Grandparents

George’s paternal grandparents were William and Ann Mellor who lived on Barlow Moor Road. William was born about 1832 in Withington and worked as a gardener. Ann was born in Withington about 1835. They had 6 children, of whom the third was George’s father, also called William.

The maternal grandparents were George and Emma Washington. George was born about 1836 in Ketley Bank near Ironbridge. He worked as a puddler in a forge and later as a coachman. Emma was born in Red Lake, Telford, about 1841. They had 6 children, the second being George’s mother, Mary.

Parents

William Mellor was born in Withington about 1864. In 1871 he was a grocer’s assistant and in 1891 at the age of 27 he was a nurseryman. Mary Washington was born in Ketley Bank about 1870. In the 1891 census she lived at 124 Lansdowne Rd, aged 20 and working as a servant for Edward Lavey, a waterproof manufacturer.

William and Mary married at Christ Church on 8 July 1891. In 1901 they were living at 17 Moor St, West Didsbury, and William was a florist and gardener. By 1911 Mary was widowed and working as a domestic washerwoman. The couple had 6 children, one of whom had died by 1911.

George

George was born in West Didsbury on 28 April 1896 and baptised at Christ Church on 10 June 1896. He attended Cavendish Road School and is named on the school war memorial. At the age of 14 he was an apprentice plumber.

He served as a private with the 19th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, service number 52227. He died on 23 July 1917, aged 21. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Panel 4 and 6. At the time of his death his mother still lived at 17 Moor St.