Died
4 May 1941 Aged 53 years
Born
15 October 1889 in New Zealand
Sources
Barrow News
Ancestry
Cumbria BMD
Bryn Trescatheric The Barrow Blitz 2009
Place
Walks
Themes
George Hemingway
Draper. Barrow Blitz victim.
IN SACRED MEMORY OF
A BELOVED HUSBAND AND FATHER
GEORGE HEMINGWAY
KILLED BY ENEMY ACTION
4TH MAY 1941, AGED 53 YEARS.
ALSO A GREATLY LOVED WIFE AND MOTHER
MARY ELLEN (NELLIE)
WHO DIED ON SEPT. 19TH 1962
LEAVING A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY
Newspaper source: Barrow News 14 Feb 1920.
The News had an obituary and account of the funeral on 17 May 1941:
MR. G. HEMINGWAY, BARROW
By the passing of Mr. George Hemingway, Barrow has lost a very well-known member of the community. He carried on his business as a draper at St. Vincent-street, as did his father before him. He was an ardent worker at Abbey-road Wesleyan Church, where he officiated as a Society Steward and deputy-organist. He is survived by his widow and only daughter.
The funeral took place on Thursday at Abbey-road Wesleyan Church, the ceremony being conducted by the Rev. Mark H. Earle, who also officiated at the graveside. The hymn “O Love that will not let me go,” was sung, the organist being Miss Phillips.
The principal mourners were, Mrs. Hemingway, widow; Mrs. Bradley, sister; Mr. and Mrs. R. Hemingway, brother and sister-in-law; Miss O. Hemingway, sister; Master Bernard Hemingway, nephew; Mr. and Mrs. and Miss Kinrade; Mr. and Miss Rushton; Mrs. G. Hall, Mr. and Mrs. S. Stoppard, Mr. and Mrs. Barker, Mr. and Mrs. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. F. Moore, Mr. C. Holt, Mr. F. Robinson, Mrs. Riley, Mrs. Carter, Mr. Angel, Miss Nettleton, Miss Brockbank, Mr. Dobson, Mr. C. F. Jackson, Mr. W. Garnett, Mrs. Earle and Mr. G. Hoole.
The bearers were Messrs. J. Todd, Peart, Barker, Moore, Clelland, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Robinson.
There were many beautiful floral tributes.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. G. Hall (late E. Firth), 2, Montague-street, Barrow.
Ancestry lets us know that George Hemingway had a distant start: he was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 15 October 1889 to Alfred and Martha Tonge Hemingway.
1891 Census, living at 33 Forshaw Street were Alfred Hemingway (36), born Bradford, Yorkshire, Martha Hemingway (28), born Barton, Lancs., Hilda Hemingway (7), born New Zealand, scholar, Olive Hemingway (5), born New Zealand, scholar, George Hemingway (3), born New Zealand, and Alice Lee (14), general domestic servant, born Ulverston.
1901 Census George (13) was a boarder at Woodhouse Grove School, Rawdon (Leeds)
1911 Census, living at Logan House, Roose Rd, Barrow were Martha Tonge Hemingway (50), assisting in drapery business, born Barton, Lancashire; George Hemingway (23), son, assisting in general drapery warehouse, born Auckland; Horace Hemingway (18), son, assisting in general drapery warehouse, born Barrow; Millicent Hemingway (14), daughter, born Barrow, and servant Florence Gale (21), born Peel, Isle of Man.
1939 Register living at 54 Hawcoat Lane were George Hemingway, Master Draper, and Mary Ellen Hemingway, born 10 March 1887, housewife and part-time general drapery assistant.
If I have the right George Hemingway at this point, he married Mary E Ackernley in Settle, West Yorkshire, in July 1920.
The WW11 Register of Civilian Deaths for the Borough of Barrow in Furness has:
HEMINGWAY, GEORGE, age 53; Firewatcher; of 54 Hawcoat Lane. Son of Martha Hemingway, of Craigmore, Wynn Avenue, Old Colwyn, Denbighshire, and of the late Alfred Hemingway; husband of Mary Ellen Hemingway. Injured 3 May 1941, at Hawcoat Lane; died 4 May 1941, at North Lonsdale Hospital.
In Bryn Trescatheric’s The Barrow Blitz 2009, Mrs E. A. is quoted regarding the death of her father:
“.. I had to go back to get my grey firewatching tin hat, my father said he’d go on and I was to catch him up. When I returned to the front door I saw large objects hurtling through the sky. I rushed indoors and there was a terrific explosion. My father and Mr. H(eath) were both killed. Later that night a land mine floated over our house and landed in Hill Road, killing Mrs. T(hompson) and her young daughter. …” (p22)
Probate was granted on 3 July 1941 in Carlisle. George Hemingway left estate valued at £5639 6s 5d to his widow. This is over a quarter of a million pounds at 2019 prices.
From the same source in Ancestry Mary Ellen Hemingway, of 154 Heeley Road St. Annes-on-the Sea Lancashire widow died 19 September 1962 Probate Lancaster 8 January (1963) to Mabel Elaine Atkins (wife of Edmund Frank Morris Atkins). Effects £12883 4s 1d. This too is over a quarter of a million pounds at 2019 prices.
Cumbria BMD tells us that Mabel Elaine Atkins was born in 1923, and married Edmund F M Atkins in 1948 at the Abbey Road Methodist Church. She died in Cirencester in 2004.
Confusingly, another George Hemingway, George William Hemingway, of 137 Hawcoat Lane, died in June 1941.
The London Gazette 28 August 1928 carried a Notice dissolving the partnership between father & son Hemingway:
NOTICE is hereby given that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us, the undersigned, George Hemingway and Alfred Roy Hemingway, carrying on business as Drapers, at 53, St. Vincent-street, Barrow in Furness, and at 20, New Market-street, Ulverston, both in the county of Lancaster, under the style or firm of A. HEMINGWAY & SONS, has been dissolved by mutual consent as from the eleventh day of August, one thousand nine hundred and twenty eight. All debts due to and owing by said late firm will be received or paid by the said George Hemingway, who will continue to carry on the said business under the old style or firm at 53, St. Vincent-street, Barrow in Furness, while the said Alfred Roy Hemingway will carry on business on his own account at 20, New Market-street, Ulverston aforesaid. – As witness our hands this 11th day of August, 1928.
