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« on: Thursday 23 July 20 08:06 BST (UK) »
Jem Collins Freemantle was born according to GRO Indexes in the June quarter of 1873, but the 1939 register gives his birthdate as 24 Feb 1875. There is a notation at the side of the entry that seems to refer to a National Health Service event. Can anyone tell me what the notation means please. I tried to attach a copy but as it was a snip from the 1939 register from the column at the side that is used for comments. it would not let me. As far as I can see it says NHS/a/Run 77 018. The a could be a d. It is likely a change of birth date for the National Health Service when it took over the register, but not sure.
I know a bit about him. I think he may have been the son of Samuel Freemantle and Caroline Brown if he was born in 1873. GRO Indexes do not give a Jem Collins Freemantle born in 1875.
He does not appear in the 1881 census as far as I can see, so he is never with his birth parents. By 1891 he is working at the Eastman Naval Academy in Titchfield as a footman aged 18, so 1873 is correct there.
He married Agnes Howell in 1906. That was in the Stockbridge Registration District so probably her home village of Kings Somborne. She too had been working with the same family and business as a servant.
In the 1911 census they are apart. Agnes is with the employing family in London and Jem in Crawley in Hampshire where the Academy then was. It is of course probable that the family had gone up to their London home for a little while,
There appears to be only one child, a son born in 1915.
Jem Freemantle was in WWi in the Hampshire Regt during WWI and deservedly won the DCM. It is likely he was among the burnt records as I can only find his medal card.
They died in 1953 and 1958.