George was the fourth child in the family, with an elder sister Annie (4 ½ years older) and two elder brothers William and Thomas (2 ½ and 1 year older respectively). Four more children (Ellen, Henry, Emily, Edward & Charles) were born before the family moved away when George was 9 years old, though Emily died the same year she was born, in 1869 when George was 4. George's little brother Albert was born in Harrow, Middlesex.
The family had moved again to Leicester by early 1876, living at 17 Frank Street, when George's little brother Henry died of meningitis. A little more than a year later his little sister Kate was born, followed by Martha in August 1879.
By the time of the April 1881 census, George is listed as an Errand Boy, with his age incorrectly listed as 15(he was 14). Later in 1881, tragedy struck again as his little sister Martha died of exhaustion from whooping cough, aged just two.
George and Emma's first child, George Henry Neal GURR, was born between January and March of 1887 and so it seems that Emma was at least five months pregnant at the time of their marriage. It's possible that the middle name of Henry commemorated George C.'s little brother who had died 11 years earlier - certainly it was unusual for the time and for this family to give two middle names. The other middle name of Neal was Emma's mother's maiden name.
A year and a half later in 1888 and Emma gave birth to another son, Alfred Ernest GURR, followed in another year and a half in 1890 by Horace Rowland GURR.
Frank Cyril GURR was born in mid-1893.
In early 1894 the family suffered an enormous shock when George's father took his own life (see biography of George GURR).
By 1895 the family had moved again (possibly to a larger house), this time to 209 Charnwood Street where George now ran his own picture framing business. In December 1898 Thomas Noel Collins GURR was born, and by 1899 the family are now found just down the road at 202 Charnwood Street where they remained until at least 1913. During these years, Winifred GURR (aka "Winnie"), John Vivian GURR (aka "Jack") and Edith Irene GURR (aka "Rene") were born. Charnwood Street has been described as the "Petticoat Lane" of Leicester, filled with tradesmens premises and market stalls.
George C.'s mother, Mary Ann, died in early 1913 due to "acute bronchitis and chronic nephritis".
In September 1914, disaster struck - Frank was killed in action. He was just 21. He is buried in a military cemetary not far from where he died, in Sablonnieres, Seine-et-Marne, in France.
Alf married Edith Ellen PRESTON in July 1915 and joined the Leicestershire Regiment seeing active service in late 1915 or early 1916.
George C. joined the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment when it was raised in February 1917.
In March 1918, the family suffered another loss as George Henry Neal was killed during the Battle of The Somme. His body was never recovered, but his death is commemorated at a mass memorial in France.
The grandchildren continued apace as in 1932 Jack and Elsie brought them Hazel, in 1933 Tom and May brought them Margaret. Rene married in 1935, and in 1936 Jack and Elsie also brought Andrew into the world. All in all, before George's death in late 1937 he would have known five of his grandchildren.
