George Henry Benstead
The soldier:
George Henry Benstead joined the army on the 3rd December 1916, enlisting in Sheffield at the age of 32. He was assigned to the York and Lancashire Regiment and given regimental number 202680.
George’s enlistment papers recorded his home address as 157, Hunterhouse Road, Sheffield and his occupation as a ‘Cashier’. They also named his mother Mary Maria Benstead of Providence Place, Snettisham, clearly linking him to the Snettisham Bensteads.
George left Southampton on 13th January 1917 with colleagues, arriving in Le Havre, France on the 14th January 1917.
On the 1st April 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal in the field whilst serving in the 2nd/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion of the York and Lancashire Regiment.
On the 3rd May 1917, at the age of 33 and only six months from enlisting, George Henry Benstead was reported ‘missing in action’. This was later amended to ‘killed in action’ by the army.
George’s personal effects were later returned to his mother, Mary, at the Providence Place, Snettisham address.
George Henry Benstead is commemorated on Bay 8 of the Arras Memorial Pas de Calais, France. His name also appears on both of Snettisham’s memorials and its ‘Roll of honour’.
The man:
George Henry Benstead was born on the 27th April 1884 in Snettisham, Norfolk to George and Mary Maria Benstead (nee Mitchell).
George (George Henry’s father) and Mary had married in St Mary’s Church, Snettisham on the 29th October 1879. In the 1881 census, George Snr’s occupation was listed as ‘housepainter’. The newlywed George Snr. and Mary were shown residing at an address in Snettisham with George Snr’s sisters Louisa (aged 14 – a dressmaker) and Mary A (aged 12 -at school).
George Henry was baptised in Snettisham in May/June 1884, this being registered in Docking.
George had two younger siblings; Ernest John (later known as Jack at school) born 2nd February 1887 and Percy W born 31st October 1888.
All 3 boys attended Snettisham school (still existing as Snettisham’s Primary School). George completing just under 6 years from the 25th June 1890 to 5th February 1896, when he was recorded as having ‘left for another school’. Jack attended from the 1st June 1893 to the 7th October 1898 when he was recorded as having left for ‘Grammar School’. Percy attended from the 31st October 1898 to the 14th November 1902, his entire schooling, leaving to go to work.
In the 1891 census, George Snr., Mary, George and Percy are all living in Snettisham. George is now 38 and still working as a ‘housepainter’. Mary is 39, George is 6 and Percy 2. Interestingly, Ernest/Jack (who would have been 4) is shown not at the family address.
By the 1901 census the family are still living in Snettisham at an address on the Lynn Road. George Snr. is now 48 and Mary 49. Both Ernest (now 14) and Percy (now 12) are at the family home but George has left home.
In the 1901 census, 16 year old George has moved to an address on Mildmay Road, Romford in Essex, where he has taken a room with the Bennett family. Georges occupation is recorded as a ‘brewers clerk’.
In 1907, George’s father George Snr. died in Snettisham, the death being recorded in Docking. George Snr. was 54 years old at the time and George 22.
By the 1911 census, George’s mother Mary was living at the Providence place, Snettisham address with Percy who was now 22.
George (now 26) was living at 52, Como Street, Romford in Essex, lodging with the Adams family. His occupation is still as a ‘brewers clerk’ and he is recorded as ‘single’.
Ernest (now 24) had left the family home and had joined the Metropolitan Police in London, his address being recorded as ‘Carter Street, Section House, Walthworth’.
Both Ernest and Percy survived the war, both serving their country in different ways.
Ernest completed his police service to retire a police pensioner and Percy joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1914 (enlisting before George) rising to the rank of Corporal and tending to the sick, injured and dying throughout the wars course until his discharge in 1919.
