On Remembrance Sunday I am writing about what happened to a single local family in World War I. My main source is the newspaper, extracts from which are given in date order. No comments are, I think, necessary.
In the 1901 census the Jinks family were at 7 Aldborough Road, Bohemia, but by the 1911 census they had moved to 4 Oban Road, to the east of Battle Road.
They occupied the whole house of five rooms. The household was as follows.
Walter Jinks, head, 49, married 28 years, 12 children, 8 alive, plasterer for a builder, born St Leonards
Emily Jinks, wife, 52, born St Leonards
Lucy Jinks, daughter, 22, single, domestic, at home, born St Leonards
Albert Jinks, son, 16, single, gardener, born St Leonards
Charles Jinks, son, 14, born St Leonards
Edward Jinks, son, 11, born St Leonards
Kathleen Jinks, daughter, 9, born St Leonards
The couple had married at the Church in the Woods, Hollington, on the 19 June 1881. Walter was 19, a Hollington plasterer, which was young to get married. His bride, Emily Whiteman, was 21, also of Hollington. Both fathers were bricklayers.
Three of the sons have their photographs in the Hastings and St Leonards Pictorial Advertiser, 10 December 1914, along with many others on two pages.
The captions are as follows:
SERGT. ALFRED JINKS, 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. Dangerously wounded. Now in hospital at Bristol.
ALBERT JINKS. 1st Class Signalman. 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. At the Front.
PTE. CHARLES JINKS, Royal Sussex. Kitchener’s Army.
Three sons of Mr and Mrs W. Jinks, 4, Oban-road, Silverhill.
The same page also has a photo of Pte G. Paine, West Kent Buffs, son in law of Mr and Mrs W. Jinks, 4 Oban Road. George Henry Paine, 22, labourer, had married Rose Emily Jinks on the 21 July 1906 at St Matthew’s, Silverhill. Both gave 4 Oban Road as an address but they would of course not have been living together, and it was common to give a single address. His photo is given below.
Despite his being said to be serving at the Front, Albert had been killed on the 13 September 1914. That is the official date, but he is remembered at the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial in France rather than at his grave by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, as his body was never found. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a record for Rifleman Albert Jinks.
Hastings Observer, 8 July 1916:
Private C. Jinks, of the Royal Sussex, and a Silverhill soldier, has been in hospital suffering from mine shock. Private Jinks is the son of Mrs Jinks, of 4, Oban road, and he enlisted in September, 1914. He has only been at the Front a few months and although admitted to hospital suffering from shock he has since contracted fever from which, however, he is gradually recovering. Mrs Jinks’ eldest son, who is in the Rifle Brigade, has been wounded twice and she unfortunately lost another son, who was in the same regiment.
Charles was sent back to France, and his death is recorded as the 7th October 1916. His body was also never found, and he is remembered at the Thiepval Memorial. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a record for Private Charles Jinks.
Hastings Observer, 13 October 1917:
JINKS. – In ever loving memory of Rifleman Albert Jinks, who gave his life for his country on September 13th, 1914. Also Private Charles Jinks, who was killed in action October 7th, 1916.
In a far and distant country
Where the trees their branches were,
Lie two loving sons and brothers,
In their cold and silent graves;
They bade no one their last farewell,
They waved their hands to none;
Their spirits flew before they knew
That they from us were gone.
From Mother, Father, Sisters, and Brothers.
In the 1921 census, at 4 Oban Road, Walter Jinks was working as a plasterer for Hutchinson, builders at 237 London Road. Edward was the only child still at home, a bootmaker and repairer for A. Mills at Tower Road West. There was also a lodger.
Son in law George Henry Paine survived the war and was in Lydd, Kent in the 1921 census, where he died in 1953, survived by his widow.
Walter Jinks died in 1934 at hospital but of 4 Oban Road. His youngest daughter Kathleen Lily Jinks was executrix of his estate of £177. His widow died in 1945.
Going back to the childhood of the Jinks boys, I find it poignant that they, while not named, were involved while in innocent play in what was potentially a very serious incident. In the 1901 census at 7 Aldborough Road Alfred was 10, with three younger brothers; their father was away, and their mother was listed as an ironer and laundress. A few months later the story is told in the Hastings Observer, 24 August 1901.
FIRE At BOHEMIA. On Monday a call was received by the Local Fire Brigade, a little before noon, to the house of Mr Walter Jinks, plasterer, 7, Aldborough-road, Bohemia. Some children were left at home, the father being at work in Eastbourne, and the mother having gone to Crowhurst, and it is supposed that while playing with matches they set fire to the curtains in a top bedroom, which in turn ignited the bedding, etc., in the apartment. The No. 5 Section of the Fire Brigade was in attendance under Foreman Winser, and Lieutenant Councillor Cruttenden was immediately on the scene, quickly followed by Captain Alderman L.O. Glenister. The fire was extinguished with buckets of water, it not being found necessary to connect the hose. The house is the property of Mr Frederick Noakes, of St Peter’s-road, Bohemia, and is insured; but, unfortunately, the contents of the room are not.