William George JACOBS (1894–1918)
William George Jacobs was born in Headington in 1894, the son of Charles William Jacobs (born in Headington in 1867, registered second quarter) and Frances Selina Young (born in Headington in 1863, registered fourth quarter).
His parents were married at St Andrew’s Church on 14 June 1894 and had three children:
- William George Jacobs (born in Headington on 26 July 1894 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 4 November 1894)
- Kenneth Francis Jacobs (born in Headington on 23 May 1897 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 1 August 1897)
- Herbert Reginald Jacobs (born at 4 Windsor Street on 11 April 1900 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 1 July 1900).
William’s father Charles Jacobs was a house painter. The 1901 census shows the couple living at the present 13 Windsor Street (then numbered 4 Windsor Terrace), with their family of three already complete with William (6), Kenneth (3), and Herbert (11 months).
At the time of the 1911 census William (16) was an inmate at the Northampton Society Reformatory for Boys in Towcester, with his occupation given as “labourer”. His family were now living at the present 62 Lime Walk in Highfield parish, and his brothers Kenneth (13) and Herbert (10) were still at school.
In the First World War William George Jacobs served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (Service No. 311313). He was wounded in 1916 and brought back alive to England, but died at the military hospital in Stockport on 30 December 1918 at the age of 24.
His family must have arranged for his body to be brought back to Headington from Stockport, and he was buried on 4 January 1919 at Headington Cemetery (5. B. 10).
William Jacobs is listed on the Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield.
Left: Photograph of William George Jacobs’s grave in Headington Cemetery. The text reads:
[Emblem of the Royal Engineers]
311313 SAPPER
W. G. JACOBS
ROYAL ENGINEERS
30TH DECEMBER 1918 AGE 24
†
ANGEL VOICES EVER SINGING
ROUND THE THRONE OF LIGHT
Postscript
William’s father
- Charles Jacobs died at the age of 75 (still described as a painter) at the present 96 Lime Walk (then numbered 82). He was buried at Headington Cemetery on 26 February 1943.
See also
- CWGC: W.G. Jacobs
- Wikipedia: Royal Engineers
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 16 August 1916: Photograph of W. G. Jacobs published after he had been wounded (shown above with kind permission of Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre)