James (Jim) Nuttall was born to John Richard and Eva Nuttall in Burnley on 7th February 1911. He was born at 29 Melville Street, Burnley, as recorded on his birth certificate. This was the home of his two aunts, Susie Annie and Mary Ellen, neither of whom had married (see the 1911 census). His parents are shown as living at 108 Abel Street, Burnley, and this is the address at which James was living with his parents at the time of the 1911 census, which was taken on the night of 2nd April 1911. This is less than a mile from his two aunts. Eva may have been visiting her sisters-in-law at the time she went into labour so that it was necessary for her son to be born there. She was probably attended by a midwife.

Little is known of Jim’s early life. He was just three when the First World War broke out and Jim was probably looked after by his mother and two aunts while his father was away. In the 1921 census, Jim is shown as living at 39, Spencer Street, Burnley, a street not far from Abel Street, but closer to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. He was in full time education.

By the time he was 27 or 28, Jim had moved from Lancashire to 65 Pound Street, Carshalton, Surrey, with his parents. His parents had bought a hardware store, Brown’s Stores, in Carshalton.

He married Elizabeth Florence Davis on 5th July 1939 at  Cuddington Parish Church. Jim was 28, and Elizabeth (Bet) 26. The vicar who conducted the marriage service was Francis E Lamb.

Jim and his bride, Bet, made their first home at 19a Carshalton Road, Carshalton, Surrey. 19a was probably the upstairs flat in a semi-detached house. The bottom floor, number 19, was occupied by Sydney Parrot, a thirty-year old chauffeur mechanic, and his wife Eleanor, 31, a housewife. Next door, number 17, was probably also split into two flats, as the 1939 Register records two families living there: Richard Richmond, aged 60 and a house decorator, with his wife Emily, aged 59 and described in the 1939 Register as a housekeeper; and Arthur Beales, a 24 year old police constable with his wife Lilian aged 30, also a housewife. On the other side, at number 21 Carshalton Road were John F and Dorothy P Sinnock, John being a postman, and also Alice M Clark, aged 22 and a canteen worker, with above them, at number 21a Winifred Maureen Carr a 45 year old teacher at the Central School, and Mary Carr, aged 29, a private secretary at an engineering business, and presumably Winifred’s sister.

At that time, Jim was assisting in his parents’ hardware store, Brown’s Stores, Pound Street (number 65, where his parents lived above the shop?), so they must have moved from Burnley by the time he was 28.

 As well as his work in his father’s hardware store, Jim is recorded in the 1939 Register as being a full time stretcher bearer in the ARP (Air Raid Precautions). When the Second World War broke out he was called up and joined the army. He became a quartermaster and was posted to Shetland, where he remained for the duration of the war. Nothing more is known about Jim’s war service.  In 1943 Jim did a small watercolour of Orkney, and in 1944 made a sketch of Shetland.

His first son, Paul was born on  July 25th 1943, probably while he was away. After demob in 1946, Jim trained as a teacher under the government’s emergency teacher training scheme designed to meet the need for teachers following the war. On completion of his training, he was appointed at Morden Farm Primary School, Aragon Road, Morden, Surrey. At around this time he moved with his wife and son to 81 Buxton Crescent, North Cheam, Surrey, a pre-war semi detached house. He used to walk the 1.5 miles to the school every day. His second son, Christopher James was born on 21st May 1947. He remained at this school until he retired in 1976, when he was 65, having become a well respected and popular teacher.

Jim was particularly interested in Photography, Art, and Calligraphy. Examples of some of his work can be seen on the following pages.

He died on 30th May 1991, aged 80, at home with his wife.