Yarn drier Samuel Fox (1868-1949) married shoe machinist Esther Thurman (1871-1941) on Boxing Day 1892 at St Michael’s Belgrave. They had 4 boys and 2 girls: Samuel Ernest (1895-1969), William (1904-1981), Albert (1907-1990), Stanley (1909-) and Lily (1897-1968), Edith (1899-1981). They lived at 35 St Bernard Street between 1900 and 1903 and moved to 2 Mellor Street in 1911. The Fox family were members of the St Martin’s congregation in 1909; by now Samuel senior worked as a warehouse man for a worsted spinner.
Samuel Ernest was born on 7th April 1895. By age 15 he worked as a chamois leather dresser. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a private soldier at some point during the war – no service record survives. After the war he returned to live with his parents, who moved to 27 Belgrave Avenue before 1918. He married Gladys May Dilks (1899-1971) at 2.30pm on Christmas day 1919, at St Peter’s, Belgrave. He worked as a leather dresser. Gladys was then 3 months pregnant with their son Roy (1920-2001).
Samuel and Gladys moved to 144 Checketts Road in 1937, which was then a brand new house. They remained living there for the rest of their lives. Samuel worked as a hosiery interlock machinist and Gladys as a hospital charwoman, perhaps at the Towers hospital which was nearby. Samuel died in in December 1969 aged 74. Gladys died 18 months later. Both were buried at Belgrave Cemetery along with Samuel’s parents Samuel and Esther. Son Roy was also buried with his parents, in 2001.
The War and St Martin's 