Sergeant Matthew Wilbraham
201112 Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt)
Matthew Wilbraham was born in 1899 at Jacksdale, Notts son of Matthew Henry Wilbraham, a butcher, born Riddings, Derbyshire and Sarah Ann Lowe, born Ironville, Derbyshire. Matthew had siblings Horace Leslie, Ernest, Gladys, Henrietta and Doris. Matthew’s brothers Horace and Ernest also served and survived WW1. In 1911 the family was living at ‘Dale House’, Jacksdale, situated on the corner of Jacksdale Street and Main Road which was originally the Wilbraham’s butcher’s shop but later became the Jacksdale Social Club.
Matthew’s service records do not seem to have survived. He was a recipient of the Victory and British War Medals. In 1922 Matthew married Maggie May Taylor who was born in Chorlton, Lancs and they had children Bryan and Norah.
In March 1914 Matthew’s father had been one of a number of local tradesmen who formed the Social Club as the following newspaper article reports:- ‘Jacksdale Social Club. A company has just been registered called the Jacksdale and District Institute, Ltd., to acquire or rent a building in or near Jacksdale, for a social club. Registered March 18th, with capital £500 in £1 shares. Directors (and subscribers), F. Eccles, director of Eccles Ltd., grocers; E. Holmes, Jacksdale, bootmaker; M. H. Wilbraham, Jacksdale, gentleman; W. Parson, Ironville, Derbyshire, engineer; G. Clarke, Jacksdale, hairdresser; J. Pitt, Jacksdale, nurseryman; J. W. Peach, Jacksdale, general dealer. Qualification £5. 1914 March 27th.’