George Herbert Critten

A Second Hand with Trawler Queen of Devon (Lowestoft), George died on 20th of December 1914 at the age of 44. 

George was born at Lowestoft in 1869, a son of William and Ellen Critten. In 1871 his family lived at 25 Selby Street, Lowestoft, and this was still their home in 1881. By 1914 George's widowed mother was living at 19 Beresford Road. 

On 20 August 1894 George married Phyllis Louisa Baxter at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. George was a smacksman living at 14 Clemence Street and Phyllis lived at 10 Union Road. In 1901 they lived at 14 Sandringham Road. The 1911 Census shows Phyllis living at 197 Stanley Street. 

On Tuesday 15 December 1914 the Queen of Devon sailed from Lowestoft. On 20 December an explosion was heard around fifty-five miles east by north of Lowestoft and it was presumed that the Queen of Devon had struck a mine. 

See: World War One – History of Lowestoft's Fishing Industry (wordpress.com)