Lives of the First World War

1886 - 11th April 1936

George William Liberty married Lottie Richmond Baker, whose sister Ada married Frederick's brother Edwin Arthur Purton, thus George became brother-in-law to the Purtons. LIBERTY, George, Royal Engineers is listed on the Little Gaddesden Roll of Honour, but no record of his service in that regiment has been found. He cannot, therefore, be assigned an independent life story, nor can Edwin or Reginald Purton, so details of his life have been added to Frederick's life story. George William Liberty was born at Hudnall in 1886 (2nd Quarter), the only child of Annie Elizabeth and George Liberty, who was Forester to Earl Brownlow. George William was baptised at St Peter and St Paul, Little Gaddesden on 3rd June that year. In the 1891 Census, George, aged 4 and his parents are living at 8 Hudnall, where, a Scholar aged 14, he is still living in 1901. On 10th October 1907, aged 20, George married Lottie Richmond Baker at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone Road, London. Lottie, born 15th September 1882, was a Laundry Maid, working for Lord and Lady Brownlow at Belton and Ashridge. Their first son Charles George William was born on 25th January 1908 and their second, Fred, on 2nd October 1910. In 1911, George, Lottie and their sons were back at 8 Hudnall, living with his parents; George was a House Carpenter. His mother died aged 65, just after the 1911 Census, and was buried at Little Gaddesden on 8th April. His father remained at 8 Hudnall and, in 1917 (2nd Quarter), married Eliza Palmer but the marriage lasted only 4 years until his death in October 1921; he was buried at Little Gaddesden on 19th October. Details of George William's war service, other than the Roll of Honour entry, have not been found but from 1919 onwards he and his wife Lottie are shown on Electoral Registers living at 5 Little Gaddesden, from which Lottie ran a tea garden. George died aged 49 on 11th April 1936 and was buried in Little Gaddesden Old Churchyard, but he has no headstone. The 1939 Register shows both Lottie and George's step-mother Eliza living at No 5, where they remained until their deaths. Lottie died aged 82 on 3rd February 1964 and Eliza aged 97 on 1st January 1966. Her longevity was a source of wonder in the village and those who have lived there long enough may still think of No 5 as "Mrs Liberty's". Eliza was buried with her husband George in Little Gaddesden Old Churchyard.

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