John Burrows was born in Sawley in 1857. He married Margaret Lakin from Bulwell in 1891. They lived in Sawley where John worked as a gas fitter. Their children were:
- John Thomas Lakin 1893-
- William Ernest Edward 1894-1917
- Luther Joseph Kinton 1897-
- Dorothy Magdoline Letitia 1900-
They lived at various houses in Hey Street. In 1911 they were at no. 56 and John had become a foreman at the gas works. In 1921 John was a foundry worker at Wallace & Longsdon (lace machinery manufacturers) and they were living at 2 Hey St. They later move to no 34.
John Thomas Lakin Burrows
In 1911 John was at home in Hey St and working as a lace threader. In 1913 he married Lily Kingscott (youngest daughter of Arthur Kingscott’s brother Albert). He became a railway platelayer.
During the war he served in 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters. They deployed to France in 1916 and fought in various actions around Thiepval during the Somme Campaign. From 6 to 22nd September, they were at the front, either in the front line or reserve trenches. They then had 3 days in billets, where they were issued new clothing, had baths and practised an attack. Overnight on 25/26th they relieved 6th Yorkshires in the front line in Constance Trench at Ovillers, near Albert.
They went over the top at 12.35 on 26th and within 2 hours all 3 of their objective trenches were captured. John was initially reported wounded, then as wounded and missing, before being listed as killed in action. He was buried at Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boisselle.
In 1921 Lily and their 3 children were living at 130 Nottingham Road, Sawley.
William was a lace threader in 1911. During the war he served in 2nd Battalion, King´s Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge on 09 April 1917 Age 23 and was buried in Bois-Carre Cemetery, north of Arras.
In 1911 and 1921 Luther was living at home in Hey St and working as an office boy at Clayes wagon works in Long Eaton. By 1939 he’d moved to Hawthorne Avenue and was an ordnance store labourer.
Dorothy was a shop assistant in 1921. She stayed in Hey St but died in 1940.