Arthur was born at Burslem in the first quarter of 1885 and christened at St Pauls Church, Burslem on the 5th April 1885. His father John William Latimer was born circa 1852 in Burslem, a life long employee of Royal Doulton and his mother was Sarah nee Forester  born circa 1851. They married on the 4th August 1874. 

The 1881 census shows Potters Manager John William and Sarah living 96 Price Street Burslem with their sons Harry. F. (c1878) and John. E.(1880) as well as 14 year old servant Emma Sargeant (born Whitmore, Staffordshire). 

The 1891 census shows 39 year old Pottery Manager  John William and Sarah also 39 years old living at 33 Price Street Burslem, with Harry.F., John .E., Reginald (c1883) Arthur (1885) George L (1888), Kathryn (1890) along with 72 year old widowed Mother in law Letitia Forester (retired grocer) and 78 year old domestic servant Betsy Allman (born Silverdale Staffordshire). 

The 1901 census shows Pottery manager John William ( 49)  and Sarah (50) living at 224 Waterloo Road Burslem with 21 year old John E (Potter modeller  Earth) 19 year old Constance ( teacher of music working from home), 18 year old Reginald ( Potters Clerk) 16 year old Arthur ( Potters Clerk)  12 year old George L. 10 year old Kathryn , 9 year old Kenneth  and 15 year old servant Martha Edwards ( from Bradley Leek) . 

The 1911 census shows 59 year old John William working as a Potters Clerk , 60 year old Sarah living at 23 West St Wolstanton Staffordshire, by now they are recorded as being married for 36 years and having had 9 children, 2 of whom are recorded as having died. The eldest son Harry Forrester Latimer  baptised 10.02.1878 died aged 20 in 1898 in Wales. Still living with their parents are 31 year old single John Edwin ( Potters Modeller), 28 year old single Constance, 26 year old single Arthur ( Potters Clerk, 22 year old single George Louis (Potters manager) 20 year old single Katherine ( Potters clerk) 19 year old single Kenneth  (apprentice engineer) and 16 year old servant Gertrude Harrison ( from Audley Staffordshire).  

Arthur Latimer  is recorded as having served with the 1/5th Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment, he served with service number 2655 and attained the rank of Sergeant. This indicates he was a pre war territorial soldier and for 3 years been part of a Maxim Gun Section

We have to rely on contemporary newspaper reports to furnish some details of Arthur's military career. From these we see he enlisted in 1914. He had entered France on the 3rd of March 1915 and was killed in action on the first day of the Somme battle, he was first listed missing/wounded then presumed dead. Soldiers effects records show his property was returned to his father John William Latimer. 

Arthur's battalion took part in the Somme offensive of the 1st July 1916 when the British suffered appalling losses on one day, amounting to 60,000 dead and wounded. Arthur's battalion, the 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment were deployed in the Gommecourt area of France and on that fateful day went over the top, its objective to capture Gommecourt Wood and village. Fierce fighting took place but the attack faltered, elements of the battalion made it into the German positions but were soon fought off, Arthur's battalion suffering 124 wounded, 27 killed and 23 missing.

He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

He is buried at the Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery, Foncquevillers, France. Plot 1 Row F.

The Sentinel newspaper report of 1916 informs us that Arthur had been assistant to Allan Doulton at the Sanitary Works Factory.  The July 29th 1916 Staffordshire Sentinel official list of the North Staffordshire regiment killed included Sgt A Latimer (2655)   

The Sentinel report on the 6th March 1918  shows a desperate reflection of the experience of many families of that time with the headline “Porthill Family Sacrifice, Three sons of Mr J.W. Latimer killed in action.” 

T-2nd Lieutenant  Kenneth Latimer  9 North Staffordshire Regiment 

Prior to WW1 he was employed as an Apprentice Electrical Engineer, He first served as 1778 Private Latimer  with the Northern Highland Division Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corp, He received his commission as Temporary Second Lieutenant on the 30th May 1917 and was posted to the 9th Battalion North Staffordshire regiment ‘C’ Coy

He was killed in action on the 27th February 1918 having previously been Mentioned In Despatches 

The War Diary for the month of February informs us that the 9th Battalion were employed along the Menin Road making improvements to trench systems. It tells us that 2 Lt Kenneth Latimer was killed by a German shell which burst near to where he was standing

He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and MID Leaf

He is buried at the Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery grave ref O.20

He is remembered on the St Andrews Church Porthill Memorial

2669 CPL Lewis Latimer  1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment ‘C’ Company 12th Troop.  

Prior to the war he was employed as a Potters Manager at Wooliscrofts Tile Works, Hanley. The sentinel July 1909 showed him winning £1. Pottery Studentship which meant he must attend the ordinary or honours grade in pottery classes.   

He was killed in action at Hohenzollern Redoubt in the Loos sector 13.10.1915. Over the 13th and 14th October 1915 the 1/5th North Staffordshire regiment was one unit to attack the redoubt taking very heavy losses. One soldier who survived the battle says in a newspaper report of the 22.10.1915 that as they went over the top he heard a shout of  “ POTTERS FOR EVER “ . Andrew Thornton (2005)  wrote an extensive article  for the Great War (1914-1918) Forum describing this attack “Over the Bridge of Death”- 137th Brigade’s attack on 13th October 1915. 

His death is reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel dated 22.10.1915

Remembered on the Loos Memorial panel 103-105

Remembered on the St Andrews Church Porthill Memorial. 

Their Brother Reginald survived the war; he is reported by the Sentinel to have been Gazetted to 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery and served in India and Mesopotamia , he was promoted to rank of captain in the Heavy Artillery . The Sentinel reported his Shock death Friday May 22nd 1921 “Service in the outposts of the Empire”   he was reported as being in the Colonial office Service and had held an appointment in British East Africa for five years. Having been educated at Newcastle High School he worked for Messrs Doulton before emigrating to Australia, the report continues to describe him as a very gallant and modest man who without thought for reward had carried out his work. Incidentally within this report it states that his father John William Latimer had worked for Royal Doulton for 50 years 

The remaining Brother John Edwin Latimer was reported in the Sentinel as being unable to serve as he has a slight lameness, the 1921 census shows him aged 40 working as a Pottery manager living with his wife Jane aged 29, and children Reginald (1913) and Betty (c1917) at 45 Bradford Terrace Hanley, Stoke on Trent. The 1939 register shows John (11.05.1880) living with his wife Jane (11.08.1892) and Reginald (06.11.1913) and Roy (22.07.1925) living at 11 Oakville Avenue Stoke on Trent. John Edwin Latimer died in the last quarter of 1943. 

Parents John William and Sarah were living in 1 vale View in 1921 with their daughters both single Constance aged 39 working as a bank clerk for Lloyds bank and Kathryn aged 30 working as a pottery clerk. 

Sarah Latimer died in the second quarter of 1931. 

The death of J.W. Latimer was reported in the Sentinel March 20th 1935 “61 years at the Doulton works” the report describes how at his retirement he was often affectionately referred to as one of the institutions of the firm and those that worked with him have happy memories of his sterling qualities both as a colleague and friend.   They also commented upon three of his sons having been killed in the war and another died whilst in Kenya. He was survived by two daughters and one son.  

• Indexes created from Anglican Parish Registers held at Staffordshire Record Office; Stafford, Staffordshire, England. 
• Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2162; Folio: 56; Page: 27; GSU roll: 6097272
• Class: RG13; Piece: 2596; Folio: 17; Page: 25. 
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. 
• Western Front Association; London, England; WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers; Reference: 115/0549/Lat-Lav. 
• National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 316001-317500; Reference: 163
• Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008
• Serjeant A Latimer | War Casualty Details 305548 | CWGC 
• Corporal Lewis Latimer | War Casualty Details 733857 | CWGC
• Second Lieutenant Kenneth Latimer | War Casualty Details 155271 | CWGC
• The National Archives; London, England, UK; War Office: Soldiers' Documents, First World War Wo363 (G.L Latimer Service records ) 
• The Staffordshire Sentinel, Daily and Weekly; Publication Date: 5 Mar 1918; Publication Place: Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/972789312/?article=3f909cb1-6f1d-4ac4-b287-da3033b913da&focus=0.84318143,0.6477368,0.98043257,0.7233958&xid=3355
• Evening Sentinel; Publication Date: 21 Mar 1935; Publication Place: Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/972785652/?article=0feb599d-a893-41fd-9b34-3c1ba84a1119&focus=0.40161714,0.23992656,0.54340464,0.4294661&xid=3355
• The Staffordshire Sentinel, Daily and Weekly; Publication Date: 27 Jul 1909; Publication Place: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/972706543/?article=3b24b172-4166-41aa-a4de-4bc2cddead58&xid=5907&terms=George_L_Latimer  ( Pottery Studentships  1909) 
• The National archives, Kew war office, armed forces, judge advocate general and related bodies 01 February 1915-31 January 1918 reference WO 95/2685/1