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Gladstone Ewart William Thomson
SRoH. Not in Stewartry Roll of Honour. Identified as a soldier from Anwoth & Girthon ex Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser “First Instalment of Stewartry Roll of Honour” 25th December 1914.
L-Corpl. Gladstone Thomson Military Police.
Military Records - Medal Index Card : LCp. G.E.W.Thomson (1093) M.F.P. (Miltary Foot Police). Awarded Victory & British medals.
1891 Northamptonshire Census, at Potterspury : Gladstone Thomson (5, born Potterspury) with father John Thomson (44, domestic gardener, born Scotland), mother Marion (39, born Scotland) + 4 siblings.
1901 Dumfriesshire Census, at Dryfeholm Gardens : Gladstone Thompson (15, apprentice gardener, born England) with friend George Jack.
1911 Census, with the army in Arabia, Cyprus or Gibraltar : Gladstone Ewart William Thomson (28, lance-corporal Military Foot Police, born Wolverhampton, Shropshire).
Birth Index : Gladstone Ewart W Thomson born Q3 1885 at Potterspury (a village in south Northamptonshire).
Gatehouse link : Unknown. It is possible that Gladstone’s parents were from Kirkcudbrightshire (they were Scottish) – Gladstone could have been a local gardener.
John Thomson
SRoH. Not in Stewartry Roll of Honour. Identified as a soldier from Anwoth & Girthon ex Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser “First Instalment of Stewartry Roll of Honour” 25th December 1914.
Private John Thomson 5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
George Toogood
SRoH. George Toogood, Gatehouse.
Anwoth & Girthon War Memorial, Gatehouse inscription : George Toogood Durham L.I.
National Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire : George William Toogood, Northumberland Fusiliers, commemorated on the Showmen’s War Memorial.
Ireland’s Memorial Records : Toogood, George William. Reg.No. 27815. Rank Private Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish). died France April 28 1917; born Newcastle-on-Tyne.
CWGC : Pte George William Toogood (27815) 25th Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish). Died 28th April 1917 (aged 22). Son of Thomas and Louisa Toogood, 23 King Street, North Shields. He is commemorated on the memorial at Arras. (Note age is slightly wrong).
Soldiers Who Died in Great War : Pte George William (27815) 25th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish). Born Newcastle upon Tyne. Died 28th April1917 in France or Flanders
Medal Index Card : Pte George W Toogood (27815) North'd Fus.
Register of Soldier's Effects : Toogood, George William, 25th N(orthumberland) Fus(iliers), private 27815. Death pres(umed) on or since 28.4.17. £2-8-4 + War Gratuity £4-10-0 to father Thomas (toogood) in 1918 & 1920.
1891 North Shields Census, Reid Street : Thomas Toogood (32, swing boats repairer, born Hayes, Middlesex) with widowed mother Eliza Toogood (70) , wife Louisa (28, born Dudley, Worcestershire) + 2 daughters. [Thomas Toogood is George W’s father].
1911 Morpeth Census, Ashington Showground, Northumberland : George Toogood (10, born Skerry, Co. Dublin) with father Thomas (amusement caterer) and mother ‘L’ + 1 sister & 2 brothers.
Birth : (ex Ancestry) 1894 Q3 George William Toogood born at Balrothery, Ireland. 1911 census gives Skerry, Co.Dublin as his place of birth - Skerries is very close to Balrothery.
Gatehouse link : George's father owned a travelling fairground amusement business and his wife provided a catering service. The family were based in Gatehouse when their traction engine(s) were requisitioned to help with the war effort, after which they remained in Gatehouse for some time. During this period George enlisted for the army.
James Trainer
SRoH. No known records in Roll of Honour.
Identified on Ancestry.com after searching for 'Gatehouse'.
Military Records : Royal Army Service Corps (Motor Transport) (No. M2/150821).
Home: Gatehouse. Enlisted 7th Dec. 1915. He was 5’ 8¼’’.
Next of kin: mother, Helen Trainer, Gatehouse. Unmarried when enlisted.
Blacksmith. 26 years old (born 1889).
03/12/1915 to 08/03/1916 served at home.
09/03/1916 to 29/01/1917 East Africa with 648 Coy.
30/01/1917 - home (Grove Park)
08/02/1917 to 17/02/1917 - granted furlough in Gatehouse of Fleet
10/02/1917 admitted to Military Hospital Devonport
15/02/1917 re-admitted to Military Hospital Southport
26/09/1918 Pte James Trainer at London MT repair depot Longbridge Works, with ASC MT as a fitter
Married Laura Emily Barnes on 21st Dec. 1918 at St George’s, Hanover Sq. London
16/03/1919 - transferred to Z Class
Sobriety good, reliable and intelligent.
Certificate of Identity: Pte ((M2/150821) RASC (London MT) Address: 19 Albany (?) Sq., Victoria, London
Medal Index Card : Pte (M2/150821) ASC Victory & British medal
1891 Girthon Census, High Street : James Trainer (aged 1, born Gatehouse) with father John (36, journeyman shoemaker) and mother Ellen (35) + 3 older siblings.
1901 Girthon Census, Back Neilson Square : James Trainer (11, born Gatehouse) with father John (45, shoemaker) and mother Ellen (44) + 6 siblings.
1911 Girthon Census, Catherine Street : John Trainer (shoemaker) and wife Ellen with children Catherine and David. James was not at home.
Gatehouse link : Born and educated in Gatehouse.
Frederick J Turner
SRoH. No known records in Roll of Honour.
Identified as a soldier from a newspaper article about his marriage.
Medal Index Card : Frederick John Turner 2nd Lieut. Ayrshire Yeomanry, then Capt. 1/1 Ayrshire Yeomanry. Sent to Gallipoli in October 1915.
10th June 1921 applied for his medals (British, Victory & 15 Star) to be sent to Castramont, Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland.
1891 Dundonald Census, Masine Cottage : Frederick J. Turner (7, born Kilmarnock) with father Joseph H. Turner (31, land agent) and mother Mary Jane (30) + 2 younger sisters.
1901 Yorkshire Census, at Sedbergh : Fred J Turner (17, born Scotland) was a boarding pupil. (Sedbergh is now in Cumbria).
Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 17th September 1915: Marriage reported of Fred J. Turner of the Ayrshire Yeomanry to Miss Nancy Dent of Newcastle-upon-Tyne at St James’ Episcopal Church, Cuper, Fife. It was a quiet wedding as the bridegroom is under orders to go at once to the Dardanelles. Telegrams of congratulations were sent from his many friends and collegues in Gatehouse - tenants and employees of the Cally, Ardwall and Gaitgill Estates and the Gatehouse Town Council. The flag was flown on Gatehouse Town Clock and the employees of the Cally Estate were given a holiday. Lieut. Turner expresses grateful thanks from himself and his wife.
Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 28th January 1916 :
Stewartry Officer Leads in a Charge
A letter from Mr F. J. Turner, Factor of Cally : The Regiment has had a pretty rough time .... We have had no less than 27 days in the trenches...(and) took part in a charge and beat off two particularly fierce Turkish counter-attacks....We suffered our share of casualties...several of the men in my troop are buried in the 52nd Divisional Cemetery ...We try to make a point of bringing our poor fellows who are killed down to this cemetery, but sometimes they are buried where they fall, and again sometimes we can't bury them at all if they are close to the Turks' trenches.
Mr Turner went on to explain details of a recent charge...
We had our first snow storm six days ago, a perfect blizzard, and bitterly cold. All our drinking water was frozen...
The Gatehouse boys are in the rest camp just now. I saw Rennie this morning; he was pleased to be remembered. I hope Crosbie is well, and all my other friends. I expect Salmond will be already home - lucky fellow.
Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 12th August 1921: Unveiling of Gatehouse War Memorial. Wreath laid by Fred J. Turner: In grateful and affectionate remembrance of my friends in Girthon and Anwoth who fell in the Great War and died for King and country’
Dundee Courier 03/11/1927: Action for divorce called by Frederick John Turner, factor, residing at Cessnock Castle, Gelston against Nancy Dent or Turner, his wife and against Sir Charles Hope-Dunbar Bt. (St) Mary's Isle House, Kirkcudbright, as co-defendant.
Kilmarnock Academy website : Fred's father was Joseph Harling Turner, a factor of Cessnock Castle Gelston, Ayrshire. During World War I, Joseph was an advisor to the British cabinet on agricultural policy.
Gatehouse and District by John Russell (p296)
Frederick J. Turner became Factor of the Cally Estate, Gatehouse in 1912. In 1914 he left to join the army. He returned to Gatehouse from Gallipoli in May 1916. He was entertained at a dinner in Murray Arms Hotel to celebrate his recent marriage.
In 1918, after the war, he returned to Gatehouse and moved with his wife to Castramont House. He also became the factor for the Ardwall and Kirkclaugh estates.
By 1928 he had moved to Cessnock Castle, Galston, Ayrshire and was in divorce proceedings with his wife.
Scotlands People Index : 1915 marriage of Frederick John Turner to Nancy Dent in Cuper, Fife.
Gatehouse link : Lived at Castramont House and was factor at Cally, Ardwall and Kirkclaugh.
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