(Click to enlarge)

William died in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England during q1/1932, aged 36 years.

His exact cause of death is not known. The story I was told by his daughter Pearl (my mother) was that he stopped in his van on the way home to pick some watercress from a river for his pet birds. He was a milkman and had been collecting money that day from his customers. As he leaned over the river, the bag of cash slipped and dragged him into the river. He banged his head and was drowned. The Coroner at the inquest gave an open verdict.

I'd never seen any photographs of William until quite recently but remember my mother Pearl telling me that he was a very tall and very good looking man. For anyone who can remember, he apparently looked very much like Harry Lime who starred in "The Thin Man" series in the old black and white television days.

I was always told that William's family was from Caergwrle in Flintshire, Wales but have been unable to find him there, or for that matter, any other NASH there in any census. There is however a Henry William A Nash who was born at the right time in Newbury, Berkshire, and I believe it is most likely to be him. Having mentioned Newbury to his daughter Dorrie, she said that she remembers some of the furniture in the house where she grew up, was a wedding present to her parents from one of her dad's aunts and uncles who lived in Newbury, so there was a definite connection.
Dorrie can also remember visiting one family there when she was very little and recalls that they were quite poor. The lady of the house was called Auntie Louise, and they had two boy's one of whom was deaf and the other couldn't speak. Dorrie was told that her paternal grandparents gave up their home to take care of an elderly relative in Caergwrle, so she always thought that they lived close by but accepts thay they may well have moved from Newbury.
We know for sure that William had family in Caergwrle, but it maybe that they moved there later - or even a different part of the family. My sister Janet remembers that one family member had a butchers shop in Mold, Flintshire.

William's daughter Dorrie remembers that her dad had a sister Nellie and that she married a man named Albert Jenkins but sadly, she died in 1933 aged just 33 years. Interestingly, there is a Primrose Elizabeth Nash who married an Albert Jenkins in Oct-Dec 1919 at a place called Hawarden District which is in Flintshire, Wales, so close to Caergwrle. Primrose E Jenkins died at Hawarden Jul-Sep 1933 aged 34. I can't help thinking that this must be more than just coincidence.

Dorrie remembers her dad had another sister named Alice Ivy ('Cis') who married John Albert Palmer. He died in 1963 aged 61 years.
There was an Alice Ivy P Nash born in Newbury District between July and September, 1897.
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I suspect this is William's family in 1901, living at Cold Ash. The age of Primrose is about right to have been Primrose Nash who married Albert Jenkins. Could Aquilla be William Henry Aquilla? Is Alice the mother of the children, and if so, is that why William's older daughter was given the name Alice as one of her Christian names:

Primrose Nash 2 Newbury Berks Berkshire Cold Ash
Priscilla Nash 3 Newbury Berks Berkshire Cold Ash
Aquilla Nash 5 Newbury Berks Berkshire Cold Ash
Alice Nash 30 Highclere Hants Berkshire Cold Ash
Henry Nash 40 Swindon Wilts Berkshire Cold Ash Bricklayer
Elizabeth Nash 45 Greenham Berks Berkshire Cold Ash Laundress

I believe Priscilla is in fact Alice Ivy P who was born Jul-Sep 1897 at Newbury District.

I haven't checked the full details from the 1901 census - the above all appear, living at Cold Ash, near to Thatcham, Newbury, Berkshire, England. I suspect that Elizabeth Nash aged 45 is perhaps a neighbour and maybe even Henry's sister.

For history of the FUTCHER Family, go to Lily May's family page at:
My FUTCHER Family

Photograph taken on August 12th 1939 at the wedding of her daughter Pearl to Harold Knibbs. Click to enlarge.

Sadly, I don't have a great deal to record against Lily Nash - or "Nanny" Nash as we grandchildren used to call her. She had a pretty tough life bringing up her four children after her husband died tragically. She never remarried and from what I remember, other than for work and shopping, she never left the house.
Lily and her husband William rented the house at 45 Mortimer Lane, Basingstoke when they married in 1916, and Lily remained there probably until the mid-1980's. The house was quite large and very difficult to keep warm, so in the mid-1980's she moved into a smaller bungalow at Kempshott, fairly close to her daughter Dorothea and grand-daughter Janet.

I remember that for some time, Lily worked at the Ideal Milk Bar in Basingstoke. That must have been in the early 1950's as I remember visiting her there.

From what I remember, the house where she live in Mortimer Lane belonged to Mr & Mrs Tuddenham who lived in the house next door. In the 80's the local authorities offered to install hot water and a bath room (as the house had neither) for free. Lily thanked them very much but turned the offer down. She told them that if they'd offered it 60 years ago when she had 4 young children to bring up, she would have jumped at the chance, but having survived this long without it, she could make do a little longer.

Her new bungalow in Kempshott had hot running water and every visitor was taken into the kitchen where the tap was turned on so that they could feel the water that came out - pure magic!

Mortimer Lane no longer exists in Basingstoke. The houses are still there, smack bang in the middle just around the corner from St Michael's Church. However, for some reason which I'm sure the local council can explain, Mortimer Lane was renamed as Church Lane.

I have fond memories of Lily but remember as a child, if she washed your face you knew it had been washed! It glowed red for hours afterwards. She also had the habit of licking her hanky and wiping grubby marks from our mouths. The strangest habit of all was when the tea leaves got stuck in the spout - she'd place her mouth over the spout and give a good strong blow.

Donald was a pilot during the second world war. I believe he joined the the RAF in 1940. This photo shows him at home, 45 Mortimer Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire England wearing his Flight suit. His sister Pearl wrote on the back "This is Don in his flying suit taken in the garden. Doesn't he look funny." (click to enlarge)

He was a Flight Sergeant with 244 Sqdn, RAFVR. He died when his aeroplane caught fire during take-off. The photo above was taken by Donald himself in his quarters at Basra, Iraq in 1943 (click to enlarge).
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A picture of Don taken in October 1942 just nine months before he was tragically killed.
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In Memory of

Flight Sergeant DONALD WILLIAM HENRY NASH
244 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died aged 22 on Thursday, 15th July 1943.

Flight Sergeant NASH was the son of William Henry and Lilly May Nash, of Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Remembered with Honour
BASRA WAR CEMETERY, Iraq.

Grave Reference/Panel No: Coll. grave 8.J 2-3

From what I understand, the above is the original grave of Donald in Basra, Iraq before the War Cemetery was created.