WWI Trio. Royal Navy Reserve. Fulcher. Fenstanton and later Oswestry.

Correctly named EA1627 GFB Fulcher ERA RNR

George Frederick Brent Fulcher was born on Christmas Eve 1890 in Fenstanton, a parish of Cambridgeshire just south of Huntingdonshire.
His parents were George and Elizabeth.

We find the family in 1911 now living at The Workhouse of the Oswestry Incorporation where George Snr is the Master, a long held family tradition.

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“There had been a workhouse in Oswestry since 1776, originally opening in 1792 as the communal workhouse for Oswestry, Chirk and Llansilin.

After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 its scope was extended to take in people from many more of the surrounding parishes.

According to the 1881 census, 10 members of staff looked after 215 inmates whose ages ranged from 91 year old agricultural worker, Samuel Brown from Kinnerley to Sarah Evans from Oswestry who was just a month old.

Most of the inmates were from the local area, some came from as far afield as Ireland, Liverpool and Derby.

The workhouse at Morda was run for many years by members of the Fulcher family.

GEORGE FULCHER, Born Norfolk 1829. Post held: Master c1861-1898.

MARY FULCHER nee Brent, Born Stoke Poges, Bucks 1836. Post held: Teacher then Matron

GEORGE FULCHER, Born Morda 1865. Post held: Master 1898

ELIZABETH DORA FULCHER nee Boucher, Born Stratton Audley, Oxon 1851 Post held: Laundress and Assistant Matron

George Fulcher was born 15 January 1829 in Thetford, Norfolk he married Mary Brent in 1856. The 1861 census listed George was master of Oswestry House of Industry, Weston Cotton with his wife Mary worked as schoolmistress. They have four sons: James Thomas (1855) and William George (1858) both born in Bishops Castle and Frederick D.(1860) and George (1865) born in Morda. Over the next thirty years they continued working at the workhouse at Morda. Their eldest son James also taught at the workhouse for a time. By 1891 Mary had become the workhouse matron working alongside her husband.

Their son George was a clerk living in St Ives, Hants when he married Elizabeth Dora Boucher. She was the daughter of a school master they married on 31 August 1887. By 1891 George was a sanitary inspector and lived in Northampton. After the death of his father in 1898 he moved to take over the post of master at the Morda workhouse.

When George (senior) died the Workhouse Board noted the couple’s length of service and stated that their “Laudable service to the community, honesty, trustworthiness and characters as a God fearing couple” should be recorded. They went on to praise Mary for the way she had raised her son, George and “were ensured that he would follow his father as Master in the same manner”.

In 1901 George (junior) was master with his mother Mary as Matron and his wife Elizabeth Dora was listed as a Laundress. George and Elizabeth had five children of which four survived: Beatrice Mary (1888), George F. (1890), Mabel (1893) and Eva Gladys (1901)”

*** Extracted from Homefront Heroines.

By 1911, George had move to board at 85 Enfield Road in Newcastle and is working as an engine fitter, a break in tradition for work with the Fulchers.

He enlisted into the Royal Navy Reserve in January 1915 where his next of kin address being that of the Workhouse in Salop.

He served at many stations, mainly land stations, most likely due to his trade for working on engines.

He married Jane Cormack in 1921.

We find him listed in the London Gazette in 1936 after taking up the position of Assistant Employment Officer with the Civil Service, a job he is still doing in 1939 whilst living now at 204 Willow Street in Oswestry.

George died in 1973 whilst living at 138 Gorse Hill Caravan Park in Conway, North Wales.

The medals are swing mounted on a clasp with modern replacement ribbons.