Life story retold by Paul Beecroft
IN MEMORY OF MY DEAR HUSBAND
WILLIAM HENRY DENTON
ACCIDENTLY KILLED FEB 23RD 1936 AGED 38 YEARS
“IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE DEATH.”
FANNY LOUISA NOAKES
DIED JUNE 3RD 1984 AGED 84 YEARS
William Henry Fuller DENTON was born on 4th January 1898 in the Reading Union Workhouse. His mother was Ellen DENTON. His father’s name is not fully known but is thought to have been FULLER.
Very little is known about his early life. The census for 1901shows a William Denton resident at 5, Letcombe Court, Church Road, Reading living with his grandmother Emily. His mother Ellen died in 1910 in Poplar, London. The census for 1911 shows that he is still living with his grandmother, and they have now moved to 172, Elgar Road, Reading. William is now 13 years old and attending school.
In 1914, Britain was involved in World War II and on 22nd October 1915 William joined the Royal Navy. His enrolment form records that his date of birth is 4 January 1897. This was most likely a deliberate lie as in 1915 you had to be 18 years old to join the navy unless you joined as a ‘boy sailor.’ He was recorded as being 5’ 8” tall, medium complexion, dark hair and grey eyes. His occupation was given as an ‘engine cleaner’. William served onboard various ships including HMS Angora, a merchant ship, converted for use as a minelayer, HMS Biarritz, a passenger ship also converted as a minelayer and HMS Attentive, an Adventure-class light cruiser used for coastal defence. He was demobbed from the Royal Navy on 2nd June 1919.
On 30th August 1919 in St. Giles Church, Reading he married Fanny Louisa HODDER. Fanny was born on 22nd December 1899 in East Hampstead, Wokingham. Their marriage would result in 3 children – Frank Henry (1920), Albert Geoffrey (1924) and Doreen Sylvia (1932).
The census for 1921 shows William, Fanny and Frank living at 45, Katesgrove Lane, Reading. William’s occupation is shown as Labourer (Road Making). His last employer showed as Reading Corporation but at the time of the census he is recorded as ‘Out of Work’. Fanny is shown as a Laundress at Snowflake Laundry, Caversham and also ‘Out of Work’. For several years after the war, work was often difficult to find and like many others, the Dentons suffered as a result. It is not known how long they lived at 45, Katesgrove Lane but at some point they moved again to 94, Dawlish Road, Reading.
On 23rd February 1936, William died following a very unfortunate accident at work. His Inquest, which took place on 25th February was reported as follows:
FALL FROM FACTORY
Nail Causes Workman’s Death
It was revealed at an inquest held in Reading, on Wednesday, that a nail was mainly responsible for the death of 38 year old William Henry Fuller Denton, a builder’s labourer, of 94, Dawlish Road, Reading.
Denton, who was a married man with three children and employed by Hudson’s Ltd., of London, died in the Royal Berks Hospital on Sunday following a fifty-foot fall while engaged on demolition work at Messrs. Huntley and Palmers.
Medical evidence was given that death was due to asphyxia caused by injuries to the lungs following fracture of the ribs.
Denton’s head-long dive to death was described by a workmate, Charles Forsey of 21, Ashburton Road. They were working on the third floor throwing timber out of the window, he said. Denton received an “O.K.” signal to drop a piece of timber about 16 or 18 feet long, but a nail in the end caught in his clothing and he went head first through the window. He was unable to save himself and no one was near enough to prevent the accident.
Thomas Charles Iremonger of 142, Northumberland Avenue, Reading who was stacking the wood on the ground said Denton made an unavailing attempt to save himself by grabbing at a rope.
A representative of the firm said this was an accident for which there was no explanation. It was a thing that could happen anywhere to anybody. “Just bad luck” commented the Coroner.
The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”
William’s funeral took place a few days after his death, and he was buried in Reading Old Cemetery. Following his funeral a personal message from the family was published in a local newspaper:-
The Wife and Children of the late W.H.F. DENTON wish to thank all friends and neighbours for the kindness shown to them in their recent sad bereavement and the nurses and staff of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, also for beautiful floral tributes sent.
94, Dawlish Road, Reading.
Fanny carried on and remained at the house in Dawlish Road. In December 1938 she married William NOAKES from Tilehurst, Reading.
Sadly, Fanny was to suffer another family death. In 1939, the Second World War started, and her son Frank joined the Royal Air Force. He became a Sergeant with 106 Squadron which was part of Bomber Command. On the evening of 21st February 1942, he was one of a crew of four which took off in a Wellington Bomber from RAF Coningsby for what was called an Intruder Sortie in the Cologne-Koblenz area. They failed to return and were lost without trace. Frank is commemorated on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial.
Fanny died in June 1984, and she is now buried with William in Reading Old Cemetery. She passed away just a few weeks after her husband William NOAKES died who is buried elsewhere.
Division 2, Row F, Plot 9