George Thomas Port (1886 - 1967)

Born 20 Dec 1886 in Plumstead, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Florence Patty (Croft) Port — married 1910 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 1967 at about age 80 in Brentwood, Essex, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

George Thomas Port was born on the 20 December 1886 in Plumstead, Kent, England the son of Henry/Harry Port, a bricklayers labourer and Annie Dawson^[1]. He was baptised at St Johns, Plumstead on the 19 Sep 1888, ^[2]

By 1901 the family had moved to Barking in Essex, England. The 1901 census shows the family living at 35, Rhoding Cottages in North Street. George aged 14 had no occupation.^[3]

1901 Census of England, Wales & Scotland: Rhoding Cottages, 35, Barking, Romford, Essex, England

On the 28 October 1904 George enlisted in the 4th Batallion of the Essex Regiment at Warley Barrracks, Essex, England. He was in the army for only one year and 54 days before being discharged as being medically unfit on the 20 December 1905 at Dover, Kent, EnglandGeorge was in a military record in 1904 in Plumstead, Woolwich, Kent, England.^[4].

On the 16 May 1909 at Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England George married a mill hand called Florence Patty Croft. George was a labourer. ^[5]. ^[6]. George and Patty had three children; Frederick William Henry in 1910^[7], Albert Edward in 1912^[8] and Florence May in 1914^[9], all born in Grimsby.

The census of 1911 shows the family living at 6 Kent Street, Eight Foot, close to Grimsby Docks. John was employed as a labourer for the Express Packet Company. The company were based at Marshall’s Wharf on Victoria Street only a few streets away and acted as carriers and transported goods between Grimsby and Hull and along the east coast.

1911 Census of England and Wales: 6 Bk 22 Kent St Grimsby, Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England

By the time of the 1921 census the family had had moved to 37 Harold Street and George was employed as a carpenter by C.J. Wills & Sons Ltd of London , public works contractors of Waltham Grimsby. In the same year that company won the contract to build the houses of the Becontree Estate in the Dagenham area of Essex. At the time of its completion in the early 1930s this was the largest social housing scheme in the world.

1921 Census of England and Wales: 37, Harold Street, Grimsby, Clee, Lincolnshire, England

By the mid 1920s, the family are thought to have moved to London^[10]. On the 19 May 1925 George took up membership of the Forest Gate & Upton Branch of the Amalgamated Society Of Woodworkers. The record says that he had been in the trade for 22 years suggesting that he was probably apprenticed in 1903 aged approximately 16. ^[11] Circumstantial evidence suggests that George had moved south to work on the construction of the Becontree Housing Estate in Dagenham.

In October 1925 the family were the first residents of 2, Margery Road, Dagenham on the Becontree Estate in Dagenham in Essex ^{[12] [13]}(they would only have been eligible for a Becontree Estate house if the family had lived within the area of London for at least the preceding year). Two years later the family had moved to 2 Greenway and by 1939 to 1 Fossway on the same estate.

1939 England and Wales Register: 1 Fossway, Dagenham, Essex, England

George spent much of his known working life as a general labourer. In 1911, whilst in Grimsby he was employed as a labourer for the Express Packet Company. In 1939 he was a carpenter and joiner for ferroconcrete works. He died in 1967.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 7 February 2023)
   Port, George Thomas (Mother's maiden name: Dawson).
   GRO Reference: 1887 Jan-Feb-Mar in Woolwich Volume 01D Page 1274.
2. ↑ Baptism: "London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1923"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P97/JNB1/01/001
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1558 #5588019 (accessed 7 February 2023)
   George Thomas Port baptism on 19 Sep 1888, son of Harry Port & Annie Port, in St John the Baptist, Plumstead, Greenwich, England.
3. ↑ 1901 Census: "1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census"
   Reference: RG13; Piece number: 1653; Folio: 61; Page: 13; Schedule: 68
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 20 July 2023)
   George Port (14) son in household of Henry Port (40) in Rhoding Cottages, 35, Barking in Romford registration district in Essex, England. Born in England.
4. ↑ Military: "British Army Service Records"
   Archive: The National Archives; Series: Wo 97 - Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913; Reference: WO 97
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 20 July 2023)
   First name(s): George; Last name: Port; Birth year: 1885; Birth parish: Plumstead; Birth town: Woolwich; Birth county: Kent; Birth country: England; Service number: 8213; Country: England; Discharge corps: Essex Regt; Discharge service number: 8213; Document type: Discharge; Box: 5705; Box record number: 59; Regiment: Essex Regt; Year: 1904; Attestation date: 28 Oct 1904; Attestation age years: 19; Attestation age months: 10.
5. ↑ Marriage: "Lincolnshire Marriages And Banns"
   Archive: Lincolnshire Archives; Page: 12
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 7 February 2023)
   George Thomas Port (24) marriage to Florence Patty Croft (22) on 16 May 1909 in Grimsby St Paul, Lincolnshire, England.
6. ↑ GRO Reference: 1909 June Quarter in GRIMSBY Volume 7a Page 1618
7. ↑ Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 20 July 2023)
   Port, Frederick William Henry (Mother's maiden name: Croft).
   GRO Reference: 1910 Oct-Nov-Dec in Grimsby Volume 07A Page 552.
8. ↑ Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 20 July 2023)
   Port, Albert Edward (Mother's maiden name: Croft).
   GRO Reference: 1912 Jan-Feb-Mar in Grimsby Volume 07A Page 1202.
9. ↑ Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 20 July 2023)
   Port, Florence May (Mother's maiden name: Croft).
   GRO Reference: 1914 Jul-Aug-Sep in Grimsby Volume 07A Page 1173.
10. ↑ Electoral Register The last entry for the family in Grimsby is the Autumn 1924 electoral register
11. ↑ Trade Union Membership: "Britain, Trade Union Membership Registers"
    Archive: Modern Records Centre; Reference: MSS.78/ASW/2/1/5/1
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 20 July 2023)
    First name(s): George T; Last name: Port; Birth year: 1887; Age: 38; Admission year: 1925; Trade: Carpenters & Joiners; Union name: Amalgamated Society Of Woodworkers; Union branch: Forest Gate & Upton; Union branch as transcribed: Forest Gate & Upton; County: Essex; Country: England; Title: Admissions Book; Information contained: English & Welsh branches A-L: By branch: new union members joining branch; members transferring away from branch (with original branch joined and branch transferring to listed); Dates: 1925; No of volumes: 1.
12. ↑ Rate Book: Dagenham 1925-26 The rate books show the tenancy beginning on 5 October 1925
13. ↑ Electoral Register for Dagenham, Essex. October 1927, Margery Road

• Electoral Register for Dagenham, Essex. October 1927: Valence House Museum and Archives, Dagenham, Essex