John Greenman

The Life of John Greenman (1872 - 1922)

By his great-great-grandson, Oliver Moules

John's birth certificate

Herbert Harry James Greenman, who was always known as "John", was born in the village of Box, in Wiltshire, on the 24th of January 1872. His parents were both from families who had lived in Box for generations. John's father, Henry "Harry" Greenman, had been born in Box in 1841 and worked as a quarryman in the Box Quarry from the age of 12. John's mother, Elizabeth Allen, was the youngest child in a large family. Her parents had died when she was young, so she was raised in an Orphanage for Girls in Bath - later working as a domestic servant for wine merchant John P. Sainsbury until she married Harry in 1866. I have also written a blog post about Elizabeth's life - which can be found here.

2 Mead Cottages - John's childhood home.

John had three older siblings: George (1867 - 1941), Kate (1868 - 1919) and Isaac (1869 - 1944). In the mid-1870s, the Greenman family settled at 2 Mead Cottages, in The Ley. It was here that John's three younger siblings were born: Ellen (1874 - 1886), Frank (1875 - 1957) and Emily (1877 - 1970). John and his siblings attended Box School, which was about a five minute walk from their house. At school John would have been taught reading, writing and maths. At the time of the 1881 census, nine year old John was in the same class as his brothers Frank and Isaac. At the time, the family were living next-door to John's cousin, Worthy George Phelps. Worthy was the village blacksmith (ultimately the last one), and when John finished school at age 12 his parents arranged for him to become Worthy's apprentice. As an apprentice blacksmith, John would have spent his time as Worthy's "blacksmith striker" - this would have involved striking at hot iron on an anvil with a large sledgehammer. Worthy would hold the iron in one hand and indicate to John where to strike with his other one. At some point during his apprenticeship, John was injured in an accident which left him with a permanent "burn mark" across his chest. John was 14 when, in 1886, his 12 year old sister Ellen died.

After his injury John finished his apprenticeship but instead of becoming a blacksmith, he followed his father in the quarryman profession. John and his Dad would walk to work together every morning. In 1889, 17-year old John decided he didn't want to be a quarryman anymore. He traveled to Devizes and signed up to the army - enlisting in the Wiltshire Regiment. It is possible he had been inspired by his older brothers, George and Isaac, who had done the same thing a few years earlier. However, 56 days after signing up, John was "discharged by purchase" and left the army. This is where the recruit pays to be discharged - due to John being 17 years old it is possible his parents paid to have him discharged due to his youth. He returned to Box and worked as a labourer until 1890, when he turned 18. He returned to Devizes and re-enlisted in the Wiltshire Regiment on the 12th of August 1890. He was described as 5ft 4 1/2, 115lbs with grey eyes and light brown hair.

John's military posting history from his service record.

John spent 14 months in training until the 12th of October 1891, when he was among 160 Privates who embarked on the HMS Macabar for India. John spent the next two years in India, until he was posted back to England on 30 September 1893. John spent the next four years being posted to various places around the country, before being put on army reserve on the 12th of August 1897 - he returned home to Box. Whilst back in Box, John stayed with his parents and found work as a general labourer. The Second Boer War began in South Africa in October 1899. On the 15th of December 1899, John was recalled into service to fight in the war.

John landed at Port Elizabeth, on the Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, on the 12th of January 1900. The Wiltshire Regiment was then merged with the Worcestershire, Bedfordshire and Royal Irish Regiments to form the "12th Brigade" commanded by Major-General Ralph Clements. John was dispatched to the Colesburg District, where the 12th Brigade defended from an onslaught of Boer raids. One raid on the town of Rensburg was disastrous for the Wiltshire Regiment in particular - 14 men were killed, 57 wounded and over 100 taken prisoner. John was one of the lucky few who survived the battle unscathed and escaped capture. The regiment was forced to retreat to prevent the Boer Commandos from breaking through the defense and threatening other towns. In February, John spent his time helping defend the city of Bloemfontein and the town of Kroonstad. However this didn't last long as the regiment was ordered to try and capture the town of Bethlehem - the base of operations for Boer General and Leader Christiaan De Wet. The Wiltshire Regiment managed to capture the town, but De Wet escaped.

John in the 1900s, wearing medals.

On the 23rd of July 1900, John fought in the Battle of Slabbert's Neck - an attempt by Major-General Clements to defeat De Wet's commados. Working with the Irish Regiment, the Wiltshire Regiment conducted a night assault - sneaking up on the Boers and capturing the ridge overlooking their position. The Boers were taken by surprise and defeated - 4000 were captured, by again De Wet escaped into the mountains. After this, the 12th Brigade a broken up. The Wiltshire Regiment was sent to patrol the area north of the city of Pretoria. John saw action again when De Wet attempted to raid the Cape Colony. The Wiltshire and Northamptonshire regiments were tasked with defending the Pretoria-Pietersburg rail line - they were successful in fending off the Boer attacks. Between May and July 1901, The Wiltshire Regiment participated in the operations of Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Grenfell, capturing 229 Boer Commandos and 18 wagons. The war ended in 1902, with the surrender of the last of the Commandos. The Treaty of Vereeniging, signed on the 31st of May 1902, ended the state of war between the UK and The Boers. John returned home to Box on the 20th of August 1902.

When he returned to Box, John started work as a quarryman again. In the next few years, John met Annie Lucy Wootten. Annie had also been born and raised in Box, and was 12 years younger than John. It is possible they met through her father or brothers - who were all working alongside John in the Quarry. They got married at Box Methodist Church on the 20th of August 1905. Annie was 21 and John was 33. The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Wootten (Annie's father) and Mary Purnell (girlfriend of Annie's brother Tommy Wootten). After getting married, John and Annie settled at 7 Henley Cottages, on Henley Lane. They were surrounded by family at Henley - John's parents lived next-door at number 6, John's brother Frank at number 5 and Annie's brother William at number 3. Annie's parents, Thomas and Lydia Wootten, also lived on Henley Lane but it is not known which house.

John and Annie's marriage certificate.

John and Annie had six children together over eight years:

• Arthur William John Greenman (31st of October 1907 - 20th of August 1986)
• Margaret Lucy Greenman (25th of January 1910 - 1994)
• Mary Greenman (1913 - 1913)
• A stillborn son (1914 - 1914)
• Nellie Greenman (22nd of November 1911 - 25th of October 2010)
• Emmeline Dora Greenman (29th of October 1915 - 5th of January 2000)

The Greenman Family in the late 1910s.

At the time of the 1911 census, John is listed as living on Henley Lane with his wife and two oldest children. He is listed as working as a quarryman in the "freestone quarry" industry. During this time John and Annie helped care for John's father, Harry Greenman, who had what is now called dementia. John was at his father's bedside when Harry died on the 2nd of November 1913, age 72.

Upon the outbreak of World War I in 1914, John was recalled into the army. His regimental number was 523778 and he served in the Labour Corps. Other than this, not much is known about John's World War I service due to many records being destroyed by The Blitz in the 1940s. It is known that he was posted away from home, as there is a surviving letter which he sent back to his family:

My Dear John, Maggie, Nellie and Dora,

I am writing you a few lines. I hope you are all quite well. Dad is going on nicely. I hope you have all been good children since I have been away. I hope you had some nice weather for your holidays, dear children. I am sending you two shillings you must let Mam buy you something with it. Tell Dora Daddy will come home someday, and we will all go for another ride in the Gee-Gee cart. Hope you are having some nice weather, we get a lot of rain here now, we see a lot of aeroplanes here 20 together sometimes. So now, dears, I hope you will all be good children and do all Mam tells you to till Dad comes home again and we will all go into Bath together then. So now I think this is all for now, so I will close with fondest love to yo all from your ever-loving Dad

Xx H. Greenman xx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Give my love to Mam xxxx

When John returned from the war in 1918, his daughter Nellie didn't recognise him - when she spotted him walking towards the house she went and told her mother that a "soldier is walking up the road." Not long after the end of the war, John was diagnosed with cancer of the lip - often caused by smoking a pipe. After having the cancer removed, it was discovered to have returned in 1921. It was also discovered to spread to John's liver. John's health deteriorated until he died on the 13th of May 1922, age 50. His funeral was held in the Methodist Church on the 3rd of June, and he was buried in the Box Parish Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, his four children and his 88 year old mother. Annie outlived John by 52 years - she died in 1974 at age 90.

John's obituary in the Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser.