Jack Matthews

Jack was born in 1895 at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. In 1901 at the age of six he was living with his father Norman on Eaton Farm, Sedgeford, Norfolk. He never knew who his mother was. The tenant of Eaton Farm was Norman’s brother-in-law, Arthur, who employed Norman as a farm labourer. Arthur’s wife, Jane, looked after Jack along with her own daughter Blanche (13 years old). Another brother-in-law, Martin, was also employed on the farm. When Jack left school he left this mixed household and took a job gardening.

In 1911 he was working as an under-gardener to Henry Ablewhite and lived with Henry, his son George Ablewhite and the family at 2 Park Lane. No record has been found of his war service or future employment.