Arthur Golder was born in Astley in Warwickshire on 10th January 1890 and baptised on 9th February of that year. He was the son of William Golder (born Burton Dassett) and his wife Charlotte (nee Cooper) who was born at Packwood, also in Warwickshire. The father was a coachman in Astley.
Within a year of his birth Arthur’s family had moved to a cottage near Dutton Lodge and the father was employed as a coachman. Their eldest child, 16-year-old Ellen Elizabeth, was working as a nurse at Dutton Lodge and the younger children were at school. Charlotte was 13 years, William was 9 years, Harry was 7 years, John was 3 years and Arthur was one year old. One other child died.
The Census of 1901 showed the father working as a coachman for Hervey Talbot at Aston Hall. The family lived at the stableyard. By this time Charlotte and William had left home.
At some time during the next ten years Arthur took a position as a footman to a widowed lady called Annie Williamson who lived at “Copley” in Thornton Hough on Wirral. The household had eight other servants. Arthur’s parents were living in Sutton Weaver and the father was working as a domestic servant. Only John was still living at home.
Arthur enlisted in the Machine Gun Corps at the rank of corporal with the service number 5342. He was part of the infantry. It is not known when he joined up. He died of wounds on 3rd July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He was 26 years old. Arthur was buried in Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Aston-by-Sutton.