Harry Chesters was born on 19th August 1882 in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent. His parents were George Chesters, born circa 1851, and Jane nee Topliss, born circa 1852, married on 4th October 1873 at Holy Trinity Church, Hope, Hanley. 

As a family, they are first found on the 1881 census living at 18 Elizabeth Street, Hanley (East), George aged 29 working as a Potters Hollow ware presser, Jane aged 27, children George aged 6, Arthur aged 5, Ernest aged 4, and widowed mother-in-law Maria Topliss. 

The Census of 1891 shows Harry living at 32 Seaford Street, Hanley (South), with his parents, George Chesters, also born in Shelton, aged 39, working as an Earthenware Holloware Presser. His mother, Jane, aged 38, was born in Shelton. Siblings George, aged 16, working as a Potter's packer, Arthur, aged 14, working as a warehouse boy, Harry, aged 8 at school, Emily, aged 6 at school, and babies Edith, aged 1, and Albert, 5 months old.  

The Census 1901 finds Harry aged 18 working as a Potter's Placer living with his now widowed mother, as George Chesters died in 1898 aged 47. They were living at 43 Carlton Road (St. Jude's), Hanley, with Arthur, aged 25, working as a Steam engine fitter, Albert, aged 10, and Edith, aged 11. 

Harry Chesters married Florence Elizabeth Lloyd, a spinster born on 6th July 1873,  on 18th February 1906, in Etruria, Hanley. Florence Elizabeth Lloyd was born to parents George and Annis Lloyd. The 1891 census sees Florence aged 17 years working as a potter's paintress, living at 325 Waterloo Road, Burslem, with her parents and siblings,  John H aged 20 working as a China Artist, Gertrude M. aged 14, also a Paintress,  Maud aged 12, Beatrice aged 8, Minnie aged 4 and Georgina aged 1. 

Florence is found on the 1901 census aged 26, single and still working as a paintress in the potteries, living as a boarder with Albert Moreton, his wife Mary and their daughter Daisy aged 12 living at 12 Abbey Street, Cobridge.  

Florence and Harry Chesters adopted Norman George Lloyd, born 24.12.1905, the illegitimate son of Florence's younger sister Gertrude, who was working as a servant in Manchester at the time of his birth.

The census of  1911 shows Harry aged 28 working as a Potter Placer, his wife Florence aged 36 working as a Paintress, their adopted son Norman Lloyd aged 5, boarders Florence Wheeler aged 22 married working as a Potter's guider, her daughter Doris Wheeler aged 2, and baby Mabel Wheeler aged 7 months.  Harry and Florence have been married for 6 years, recorded as having one child born and one child died, with no children living. They are living at 31 George Street, Cobridge. 

Harry first enlisted with the colours aged 18 on the 15th April 1901 at Hanley, where he stated he had previous military service with the Shropshire and Staffordshire Volunteer Artillery. At this time, he gave his occupation as a Potter.

He had an uneventful early career with several postings to home units; we follow him thus

23rd May 1901 - Posted as a Gunner to 105 Battery Royal Field Artillery

11th November 1901 - Appointed Acting Bombardier

15th April 1903 - Granted good conduct pay

14th November 1903 - Posted as an Acting Bombardier to No. 7 Depot Royal Field Artillery

17th May 1905 - Posted to 17th Battery Royal Field Artillery

3rd June 1908 - Promoted Corporal

3rd June 1908 - Posted to 5th Battery Royal Field Artillery

25th June 1908 - Posted to 17th Battery Royal Field Artillery

15th April 1909 - Transferred to Army Reserve

15th April 1913 - Re-engaged as Corporal

5th August 1914, Harry was mobilised and on the same day was posted to 40 Brigade Royal Field Artillery

6th August 1914 - Posted to 23rd Battery Royal Field Artillery

19th August 1914 - Landed in France

Harry, as we know, was attached to 23rd Battery/40th Brigade Royal Field Artillery. They took part in the battles during the famous rearguard action, The Retreat From Mons. On the 28th August 1914, the 23rd Battery was at a village called Ham, North of Peronne, near the Somme. It is here he was wounded by a bullet to the knee and captured by the Germans. 

He was incarcerated in Hanover, Germany, until he was moved to Holland on the 29th December 1917. In his prisoner of war records, his condition reflects the knee wound and that he was mentally. He was finally repatriated to England on the 8th September 1918 when he was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley. From Netley, he was transferred to the Lord Derby Hospital in Warrington and then on to Cheddleton Asylum. 

His pension and medical records tell us that he was in a very difficult situation, his symptoms shown to be inactive pupils, exaggerated tendon reflexes, affected speech, tremors of the tongue and facial muscles, Anaemia, defective short-term memory, paranoia, and delusions. He was diagnosed as being mentally insane, aggravated by the privations of being a prisoner of war. 

Harry was discharged on the 28th December 1918, being medically unfit to serve

Harry died on the 30th September 1919 in Cheddleton asylum. His death certificate states General Paralysis as the cause of death, and he is buried in Burslem Cemetery, plot 15636.

Sources. 

 Parents' marriage: Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Parents' marriage banns:  Indexes created from Anglican Parish Registers held at Staffordshire Record Office; Stafford, Staffordshire, England. 

FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

1881 census ancestry UK 

1891 census ancestry UK 

1901 census ancestry UK 

1911 census ancestry UK 

The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; War Office: Soldiers' Documents from Pension Claims, First World War (Microfilm Copies and Medical Cards); Reference: WO364; Piece: 676

Forces War Records, UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1019/uk-wwi-pension-ledgers-and-index-cards-1914-1923: accessed 21 Nov 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1019/uk-wwi-pension-ledgers-and-index-cards-1914-1923 

Forces War Records, UK, Nominal Index Of All Service Personnel Serving In A Theatre Of War, 1914-1919 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1276/uk-nominal-index-of-all-service-personnel-serving-in-a-theatre-of-war-1914-1919: accessed 21 Nov 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1276/uk-nominal-index-of-all-service-personnel-serving-in-a-theatre-of-war-1914-1919

The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; War Office: Soldiers' Documents from Pension Claims, First World War (Microfilm Copies and Medical Cards); Reference: WO364; Piece: 676

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/4028278/harry-chesters/

General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6b; Page: 334

https://www.staffordshireburials.org.uk/cgi/gravematch.cgi?grave_ref=BM%3a15636%3a