Cecil Knighton

Census Address: 2 Belgrave Terrace
Place of Birth: Stamford
Date of Birth: 1894
Enlistment Address: --
Regiment: --
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Place of Death: --
Date Died: --
Belgrave Terrace, off North Street

Cecil James Frederick Knighten, born in 1895 was the son of Charles and Kate Knighten and lived at 2 Belgrave Terrace with his three brothers and three sisters. His father was a Linotype compositor, working for the Stamford Mercury. All the children were born in Stamford. In 1911 both he and his brother Charles, aged 18, worked as Fitter’s apprentices. The younger children were still at school. In 1901 they lived at 16 St Paul’s Street.

When he was 17 in 1912 he joined the Territorials, signing on for 4 years. At the time he was working as a labourer at Charles Gray’s iron foundry. In 1914 he joined the 1/4 Lincolnshire Battalion and in March 1915 was posted to France. In 1917 he was made a Lance Corporal.

He had a child in April 1918 and married Mary Ann Barnett in August 1918 and they lived at 10 Foundry Road. He was demobbed in 1919. He died in March 1960.
In 1911 Belgrave Terrace housed 40 people in a row of 6 small houses (3 rooms) in the area north of North Street.  It has since been demolished and is now in the North Street Car Park. The occupants were mainly employed in manual labour and had young families.