George Henry Antrim was born on 12 May 1894 in St Pancras, London, the fourth of the nine children of George Henry Antrim (1866-1928) and Esther Antrim née Soper (1867-1937). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1894 in the Pancras registration district, London. On 11 June 1894 he was baptised at St Pancras Church, Camden, where the baptismal register shows the family to have been living at 7 Equity Buildings, Ossulston Street, London, NW1 and that his father was a horse-keeper.
When his younger brother, Arthur Charles Antrim (1897-1918) was baptised on 13 September 1897 the baptismal register shows the family living at 5 Wilstead Cottages, St Pancras. On 21 March 1898 he was admitted into Thanet Street School, King's Cross, Camden, where the register shows his home address to have been 10 Hunter Mews, St Pancras.
When his brother, William Alfred Antrim (1900-1960), was baptised on 17 September 1900 the baptismal register shows the family at 5 Wilstead Court, St Pancras and they were still there at the time of the 1901 census when he was shown living with his parents and five siblings: Louisa Frances Antrim (1888-1965); Caroline Esther Antrim (1888-1970); Amelia Eleanor Antrim (1892-1965); Arthur Charles Antrim and William Alfred Antrim.
When his brothers Thomas Frederick Antrim (1903-1975); Harry Antrim (b.1906) & Albert Edwin Antrim (1908-1965) were baptised, the latter being on 24 May 1908, the baptismal registers confirm that the family continued to reside at 5 Wilstead Cottages, St Pancras. However, when the 1911 census was taken, showing him employed as a brass finisher at Kent's Brass Works, the family were occupying three rooms in 73 Ossulston Street, Somers Town, London, NW1. He was living there with his parents and seven siblings: Caroline, Amelia, Arthur, William, Thomas, Harry and Albert. His father continued to be described as a horse-keeper whilst his elder sisters, Caroline & Amelia, were listed as machine hands at Voile & Wortley
He enlisted as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, service number 17870 and entered The Balkans theatre of war on 5 October 1915. In January 1916 his regiment was evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt and on 20 March 1916 he landed at Marseilles for service in France. He died from wounds, aged 22 years, on 9 August 1916, at No.3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Remy Siding, Lijssenthoek, West Flanders, Belgium and he was buried in Plot 8, Row D, Grave 24A in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Boescheepseweg 37, 8970 Poperinge, Belgium. The Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery website states that cause of his death was from drift gas poisoning and the London War memorial website confirms that his battalion were attacked with both phosgene gas and artillery shelling on 8 August 1916.
On 27 October 1916 his army effects totalling £5-18s-9d were sent to his father who was also sent his £4-10s-0d war gratuity on 23 September 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. His name was shown as Antrim, G.H. on the Chalk Farm bus garage WW1 1920 plaque. He is also commemorated on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and as Pte G·H·Antrim on one of the two the stained glass war memorial windows in St Pancras Church, Euston Road, London, NW1 2BA. His younger brother, Gunner Arthur Charles Antrim, also died in the war and was buried in France.
Note that the 1920 clipping from the staff newsletter, ‘News of TOT’, gives the name as "G. H. Antrin". However our colleague writes "I was unable to find any person listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website with the surname of ANTRIN. However, there were two brothers who died with the surname of ANTRIM. One of these had the same initials 'G. H.' as the clipping has for Antrin, and when I went through their histories it would seem that, as brothers, they both lived in the vicinity of Chalk Farm Bus Garage. Although I could find no evidence that George Henry Antrim (1894-1916) worked at the bus garage, I was also unable to trace any G. H. Antrin dying anywhere in between 1914-1920." On that basis we believe the clipping has misspelt the surname and that the man described above is the man intended.
2023: Researching the bus garage at Pemberton Gardens we discovered what we believe to be a replacement plaque for Chalk Farm. On this plaque Antrim's name is given as G. F. Antrim. We have been unable to trace a G. F. Antrin or a G. F. Antrim who died in WW1. George still fits the variations of the name better than anyone else, including all his brothers.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
