Trafford

Born at Collyhurst, Manchester on the 21st March 1888 the birth being
registered during the June quarter 1888 in the Manchester R.D. - ref:
8d/282, the son of William & Hannah Hovell (nee Wilkinson).

1891  Census - 17 Collyhurst Street, Manchester.    Son - aged: 3 - born:
Manchester.   Head of household - William Hovell - Married - aged: 45 -
occ: Pawnbroker -  born: At Sea.   Also Hannah Hovell - Wife -- aged: 43 -
born: Manchester.   Plus 6 elder siblings.

Won a scholarship to Manchester Grammar School at the age of 10.   He later
worked as a lecturer and tutor at Manchester University, specialising in
Military History.     Awarded the Langton Fellowship at Owens College and
studied the Chartist Movement. 

1901 Census - 49 Amos Street, Prestwich, Manchester.   Son - aged: 13 -
Teacher & Scholar - born: Manchester.    Head of household - William Hovell
- Married - aged: 56 - occ: Retired Pawnbroker -  born: Manchester.   Also
Hannah Hovell - Wife -- aged: 49 - born: Manchester.   Plus 6 siblings.

1911 Census - 17 Mary Street, Harpurhey, Manchester.   Son - aged: 23 -
occ: Tutor & Lecturer - born: Manchester.   Head of household - William
Hovell - Married - aged: 66 - occ: Retired Pawnbroker -  born: At Sea.  
Also Hannah Hovell - Wife -- aged: 59 - born: Salford.   Plus 2 siblings.

1912-1913 he spent a year studying at the Karl Lamprecht's Institute in
Leipzig

Langton Fellow of Manchester University 1911 - 1914.

He was a lecturer in history at the Victoria University of Manchester and
the Workers Education Association.

His family moved to Sale and he later married Fanny Gatley at Sale on the
3rd June 1916, the marriage being registered during the June quarter 1916
in the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/453.

In the evening of the 12th August 1918, he died in the Trenches after going
to rescue a soldier who had been overcome by fumes from a shaft which had
been used to explode a mine under German lines.  His comrades believed that
he was himself overcome by the fumes and that he fell down the shaft to his
death.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1917.

M.I. - "On earth the broken arcs in the heaven a perfect round".  A
quotation from a Robert Browning poem.

His wife - Mrs. Fanny Hovell (nee Gatley) was the Headmistress of the
Infant Department of Springfield School.  Mark wrote the famous 327 page
book on the ‘Chartist Movement’ published after his death by the
Victoria University of Manchester.

Photograph of him in uniform on file.

C.W.G.C. - "Son of William & Hannah Hovell of Brooklands, Sale.  Husband of
Fanny Hovell of Milton Cottage, John Street, Sale.  Langton Fellow of
Manchester University 1911 - 1914.

Mark had started writing a book on Chartism, After his death, his
colleague, Professor T F Tout, completed it and published his book
posthumously. 'The Chartist Movement' by Mark Hovell has since been
recognised nationally, for its importance in Chartist Studies.