Boneham, Eric John Henry

Eric’s parents Jonas (1879-1963) and Sarah Ann Sally nee Chesterton (1879-1954) married in 1910.  Eric’s father Jonas was born in the parish of Willey, Warwickshire and his mother, Sarah’s, family originated from Leicestershire.

According to the 1921 census Jonas, Eric’s father aged 42 and his wife Sarah Anne also 42 were living as boarders at The Green, Lubenham, Theddingworth near Market Harborough. Jonas was employed as a gardener. Eric aged 4 years 10 months is described as an adopted son, born in London in 1916.

By the time of the 1939 Register, the family were living together at Apartment 9 of the Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick. Jonas had served as a labourer in the Great War, as at 38 he was too old for active service. The Lord Leycester apartments are generally occupied by ex-servicemen.

Eric married Doris Elsie Greenway (1920-1998) in the second quarter of 1940. Prior to that, in 1939, Doris was living with her parents, brother and sister at 30 Stand Street, Warwick and working as a laundress.

Following Eric’s death, Doris remarried – to Leslie Johnson – in 1943. They went on to have one son, Colin (1944-2015) and two further sons and two daughters names unknown.

Eric’s mother, Sarah Ann, died in 1954 and his father Jonas followed in 1963. Jonas was still living at the Lord Leycester Hospital when he died.