George Albert Welch was born in West Hartlepool in 1889 and was the son of Charles Augustus Welch from Mere in Wiltshire and his wife Margaret,nee Winship, who had been born in North Shields. Father Charles was in Hartlepool in 1881 as a 20 year old living with his uncle.
In 1891, Charles and Margaret were in Hawkridge St , Charles was a gas stoker and there were three young children, Margaret 2, Charles,1, and Florence a few weeks old. By 1901 they were in Dalton Street and there was a further girl Maud aged 5. Charles by then was a foreman at the gas works.
In 1911 they were in Furness St and George Albert at 22 years was given as a printer. On 30th December 1915, George married Ethel Dove at St Paul's West Hartlepool and their address was given as 27 Sheriff St.
On August 30th 1917, George was on board SS Springhill as she travelled to London carrying coal. She was hit off the coast of Scarborough by torpedoes from UB21 and sunk. Five of the twenty crew including George Albert Welch were killed.
