3DJH/\ULFDO&RUQHU7+(%,116)$0,/
%LQQVLQ,UDTOn 2 October 2007, Major GeneralGraham <strong>Binns</strong>, who is theGeneral Officer Commanding allBritish troops in Iraq, greeted andshook hands with Prime MinisterGordon Brown on his arrival atBasra Air Station.It reminded me that other <strong>Binns</strong>eshave had military experience inthat part of the world.Private Albert Edward <strong>Binns</strong>, sonof Henry and Esther <strong>Binns</strong>, ofGlascote and husband of SarahElizabeth Brittain, died in Iraq on25 th February 1917, and is commemoratedon the Basra Memorial.Also in Iraq but at Amara Cemeterylies Private H <strong>Binns</strong> of theManchester Regiment, 1 st Battalion,who died on 9 th January 1917.I have no information regarding hisage or identity.Strangely, by coincidence, a PrivateHarry <strong>Binns</strong> of the East LancashireRegiment, 6 th Battalion,who died on the 8 th May 1917, iscommemorated on the Basra memorial.Again I have no further informationon this soldier and Iwonder if it is possible that, althoughthey have different servicenumbers, Private H and PrivateHarry are one individual.2 nd Lieutenant, John Eric <strong>Binns</strong>,son of John D <strong>Binns</strong>, of Croydon,served in the Wiltshire Regiment,3 rd Battalion, attached to 5 th Battalion,died age 22 years on 9 April1916. He also is commemoratedon the Basra Memorial.(GZDUG%UHWW%LQQVTrawling through a variety ofonline archive sources, I was intriguedby the numerous references,dating from about 1900 to1940, to a <strong>Binns</strong> who was anagent for the honourable CharlesWilloughby, Earl of Ancasterwhose seat was Grimsthorp Castle,Lincolnshire. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Binns</strong> inquestion appeared variously asEdward Brett <strong>Binns</strong>, Edward R.<strong>Binns</strong>, and E.R.B. <strong>Binns</strong>, but Icould find no mention of him in our<strong>Binns</strong> databases.However when the 1901 Censusfor England became available asearch for Edward <strong>Binns</strong> in Lincolnshirefound 33-year old EdwardR. B. <strong>Binns</strong>, land steward, atGrimsthorpe, with his wife AnnieLouisa, and children Muriel andClarence. Surprisingly he wasborn in West Bromwich, Staffordshire,not a well known <strong>Binns</strong> familystronghold. An online search ofbirths failed to find a reference thatcould be attributed to Edward<strong>Binns</strong>; but there is the birth of anEdward Brett registered in WestBromwich in the September Quarterof 1867. Clearly this could bethe man and a search of the 1881Census found him in Monmouthshire,Wales as a 13-year old,scholar living with his grandparents,Edward and Hannah Brett.He is named as Edward RichardBrett and other members of the Bretthousehold are three unmarrieddaughters, Rachel, Hannah M, andMargaret, ages age 34, 32, and 27respectively, and a son FrederickWilliam Brett, age 23, a colliery cashier.John Morris, age 39, an independentminister of a chapel inEbww Vale, was an unmarried visitor.It was not difficult to find the Brettfamily in the 1871 Census but it wasgratifying to see 3-year old Edwardrecorded there as Edward R. <strong>Binns</strong>,however he is the only <strong>Binns</strong> present.<strong>The</strong> three Brett daughters areall at home and unmarried and it isimpossible to decide which if any ofthem may be the mother of Edward.Moving forward to 1891, EdwardRichard Brett <strong>Binns</strong> is revealed as anunmarried lodger at Main Street,Empingham, Rutland, age 23, andhe is now a surveyor and draughtsman.<strong>The</strong> unmarried head of thehousehold was Margaret Summerhall,age 44. It seems almost certainthat Edward was already employedon the Grimsthorpe Castle Estate,and clearly his grandfather EdwardBrett, who was born in Dublin, andhad been an agent and later a superintendentin a tin plate works, hadsecured him a good education.In June Quarter 1892, the marriageof Edward Richard B. <strong>Binns</strong> to AnnieLouisa Benn was registered in Holbeck,Yorkshire, and childrenMuriel Emily, Clarence Edward B[Brett?], Leslie Reginald, MarjorieAnnie, and George Henry wereborn at regular intervals between1894 and 1906. However the familymust have suffered greatlywhen Annie Louisa died, agedonly 40, in Grimsthorpe on 19 thFebruary 1910. Probate for £409was granted to her husband on 2May 1910, in Lincoln.Clarence Edward Brett <strong>Binns</strong>, appearsto have joined the war effortat an early stage since already inNovember 1915 the London Gazettereported that he was to be atemporary 2 nd Lieutenant in thePrince of Wales Volunteers, SouthLancashire Regiment. Towardsthe end of the war, in 1918, hewas transferred to the Royal FlyingCorps. His name is mentioned in acompilation of data titled“Prominent People of Bourne” andthat suggests that he died in 1975.Of the other children it would seemprobable that Emily married in1920 and George in 1925, but I’mhoping that one of these days thisstory will strike a chord with a descendantof Edward Richard Brett<strong>Binns</strong> and they will be able to fill insome of the details.7+(%,116)$0,/
Change language