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nce and Horace did not return to England until late March 1919.
He returned to Cliffe, a 26 year old, with experiences and memories
which were likely to be understood only by those who had also
experienced them.
We know little of his life in Civvy Street but in early 1922 he married
Mary Emma Clare. Her family had moved to Cliffe from Crowland
about 15 years previously. Her elder brother, John Clare, was the
same age as Horace and so he would have undoubtedly known
Mary before he went off to war. She was just a year or two younger
than Horace so there may even have been a romance before he
left for France.
His friend John Clare had married in 1913 and moved back to
Crowland. He was conscripted in 1916 and by coincidence was
in Rouen hospital with influenza at the same time as Horace.
Whether either of them realised this is debatable as the hospital
had over 1,000 beds.
If there had been an attraction between Horace and Mary before
the war, he was in no great hurry to turn this into marriage. His
mind was made up by the imminent arrival of their first daughter,
Edith May, who was born June 1922. She was baptised in Kings
Cliffe in July but unfortunately she only survived for a further two
months.
Margaret was their second child, born 25th April 1923. She married
Sydney Darbyshire in 1949 and they moved to Berkshire where
she died in 2006.
Nora was the third daughter, born August 1924. She married
Kenneth Wilson in 1948 and he passed away in 1991. Nora is
still alive as this is written but unable to recall her earlier days.
Fortunately three grandchildren, Linda, Sue and Pat, were able to
help us with memories of and from Horace
The fourth daughter was Gertrude who was born in November
1925 but unfortunately she only survived a few weeks from birth.
Rene Marshall, who still lives in the village, remembers Horace
when he was working on her father’s roof. She asked him if he
wasn’t afraid of the height. He said it didn’t worry him as he couldn’t
see the ground!
46
He returned to Cliffe, a 26 year old, with experiences and memories
which were likely to be understood only by those who had also
experienced them.
We know little of his life in Civvy Street but in early 1922 he married
Mary Emma Clare. Her family had moved to Cliffe from Crowland
about 15 years previously. Her elder brother, John Clare, was the
same age as Horace and so he would have undoubtedly known
Mary before he went off to war. She was just a year or two younger
than Horace so there may even have been a romance before he
left for France.
His friend John Clare had married in 1913 and moved back to
Crowland. He was conscripted in 1916 and by coincidence was
in Rouen hospital with influenza at the same time as Horace.
Whether either of them realised this is debatable as the hospital
had over 1,000 beds.
If there had been an attraction between Horace and Mary before
the war, he was in no great hurry to turn this into marriage. His
mind was made up by the imminent arrival of their first daughter,
Edith May, who was born June 1922. She was baptised in Kings
Cliffe in July but unfortunately she only survived for a further two
months.
Margaret was their second child, born 25th April 1923. She married
Sydney Darbyshire in 1949 and they moved to Berkshire where
she died in 2006.
Nora was the third daughter, born August 1924. She married
Kenneth Wilson in 1948 and he passed away in 1991. Nora is
still alive as this is written but unable to recall her earlier days.
Fortunately three grandchildren, Linda, Sue and Pat, were able to
help us with memories of and from Horace
The fourth daughter was Gertrude who was born in November
1925 but unfortunately she only survived a few weeks from birth.
Rene Marshall, who still lives in the village, remembers Horace
when he was working on her father’s roof. She asked him if he
wasn’t afraid of the height. He said it didn’t worry him as he couldn’t
see the ground!
46
