8th December 2015 JOHN EXTON – 4 East Street John William Exton was the eldest surviving child of Harry Exton, born in Easton-on-the-Hill and Mary Ann Jeffries of Stamford who married in 1894. He was born in Grantham on June 1st 1898 but by 1901 they were living at 7 Belgrave Terrace. Harry was working as a builder’s labourer but he died in 1908 aged 38 years. Of their 10 children only 4 were alive and living with their mother in 1911 at 4 East Street – John 12 years, Mary 9 years, Harriet 6 years and Daniel 2 years. Mary Ann was a Marine Store Sorter and she had a boarder who was a general labourer. King Edward VII sinking Jan 6th 1916 In September 1913 when he would have been 15 years old, John joined the Navy. His first ‘ship’ was the Impregnable, a training establishment at Devonport. From October 1914 to January 1916 he was serving on the King Edward VII, part of the 3rd Battle Squadron which was on the Northern Patrol. On 6th January 1916 the King Edward VII was on her way from Scapa Flow to Belfast for a refit when she was hit by a mine off Cape Wrath. Several attempts were made to tow her to safety but she sank 4hrs later. The Captain decided to abandon ship in time and all the men but one were taken off. Edinburgh Castle In June 1916, on his 18th birthday, John became an Able Seaman. He was described as having a fresh complexion and had scars on his chest and left shin and tattoos on his arms. As well as periods at training establishments he served on the Hibernia based on the River Medway and then on the Edinburgh Castle, an armed merchant cruiser, which spent from January 1918 to February 1919 on convoy duty in the South Atlantic. He spent part of 1919 in the Russian port of Archangel before returning to Chatham in October. In January 1920 John joined the Royal fleet Reserve for which he would have been paid a retainer and obliged to attend periods of training. He was demobilised in June 1921. Throughout his naval service, John Exton’s ability was described as Satisfactory and his character as Good or Very Good. Clearly he had an adventurous and successful career taking him a long way from East St, Stamford. It is not known if he ever returned to the area.