Spitalfields Nippers At Waterstones

I shall be introducing Horace Warner’s Spitalfields Nippers, reading some of the biographies of the children in the photographs and giving away free Nippers posters at Waterstones Piccadilly this Wednesday 19th November at 7pm. Admission is free to this event but tickets must be reserved piccadilly@waterstones.com

Jerry Donovan or ‘Dick Whittington & His Cat’

Jerry Donovan (Jeremiah Donovan) was born in 1895 in the City of London. His parents Daniel – a news vendor – and Katherine Donovan lived at 14 Little Pearl St. By 1901, the family were resident at Elizabeth Buildings, Boleyn Rd. In 1919, Jerry married Susan Nichols and they had one son, Bertrude John Donovan, born in 1920.

Charlie Potter

Charlie Potter was born in Haggerston to John – a leather cutter in the boot trade – and Esther Potter. He was baptised on 13th June 1890 at St Peter’s, Hoxton Sq. In 1911, they were living at 13 Socrates Place, New Inn Yard, Shoreditch and he was working as a mould maker. Charlie married Martha Elms at St John’s, Hoxton, on 3rd August 1913. They had two children, Martha, born in 1914 and, Charles, born in 1916. In World War One, Charlie served in the Royal Field Artillery Regiment, number 132308. He died on 19th October 1954 at the Royal Free Hospital. By then, he and Martha were living 46 De Beauvoir Rd, Haggerston, and he left four hundred and seventy pounds to his widow.

Come along to Waterstones Piccadilly on Wednesday to collect a free Spitalfields Nippers poster, as seen here in the window of Gardners’ Market Sundriesmen

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