George Bertram Fisher's life story

George Bertram Fisher's life story

Descendants of George Bertram Fisher & Ellen Louise Staker Generation No. 1 1. GEORGE BERTRAM3 FISHER (HENRY THOMAS2, ROBERT BURGE1) was born Abt. 1887 in Believed to be Limehouse, London, England, and died June 12, 1916 in Haslar Military Hospital, Hants, England, of spotted fever, age 29.. He married ELLEN LOUISE STAKER June 08, 1909 in parish church, Albourne, Sussex. She was born Abt. 1886, and died Unknown. Notes for GEORGE BERTRAM FISHER: Claude's brother George Bertram Fisher was sent to the Portsea Union Workhouse at Portsea, Hants. It is understood that George was sent (or almost sent) to Canada but his mother got him back. George married an Ellen (Nellie) Louise Staker (who married a Clark after George's death), they lived at Ham Farm in Sidesham, and they had 5 children (George, William (both b.1910 Sidesham), Percy, Jack and Grace (born in Cosham). They later moved to Havant, Wilts. He was a Sapper in the 1st/7th Hants Works Coy., Royal Engineers,ID#1702, and died in 1916 (during WWI) at Haslar Military Hospital of spotted fever (typhus or meningitis), Monday June 12, 1916 age 29. Buried in Havant and Waterloo Cemetery in Hampshire, UK. George's name is on the war memorial inside St. Bartholomew's church in Albourne, Sussex and on the war memorial at Havant, Wilts. where he is buried. For more detail, see notes under Claude. George did come to Canada as a teenager (1900-1907 approx.) to stay with Claude and stayed several years, according to Dorothy Banfield Faulkner, George & Claude's half sister back in England. However, George didn't like the Canadian winters and returned to Albourne, Sussex. George's Military papers indicate he was a bricklayer, 135 lbs, chest 34 inches, height 5 ft 4-1/2", good health on signup, vaccinated in infancy on left arm. Papers also list his unit as 3/2nd* (differs from paragraph above) Coy, Hants Works, Royal Engineers. George's signature was strong and clear. MARRIAGE: Marriage Certificate, entry #148, Reg. Dist. Cuckfield, parish church of Albourne, Sussex, June 8, 1909. George Bertram Fisher, age 22, bachelor, cowman, residence Albourne; father Thomas Henry Fisher, packing case maker; married Ellen Louise Staker, age 23, spinster, (no profession), residence Albourne, father: William Staker, timber merchant. By banns. Wit: William and Elizabeth Lindfield. The telegram delivered to military headquarters on George's death read: "1702 Sap(per) Fisher died from exhaustion on heart failure after spotted fever". Signed "O.C. 1/7 Hants Field Coy., Farlington Redoubt, Cosham. Dated 4 July, 1916. A letter from Nellie to the Colonel of Records in Chatham, Kent, England, dated Jan 31, 1918 reads: "Sir, In reply to your letter of the 30th inst., the body of my late husband #1702 Sapper Fisher, G.B., was conveyed by road on a gun carriage from the Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, to Havant, and the number of the grave is 1280. " Signed by Ellen Louise Fisher. Ellen lived at 4 Church Rd., South Hayling, Hants, after she remarried to Clark. In military papers on official record, sent to me by Natalie Bourne of England (a descendant of George's mother & second family) dated 21 August 1919, listed all five children, mentioned full brother Claude Victor Fisher age 33 at 30 St. James Street London, Ontario, Canada, and half siblings Thomas Banfield age 19 with army occupation Rhine and Alice Banfield 20 and Kate Banfield 17 both of Spring Cottage, Albourne, Sussex. No grandparents, nephews/nieces/aunts/uncles by blood were mentioned. Mentioned mother Louise Banfield of Spring Cottage, alive in 1919 and father listed as deceased by 1919. May have enlisted at Portsmouth 22/1/1915. George's grave can be located in the cemetery by the following direction: from the Eastern Road entrance, stay on pathway straight ahead and walk towards small building in centre of the circular path. Take left side of path and walk around circle, past holocaust memorial and take path towards the end of the cemetery. Pass 6 graves (at time of writing), the last of which is Charles Lewis 2008 and marked with a desk top style memorial. Turn to face this grave, and George Fisher's is 6 graves behind going towards the centre of this area. Gravestone is a typical military tablet type with royal emblem at top and a cross in centre of tablet. Words written around the cross. A letter in 2005 from a local historian in Albourne, Sussex, recounted a very old story about George which has been passed down for 100 years, in that "George was quite a character in his school days and one of his tricks was to climb the big oak tree that grows below the old school playground and he would stand up pretending to be a vicar and proceed to give sermons to the kids watching below. Not many local stories last a hundred years." More About GEORGE BERTRAM FISHER: Burial: 1916, Havant and Waterloo Cemetery, Hampshire, UK, grave #G1280 Notes for ELLEN LOUIS

Created by: , Mary100668

  • Born 1887

    Died 1916

    British Army 1702 Sapper Royal Engineers 1st/7th Hants Works Company