SPRATTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Nathaniel Manning was born on 22 October1895, the son of Job Manning, an ironstone labourer from a long-established family in Spratton, and his wife Ann Elizabeth. Job and his wife had a large family of eight children – four boys and four girls, all of whom attended the village school.  The family lived first in a small cottage in First Turn, Spratton (now Holdenby Road), but later moved to Third Turn (now Smith Street). Two of the Manning brothers served in the First World War – Amos and Nathaniel, and both returned safely. Brother Frank and sister Catherine sailed to Halifax, Canada in 1913.

It is thought that Nathaniel went to Canada for a short time but had returned by 1917 when he joined the Royal Flying Corps as a general labourer on 1 January 1918 aged 23.  He was not sent overseas but served in this country.