ALVEY, Harry [of Beeston and Nottingham]

Sherwood Foresters (Notts. & Derby Regiment) 15th Battalion

Born: Beeston 1892       Died: 22nd April 1918, France

Sgt Harry Alvey, of the Sherwood Foresters, died on the Somme on April 22, 1918 after being hit by an enemy shell.  He is buried at Martinsart Military Cemetery in France.

Harry was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Alvey, who married at St Saviour’s Church, The Meadows on Christmas Day, 1883.  Harry was born in Beeston in 1892.

Harry’s father worked in the textile industry. At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at 48 Lambert Street, Hyson Green. Harry had two brothers, James and Sam, and two sisters, Lizzie and Edith.

Later the family moved to 24 Hollis Street, New Basford and Harry became a furniture upholsterer.

In early 1915, Harry married Elsie Brady Waddington, of Kirke White Street, The Meadows and later that year their only child, Alicia, was born.

Harry joined the Sherwood Foresters and was a sergeant at the time of his death. There were numerous death notices in the local newspapers and his widow Elsie continued to remember the anniversary of his death in the newspapers until the late 1920s.

The notices indicate that both of Harry’s brothers also served abroad in the forces.

In 1938, Harry’s daughter Alicia married Thomas Murden in Nottingham. Their son Michael was born in 1945.

In 1956, Alicia, her husband Thomas, Michael and Elsie emigrated to New Zealand from their home in Mapperley.

Elsie, Alicia and Thomas all died in New Zealand - Elsie in 1973, Thomas in 1988 and Alicia in 2004.

If anyone has any further information about the Alvey family, especially photographs, contact Hilary Waring at the Local Studies Library on 0115 9152873 or email  local_studies.library@nottinghamcity.gov.uk