I thought that everyone who has helped me and contributed so much might like to see a summary of the situation as I now see it:
Bombardier 59007 John William Bottrill, Royal Field Artillery
Died of Wounds Salonica, 4th March 1917, Aged 32.
John William Bottrill was born on 6th October 1884 in Oakham, Rutland. His birth was registered under the name ‘John William Baker’, with the surname of his mother unspecified. In 1891 he was living at John’s Court, Oakham, with John Broom, a general labourer, and his wife Ellen, a machinist at a shoe factory. John Henry Broom had married Ann Ellen Baker (known as ‘Ellen’) in Oakham in 1884 and John William Baker is described as John Henry Broom’s nephew (possibly the son of a sister of Ellen).
After John Henry Broom died, aged 38, in Oakham in 1892 Ellen Broom appears to have moved to 23 Mill Street, Loughborough as in 1901 she was living there with John Rodgers, a bricklayer’s labourer. She was listed as ‘Ellen Rodgers’ and John William, described as ‘son’, now aged 16 and an engineering labourer, has assumed the name of ‘John William Rodgers’.
By 1911 Ellen and John William had moved again, this time to Coventry. Both had taken the new surname of ‘Bottrill’. On 25th December 1903 John William had married a young woman from Loughborough, Sarah Ann Jarram, at St. Peter's Church, Coventry. At the time of the marriage both John William, a labourer, and his bride gave their address as 8 House, 2 Court, Castle Street, Coventry. The parish register entry for John William’s marriage lists his father as ‘John Bottrill’. Could this be John Rodgers know known as ‘John Bottrill’ or someone different?
By 1911 John William and Sarah Ann had three children Kathleen Ellen (known as ‘Nellie’), Sarah and Thomas (all with the surname of ‘Bottrill’) and in 1911 they were all living with Ellen, now a widow, at 9 St. Agnes Lane, Coventry. John William was now employed as a general carman. Ellen states on the census return that she has been married for 27 years and has had 4 children (3 of whom are still living).
[Ann] Ellen died in the early summer of 1911 in Coventry and John William and Sarah Ann had another daughter Elizabeth in 1913.
