Ernest Harmer Beck was born on 16th September 1912 in Warrington, the son of Richard Henry Beck, who was born at Blakeney in Norfolk and Sarah Matilda (nee Harmer) who was born at Sheringham in Norfolk. Ernest’s parents had moved to Appleton- with- Hull by 1891 and they would have eight children, Ernest being the youngest. Three of his older siblings died in infancy: May, Stanley, and Maude; his other surviving siblings were Eveline, Phoebe Elizabeth, Thomas Henry, and Winifred.
Before Ernest was born the family lived for several years at 3, China Lane in Wilderspool, near to the Greenall’s brewery where the father was employed as a carter. By the time Ernest was born in 1912, only two of his siblings were still at home.
Sadly, Richard Henry Beck died in 1921, his widow looking after the home and her three youngest children.
The 1939 Register for England and Wales recorded Ernest as living at “Brentwood” on Hatton Lane in Hatton, one of the row of houses built in the interwar period on that stretch of road. In 1934 he had married May Lowndes at Warrington. They had four children in the following ten years, three girls and one boy. Ernest was recorded in 1939 as being employed as a motor driver in the haulage industry.
May passed away in 1962 and Ernest in 1970, aged 57 years.
**It is known that Ernest served in the Second World War, as his name appeared in an article in the Parish Magazine for Daresbury in August 1946, when presentations were made to the men and women of Hatton who had served in H. M. Forces. His name was also recorded on the Service Register in May 1945.
However, it is not known in which branch of H.M. Forces he served.
If anyone has any knowledge of Ernest’s WW2 service, please contact Daresbury District Heritage Group.