Arthur George Wells

Private - Service No. 27462 - Coldstream Guards

Arthur George Wells, the son of George Thomas Wells and his wife Jemima Allard (Breeze), was born on 22nd July 1876 in North Walsham, Norfolk. He was the third of six children, Catherine (1873), Anne (1874), Ellen (1881), Mabel (1883), and Barnard (1893). George and Jemima married on 25th August 1872 at North Walsham, Norfolk, and lived there until the late 1880s when they moved to Honing, Norfolk. George was born and raised in Blickling and worked as a carter when he first left school, at the age of 11, but soon moved to lodge in North Walsham and gained work as a wood sawyer. He continued this trade, at North Walsham and then Honing, until his death, in September 1910, at the age of 63. Jemima continued living at Honing, with her children Anne, Mabel and Barnard, until her death in May 1916, at the age of 65.

Having been born and raised in North Walsham Arthur left school and found work as a painter's labourer but when old enough decided to join the police force. He became a police constable lodging in Cromer for a time. In 1911 Arthur was lodging with a retired police officer and his family in Nordelph near Downham Market, still working as a police constable.

Arthur enlisted into the general service army reserves on 2nd March 1916 and was called up for service with the Coldstream Guards on 1st May 1918. At this time, his parents both being dead, Arthur stated his next of kin as his elder sister (Catherine) Matilda, by now married to Albert Lambert and living in Sussex where she worked as a teacher. Arthur was initially posted to Caterham, Surrey, not far from his sister but on 11th September 1918 he married Lilian Elizabeth Morter at Swardeston. Lilian was also a teacher and this may possibly be how the two met, via Arthur's sister Matilda. The "next of kin" details on Arthur's army records were duly changed to his new wife who continued to live with her parents in Swardeston while Arthur was away on army duties.

Lilian was born in Swardeston in 1879, the daughter of Adolphus Morter, a glazier and painter, and his wife Agnes (Coleman). Lilian trained and worked as a teacher at elementary school. Arthur appears to have served all of his time with the Coldstream Guards at Caterham and was discharged to the reserves on 12th January 1919. As Arthur did not join the army until 1918 and did not serve abroard he was not awarded any medals for his war service. His army service records survive. Upon his arrival back in Norfolk Arthur and Lilian settled near Walsingham, Norfolk and had a son, Jack, at the beginning of 1920. Jack appears to have been the couple's only child. As yet it has proved impossible to trace a marriage or death for Jack V Wells.

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