No. K/17683, Stoker 1st Class, Joseph Howarth ELLIS
Aged 20
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Joseph Howarth Ellis was born on 27th April 1894 in Newmarket (Newmarket Q2-1894 3B:515), son of Howarth and Kezia ELLIS (née BISHOP).
1901 census...Aged 6, he was at High Street, Burwell with his father Howarth ELLIS [33] hairdresser, born Rochdale, Lancashire; his mother Kezia [29] born Burwell; brothers William [5] born Newmarket, and Albert William [1] born Ware, Herts, and sister Isabella [3] born in Newmarket. 1911 census...Aged 16, a cow boy, he was at High Street, Burwell with his parents; brother William (apprentice hairdresser), brother Albert William and sisters Isabella Mary, Winifred Louise [6] and Constance [3] both born in Burwell; brothers James Simpson [9] and Thomas Frederick [11 months], both born in Burwell. He was the elder brother of William ELLIS who was killed in France in 1918 see here and elder brother of Albert William ELLIS who died in Egypt in 1921 see here |
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He enlisted on 14th January 1913 at Portsmouth, giving his age as 18, 5 feet 7.5 inches (171.5 cm)tall, chest 36.5" (91.4cm), brown hair, blue eyes. January 1913 to 14 June 1913 he was stoker 2nd class at HMS Victory II, moving to HMS 'Bulwark' on 15th June 1913 and promoted Stoker 1st class on 14th January 1914. On 26th November 1914 Winston Churchill made the following statement in Parliament:- "I regret to say I have some bad news for the house. The Bulwark battleship, which was lying in Sheerness this morning, blew up at 7.35 o'clock. The Vice and Rear Admiral, who were present, have reported their conviction that it was an internal magazine explosion which rent the ship asunder. There was apparently no upheaval in the water, and the ship had entirely disappeared when the smoke had cleared away. An inquiry will be held tomorrow which may possibly throw more light on the occurrence. The loss of the ship does not sensibly affect the military position, but I regret to say the loss of life is very severe. Only 12 men are saved. All the officers and the rest of the crew, who, I suppose, amounted to between 700 and 800, have perished. I think the House would wish me to express on their behalf the deep sorrow with which the House heard the news, and their sympathy with those who have lost their relatives and friends." On December 5th the Newmarket Journal reported:- BURWELL MAN ON THE BULWARK "We regret to state that a Burwell man - Joseph Ellis, son of Mr. Ellis, hairdresser - one of the crew of H.M.S. Bulwark, which met such an awful disaster last week, the vessel being blown to fragments by the explosions of her magazines. Nothing has been heard of him, and it is feared that he shared the fate of practically the whole crew. The deceased, who was serving as a stoker, was not 21 years of age. He had, before entering the Navy, been in the employ of Mr.G.J.Mason, farmer. A steady and well conducted lad, of a pleasant disposition, and a good son, young Ellis will be mourned by all who knew him. Strangely enough his parents received a letter from him on the very morning when the newspapers announced the sad mishap." |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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