John WT Mann was born and brought up in Hickling and Hickling Pastures; he is named on the Hickling Roll of Honour for WWI and was the recipient of a DCM in 1916.

• After the war John moved to Newcastle and married Ellen Rutherford and he worked on the railways as a Guard LNER
• Marriage Record: John WT Mann to Ellen Rutherford – Q2 1920 – Houghton-le-Spring, Durham
• Census 1921: 17, Elvet Street, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Jane Craft – Head – Female – 1866 – 54 – Newcastle on Tyne – Byker, Northumberland – Home Duties – At Home
  • Jennie Craft – Daughter – Female – 1902 – 19 – Newcastle on Tyne – Tin Manufacturing – Hodgton Heaton Junct
  • John W J Mann – Visitor – Male – 1894 – 27 – Hickling, Nottinghamshire – Railway Guard – N E Railway
  • Ellen Mann – Visitor – Female – 1893 – 28 – Durham – Home Duties – At Home

DCM inscription – transcribed

9^th York & Lancaster Regiment

No.19223. (L/Sgt) John William Thomas Mann

Near OVILLERS on 1^st July 1916. For great gallantry and devotion to duty. The ground over which his platoon had to advance was swept with Machine Gun fire, but he led his men forward with great determination. Having had the majority of them killed or wounded he left the remainder under cover of a slight ridge in “NO MAN’S LAND” and himself returned to the trench, collected another party and led them forward again to join the remainder of his platoon. Subsequently he showed great devotion to duty in bringing wounded back to our trenches. His pluck and determination throughout were most marked, and he led his men as an N.C.C. should.

John was injured during his service and was a patient at the Red Cross Hospital, Penoyer, Breconshire, Wales. He is 3rd from the right on the front row. It is possible that his future wife, Ellen, was a nurse (and this may have been how they met) as John and Ellen’s daughter, Joan, was a nurse.

Hickling Records:

Baptism: John William T – father John Henry MANN – mother Mary Ann – 1894 08 20 – HICKLING St Luke – father’s occupation; Carrier

Census 1901 (The Pastures):

• John H Mann – Head – Married – Male – 43 – 1858 – Carrier and grazier – Nottinghamshire
• Mary A Mann – Wife – Married – Female – 41 – 1860 – Leicestershire
• Richard Mann – Son – Single – Male – 17 – 1884 – Hickling
• Emma Mann – Daughter – Single – Female – 11 – 1890 – Hickling
• Margaret Mann – Daughter – Single – Female – 8 – 1893 – Hickling
• John W T Mann – Son – Single – Male – 6 – 1895 – Hickling
• Florrie Mann – Daughter – Single – Female – 4 – 1897 – Hickling

Census 1911 (The Pastures):

• John H Mann – Head – Married – Male – 54 – 1857 – Grazier – Hickling
• M Mann – Wife – Married – Female – 52 – 1859 – Frisby on Wreake, Leics
• Florence Mann – Daughter – Single – Female – 14 – 1897 – Home duties – Hickling
• John William Mann – Son – Single – Male – 16 – 1895 – Baker – Hickling

Census 1921: The family is still listed on Hickling Pastures, but John WT Mann is no longer listed in the household.

Wadkin Archives:

Scrapbook of Hickling: (p.46) Carriers ln 1885 were John and William Mann who travelled to Melton on Tuesdays and Nottingham on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The carrier had a horse and cart and would take potatoes, fruit, eggs and poultry or anything people wished to have taken into town. The carriers wife would fetch any shopping or change goods as needed. In later years the carrier had a small lorry.

Maggie’s Memories

(p.57) CARRIERS I do not remember Mr. J. Mann when he was a carrier with horse and cart to Nottingham, but I remember Mr. Mann when he retired and lived with his family in the ‘Parsons Cottage’ next to the Churchyard, this cottage was always in danger of being flooded when heavy rains occurred, and many times I can recall when furniture was taken upstairs.

(p.92) Mr & Mrs Mann Was carrier for a number of years. I remember them living in Church Cottage. Mr Mann suffered with arthritis very badly in later years, his wife a spotlessly clean woman took in washing. They had Billy, lived in the North and received decoration in the 1914-18 War. Dick a tram driver in Nottm. until retiring to Kinoulton, ‘Maggie Minnie May Mann’ married and lived away. Sarah a Maid at the Rectory in Canon Ashmalls time, never married, and Florence also a Maid at the Rectory, she married and lived away. Mr Mann’s sisters were Mrs Susanna Shelton. Mrs Robert Parkes I remember on several occasions the Mann family moving their furniture upstairs because of floods at Church Cottage. There are not any ‘Manns’ left in the district. Were members of the Parish Church.

Wadkin Archive Notes:

Sept 1916: Sergt. John William Thomas Mann, youngest son of Mr & Mrs John Mann has gained distinction for great gallantry and devotion to duty. The ground over which his platoon had to advance was swept with machine-gun fire, but he led his men forward with great determination. Having had the majority of them killed or wounded he left the remainder under cover of a slight ridge in ‘no man’s land’ and himself returned to the trench, collected a further party and led them forward again to join the remainder of the platoon.

Aug 1917: Pte JA Squires and Pte Fred Crump have been home on leave from France looking fit and well. Sergt JWT Mann is home on leave, has rendered good service at the Front and has been awarded the DCM for gallantry and devotion to duty. He has been wounded three times and been at Cardiff Military Hospital and subsequently at Penouge VAD Hospital for treatment of a wound in his shoulder and two wounds in a leg, a piece of shrapnel now remaining in his thigh.

January 1918: Sir John Maxwell at Newcastle-on-Tyne, recently presented to Sergt. Jno. William Thomas Mann the Military Medal gained on 1^st July for distinction and great gallantry and devotion to duty, and Distinguished Conduct Medal won near Ypres on 9^th April.