Frank Chivers (1896-1912)

Son of George ( 1868-1935) and Elizabeth (1863-1947) . Appears on their 1901 and 1911 censuses.

He was age 17yrs. in 1911 and   was working at The Mill.

He had a scholarship to attend Newbury Grammar School

He died in 1912.

Extract from Frances Berry’s book  A Newbury Family” Page 62 includes a  photograph of the funeral.

 “The following Spring the family experienced a tragedy which started with but a seemingly small incident, but ended with sadness and tears. Frank had taken a job at the Town Mills helping with the delivery of sacks of flour to various places in the town and had just taken a large and very weighty sack on his back to load onto the trap when the driver became impatient and sent him reeling with a kick from his boot, with the result that the sack swung round wrenching Frank’s body as he resisted the blow and tried to keep hold of it. Over the next few weeks he suffered terrible agonising pain and the doctor, unable to find the cause, arranged for him to be sent to hospital St. Bartholomew’s in London where the doctors there could do nothing for him and sadly he died. It was a dreadfully distressing time for the family and indeed his fiancée to lose him and naturally Elizabeth recalled the heartache she had suffered losing both her parents in her youth. Col. Serg. Inst. Butler from E. Company of the Territorials of which Frank was such a dedicated member playing the drums, proposed that he be honoured with a military funeral the arrangements for which would be made by him and George, Elizabeth and family accepted his offer and so it was that the occasion was reported in the Newbury Weekly News in a most detailed and sympathetic fashion. Gertrude had the task of sending the bad news to James whom she knew would mourn her dear brother, as they had been good friends as indeed all members of both families were.”

Ref Findmypast and Frances Berry’s book “ A Newbury Family”

FRANK CHIVERS

CHIVERS : June 29 at St Bartholomew’s Hospital,London, Frank second son of George and Eliza Chivers,Pembroke Road, Newbury, aged 18 years.  “So He giveth His beloved sleep”

Newbury Weekly News : 3 July 1912

FRANK CHIVERS (1896 – 1912)

Frank was the second son of George, a baker, and Elizabeth Chivers. On the 1911 census he was living with his parents in Pembroke Road.

Frank had won a scholarship to Newbury Grammar School. His ambition was to reach a senior level where he could wear a straw boater!

In the spring of 1912, he was working at the Town Mills delivering sacks of flour and had just taken a large and very weighty sack on his back to load onto the trap, when the driver became impatient and sent him reeling with a kick from his boot, with the result that the sack swung round wrenching Frank’s body as he resisted the blow and tried to keep hold of it. Over the next few weeks, he suffered terrible agonising pain was sent to London’s St. Bartholomew’s hospital where sadly he died.

The Territorials of which Frank was such a dedicated member playing the drums, proposed that he be honoured with a military funeral, which was reported in the Newbury Weekly News. It is very unusual to have a photo of a funeral.

Sylvia Sellwood