George William Owers (1888-1972)
Boldon Colliery man emigrated to Canada before returning to serve in British Army
George William Owers was born on 18 February 1888 in Boldon Colliery and was baptised three weeks later in Sunderland. He was the oldest son of the twelve children born to coal miner George senior and his Suffolk born wife, Jane. The couple’s oldest child being Lillie born in 1884, and the youngest Reuben in 1905. In 1897, when the family moved to Jarrow, father George started his own business as a coal merchant, and all the younger children were born there.
In 1906 George junior left for Canada, returning to England a couple of years later; on 8 August 1910 he married Florence White in Jarrow. By census day the following year, he was working as a cartman and he, Florence and their young son, also called George William, were lodging with the Proud family in Blaydon. In 1912 the rest of George’s family emigrated to Canada and joined his father in Manitoba.
On 15 February 1915 George enlisted in the British Army and became Private 15454 of the Coldstream Guards. It is known that he was wounded in April 1916. He and Florence had a second son in 1918, named Frederick John for his uncle who had lost his life in the trenches earlier that year.
George William Owers died in December 1972 in Durham northern registration district.
Civil Parish: Jarrow
Birth date: 15-Feb-1888
Death date: 1972
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 19 West Terrace, Boldon Colliery (1891 census)
1 Derby Street, Jarrow (1901 census)
65 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay (1911 census)
Coldwell, Selkirk, Manitoba (1916 Canadian census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
31 Barlow Street, Blaydon(1911 census)
71 Salem Street, Jarrow (enlistment papers)
Religion: Methodist
Employment: Cartman (1911 census)
Labourer (enlistment papers)
Family: Parents: George Owers, Jane Owers nee Potter
Siblings: Lillie Owers, Thirza Owers, Frederick John Owers, Mary Ann (Polly) Owers, Mahala Jane Owers, Robert Henry Owers, Amy Ada Owers, Albert Edward Owers, James Alfred Owers, Edwin Ernest Owers, Reuben Potter Owers
Wife: Florence White
Children: George William Owers, Frederick John Owers
Military service:
15454
Private
Coldstream Guards
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham
