Mary Elizabeth Ellen (Nellie) Wheeldon

Ari’s great-great-grandmother, Nellie Wheeldon, was born on 23 Feb 1911 at 167 Nottingham Road, in Belper, Derbyshire.

Her father, John Edgar Pearson Wheeldon, registered the birth on 3 April. He gave his occupation as blacksmith (journeyman). Nellie’s mother was Elizabeth Anne Murfin.

We have a copy of her birth certificate that was issued for the purposes of unemployment insurance in 1932.

She appeared in the 1911 census at five weeks old:

1911 census, Ancestry.co.uk

Her christening took place in Wirksworth the following month, by which time the family had moved to Alderwasley:

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813–1916, Ancestry.co.uk

Nellie worked as a winder before her marriage. She married Horace Sims on 27 Feb 1932 at St Peter’s in Belper. Her address at the time was 189 Nottingham Rd, Belper.

Derby Evening Telegraph, 15 Nov 1941, Findmypast

Nellie’s signature can be seen on the marriage certificate, as well as that of her mother and her brother (her father had died eight years earlier).

By the time war had broken out, Nellie and Horace had one son, John Norman (Ari’s great-grandfather). They were at 36a Penn St. in Belper.

“Once war became inevitable the British Government knew they had to issue National Identity cards. They planned for the wide-scale mobilisation of the population and the eventual introduction of rationing. The most recent census was now almost a decade old, so more up-to-date statistics were needed. Some preparations had already begun for the 1941 census, so the Government capitalised on this to take a register of the civilian population. They issued Identity cards immediately afterwards (which were used until 1952).” (FindMyPast)