Walter Charles Henry Bates – 70 Scotgate

In 1911 Walter was an 11 year old schoolboy living (or lodging) with a widow, Mary Ann Saunders at 70 Scotgate.  There were 2 other men both chauffeurs living there.  A possible connection between Mrs Saunders and Walter is that her husband had been a groom and Walter’s father was also a groom however it is not clear why he was living there because his parents were also living in Stamford.

The family previously lived at 2 Crown Lane (1901) and before that in Greetham but in 1911 Walter’s parents were living in with his older sister Ethel at 32 Empingham Road so why was Walter not with them? Perhaps the explanation had something to do with the fact that it had been a large family? His parents had had 9 children but sadly only 3 were alive in 1911.  Ethel was an employee at a printer’s Litho Works.    The other surviving sister, Caroline, born 1896, was working as a servant in St Martin’s in 1901 and probably in London in 1911.

Walter enlisted in the Signal Service of the Leicestershire Regiment in January 1917. He was mobilised with the Northern Command in March 1918 about the time of his 18th birthday but being under 19 years old at the end of the War, does not seem to have served abroad. He was demobilised in January 1919.

Walter married Annie Stangar in 1936 and died aged 54 years.