William Humberstone, a wheelwright, married Mary Ann Fitch in 1891. Ernest was born in Stamford in 1894 and at the time of the 1901 census they were living at 6b Rock Road (later the home of another of our Boys, Reginald Clark). Only a couple of weeks after the census Mary died, probably after giving birth to Dorothy Annie Mary.

In June 1902 William Humberstone married Alberta Meadwell, the daughter of another wheelwright. She had been a pupil teacher but after the birth of her illegitimate son kept house for her father and her sister who was described as an ‘imbecile from childhood’. She was probably glad to exchange this for the care of William’s 2 young children then 7 and 1 year.

In 1911 William was a wheelwright at Hayes Carriage Works and his stepson, Albert Meadwell aged 22 , was presumably working with him as a wheelwright’s labourer. Ernest his son was an apprentice carpenter in 1911.

Ernest and Albert both enlisted on 1st September 1914 and joined the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. In July 1915 Albert was wounded in the right foot while serving in the Dardanelles and he died of typhoid on 16th August at Kasr el Airy, Cairo.

In July 1915 Ernest too had been posted to the Balkans and saw service at Gallipoli, in Egypt and then in France. He achieved the rank of Lance Corporal and was awarded the British and Victory medals and the 1914/15 Star.

Ernest was demobbed on 1st February 1919 and a few months later married Hilda A Foster in Market Harborough. Their daughter Mary was born in 1920 but sadly Ernest died in June 1924. His widow remarried in 1928 to Osman H Mould also of Stamford.

Ernest’s sister, Dorothy married Sidney Smith in 1925 and his father, William, outlived him by 25 years dying in 1950 aged 81 years.