George Howes

Private - 18372 - 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment

George Howes, the son of William Edmund Howes and his wife Mary Ann (Larter), was born on 24th September 1894 in Swardeston, Norfolk. He was the fourth of William and Mary's five children, Ellen (1887), Ethel (1890), Walter (1892) and Herbert (1899). William Edmund Howes was the illegitimate son of Ann Maria Howes and was brought up by his grandparents Richard Howes and Hannah (Palmer), initially in Scott's Terrace, Mulbarton (by the turnpike) and later by the common in Swardeston. Hannah died in April 1881 and, when William married Mary Larter in 1887, Richard continued to live in the same cottage by Swardeston common with William, Mary and their growing family until his death in May 1891. William was a gardener (not domestic) by trade which meant he worked on one of the many market gardens in Swardeston for which the village was renowned.

His father William died in late 1905 when George was just 11 years old and his mother Mary passed away just 18 months later leaving the five children, between the ages of 6 and 19, orphaned. Ellen was by now working as a cook for a chartered accountant in Christchurch Road, Norwich. Ethel married Sydney White, a butcher, originally from Great Yarmouth who moved to Swardeston with his parents and siblings in 1890 and continued to live in the village after his marriage to Ethel. Walter went to live with his uncle George Larter and aunt Sarah in East Carleton while George and younger brother Herbert went to live with their uncle Harry Larter and aunt Charlotta in Swardeston.

George joined the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment with the rank of Private, with Service No. 18372. This has been arrived at by a process of deduction as there are at least three George Howes in the Norfolks during WW1 but all the others we can find either died during the war or have some family member mentioned somewhere in their surviving records that indicate that they are not "our George". George Howes, 18372, is the only one left! His army records do not survive but we know he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. As with his older brother Walter he did not get the 1914 or 1914-15 Star so one can assume he did not join the army until at least 1916.

Records appear to indicate that George died in early 1976 at the age of 81 without ever having married.

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