment with service number 30736. It was with the latter that George was killed in action on 27th November 1917 when aged 29.
Morpeth Herald 14/12/1917 carries a brief obituary:
Private George Watson Elliott, of Morpeth, has been killed in action. The following letter has been received by his sister, Miss Elliott, Pretoria Avenue, Morpeth, from Lieut. Wright:- “It is with the deepest regret that I have to inform you of the death in action on November 27th of your brother.
“He was a very good soldier and his loss is felt very keenly by the whole of the company. There may be some small comfort to you in knowing that his death was instantaneous, and up to the time of his being hit he was in the best of spirits. I wish to extend to you the heartfelt sympathy of the officers, N.C.O.s, and men of your brother’s company in your sad bereavement.”
ROLL OF HONOUR
ELLIOTT.- Killed in action on November 27th, aged 29 years, Private George Watson Elliott, East Lancs Regiment, of 3 Pretoria Avenue, Morpeth, formerly of Church Street, Wooler, son of the late John and Jane Elliott and brother of T.W. Elliott, 12 Croydon Road, Newcastle.
George Watson Elliott is remembered in Morpeth on M17.01 M17.09 and M17.29 and at Wooler on W68.02
