George Bowman
The soldier:
George Bowman enlisted into the army in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. He was assigned to the Norfolk Regiment and given regimental number 29756. He was killed in action on the 30th November 1917, aged just 20 whilst serving as a Private in its 7th Battalion.
George is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France (Panel 4) alongside 7047 other officers and men of the British Empire who fell in the battle of Cambrai between the 20th November and 3rd December 1917.
His name also is inscribed on both of Snettisham’s war memorials and appears on its ‘roll of honour’.
The man:
George Bowman was born on the 4th June 1897 in Dersingham, Norfolk to John Thomas and Harriet Elizabeth Bowman (nee Minns). George and Harriet had been married in St. Mary’s church, Snettisham on the 19th January 1895.
He was baptised on the 4th July 1897 in Dersingham Church by FW Palmer (This is the same local clergyman who lost his son to the war and whose name appears alongside George’s on its memorials). George’s father, John’s occupation was listed as a ‘Bricklayer’.
George was the oldest child. However he was later joined in the family by; Harry William (b. 27th May 1899), Daisy May (b. 19th May 1901), Honor Francis (b.21st May 1903), James William (b.21st June 1908) and Rose Mary (b.15th December 1912).
In the 1901 census, George aged 4 was shown as visiting at his mother’s parents address in Dersingham. Also at the address were his grandparents Asher(53) and Susan (47) Minns and their children and his uncles and aunts; Harry (18), Frances (16) and James (14).
By the 1911 census George’s family were well-established in Snettisham living at an address in Cursons Alley, Victoria Yard. John, George’s father was now 48 and his mother Harriet 36, George was 13 and all of the children were still at home.
George attended Snettisham School (Snettisham’s still existing Primary School) from the 1st June 1905 until the 9th June 1911. He was shown ‘at home’ upon leaving.
All of George’s siblings attended the school also. Daisy went there in two stages, between the 14th October 1908 and the 7th September 1909 and the 12th September 1910 to the 25th May 1915. Upon her readmission the last school attended was noted as ‘Leicester’ although it would appear her time away was alone as all of her siblings stayed continually throughout their schooling.
Also of note is the fact that Honor went by the name of ‘Peggy’ at school. Honor had just left the school (21st May 1917) when George died but James and Rose Mary were still pupils there.
George’s family mainly remained ‘local’ after his death.
John, his father died in Snettisham in December 1934, aged 72. His mother Harriet also died in Snettisham in December 1938, aged 62.
His brother Henry died aged 72 in 1972 again in Snettisham and his sister Honor/Peggy died in Kings Lynn, aged 84 in April 1988.
George’s youngest sister Rose Mary married George Rex Carter in June 1938 in St. Mary’s Church, Snettisham. They stayed in the village and went on to have three children there Raymond, Elizabeth and Gerald. Rose Mary died in Snettisham in October 2000, aged 88.
picture: George Bowman’s sister Rose Mary with her husband George Rex Carter in their later years – with thanks to Pamela Blake, Ancestry.com
