Staveleys of Bawtry, Yorkshire

Bawtry, Yorkshire

John William Staveley was born in 1866 in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, to parents John and Mary Staveley of Newark. It is unknown what became of John's parents, but in 1871, at the age of 6 years, John is living with his grandparents, Joseph Staveley and Mary WATSON. He seems to have continued to live with his grandparents until his marriage to Elizabeth RADFORD in East Retford, Nottinghamshire in 1885. Bawtry is situated on the border between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, and in 1891 John and Elizabeth are residing in Mission, Nottinghamshire, just 3 miles to the northeast of Bawtry:

1891: Newington, Mission, Nottinghamshire, England

John STAVELY	Head	M	Male	26	Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, England	Railway Signalman
Elizabeth STAVELY	Wife	M	Female	25	Epperstone, Nottinghamshire, England
John W. STAVELY	Son	U	Male	2	Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, England
Albert STAVELY	Son	U	Male	1	Scaftworth, Nottinghamshire, England
Ada STAVELY	Daur	U	Female	1month	Newington, Mission, Nottinghamshire, England

By 1901 John Staveley and Elizabeth are living in Bawtry, near the railyway tracks, on Swan Street:

1901: Swan St., Bawtry, Yorkshire, England

John STAVELY	Head	M	Male	36	Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, England	Railway Railman
Elizabeth STAVELY	Wife	M	Female	35	Epperstone, Nottinghamshire, England
John W. STAVELY	Son	U	Male	12	Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, England	Scholar
Albert STAVELY	Son	U	Male	11	Scaftworth, Nottinghamshire, England	Scholar
Ada STAVELY	Daur	U	Female	10	Newington, Nottinghamshire, England	Scholar
Harold STAVELY	Son	U	Male	7	Bawtry, Yorkshire, England	Scholar
Arthur STAVELY	Son	U	Male	3	Bawtry, Yorkshire, England	Scholar

Son Arthur married Nellie L. PICKNEY in 1921, and had a daughter Phillis Mary in 1922.

Daughter Ada married Cyril WARDLEY in 1927.

John's wife Elizabeth died in 1929 at the age of 63 years. John died in 1933 at the age of 68 years. John and Elizabeth lost two sons during World War 1, and a grandson during World War 2. The War Memorial located within St. Nicholas Church in Bawtry commemorates the sacrifice made by these Staveley men.

John and Elizabeth's son, John William Staveley, was a Serjeant enlisted in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during World War 1. He died on August 10, 1916 at the age of 27 years, of wounds received during the conflict, and is buried in the Ferme-Olivier cemetery in Ieper, Belgium.

Son Albert married Helen GRAVES in 1909. In 1915, at the time of the first World War, Albert and Helen were living at 91 Wheatley Lane in Doncaster, and Albert was a Lamp Lighter by trade. He was drafted into the Leicestershire Regiment (3rd Bttn) on March 3, 1915, and discharged in 1917.

Albert Staveley attained the rank of Lance Corporal in the Leicestershire Regiment. Sadly, he died on September 2, 1918 at the age of 29 years, and is buried in Doncaster Hyde Park Cemetery. Helen and Albert had three children, daughters Annie, and Hilda W., and a son Albert R. Staveley who was born the same quarter as his father's death in 1918.

John and Elizabeth's son Harold married Ellen BARKER in Clifton, Yorkshire on October 30, 1915. They appear to have had two children born in York, John H, and Ronald William, and possibly a third child Harry born in Scarborough, though not yet confirmed. Harold's son Ronald served as a Flight Sergeant (pilot) in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Ronald William Staveley joined the 112th Fighter Squadron on March 14, 1943. The following month, on May 11th, Ronald's Kittyhawk MK III was hit by anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to land at Hammamet, Tunisia. On July 30th, his plane was shot down again, near Giordini.

Ronald W. Staveley died September 18, 1943

After six months of action, Ronald William Staveley died at the young age of 21 years, on September 18, 1943, after his plane was shot down during a strafing attack, near Grottaglie, southern Italy. Ronald is buried at the Salerno War Cemetery. There is also a memorial to Ronald William Staveley in the church of St. Nicholas, Bawtry (pictured left).