Thomas Henry Gentles ............Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

[*Sandra*]

Commonwealth War Graves Commission are looking for relatives of Acting Sergeant Thomas Henry Gentles. Service No  8513 - Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Thomas was born in 1886 - His father was Thomas Gentles, born circa 1842, and his mother was Mary, nee McCallum, born circa 1845.

Thomas Gentles is buried at Glasgow (Necropolis) Grave Petra 379. The Commission are in the process of producing a headstone to mark his grave.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

1901 census 2 Belmont Street Glasgow.

Parish Govan ED 11 Page 11 Line 2

Thomas – 40, wallpaper merchant
Mary – 37, wife
William R – 17, glass merchant
Thomas – 15, surveyors clerk
Olga M – 13, scholar (she’s listed as Mary in 1891 census)
Matthew P – 8, scholar
Caroline P McCallum – 74, mother-in-law (she was born in England, but her daughters were born in Glasgow)
Catherine C McCallum – 40, sister-in-law, elementary teacher (she was described as a music teacher in 1891 census)
Hannah Montgomery – 36, servant

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Lots of research and back ground here to follow up on...........information on background after the war....

https://arlingtonbathshistory.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/thomas-gentles-from-water-polo-to-war/

Some brief notes -

Thomas Gentles junior and his older brother William are listed as supernumerary – ie junior – members of the Arlington Baths in 1900. Thomas’ number was 16 and William’s was 27.

In 1905, William and Thomas signed the proposal form for their little brother Matthew, aged 13 years old and a pupil at Glasgow Academy, to become a junior member.

Younger sister Mary Olga was also a member.

Their father Thomas died, on 13 September 1911. Thomas senior’s estate was valued at £4856

Thomas was 28 years old when the war broke out in August 1914 and he enlisted with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 5th Battalion on 25 January 1915.
Brother Matthew, aged about 22, who was a shipping clerk in 1914, also joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Neither Thomas or Matthew were in the army for long. Both brothers were discharged in summer 1916, both being deemed no longer physically fit for service.

Thomas died on 3 January 1917, at the age of 31. He’s commemorated by the  Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the UK Book of Remembrance.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

The family aftre the war...........

In 1921 the electoral roll records him living there with his mother Mary, sister Mary Olga and aunt Catherine C McCallum.
Another sister – Katherine McCallum Gentles – must have also have been living there but was too young to be recorded on the electoral roll.

Mother Mary Gentles died in 1933 in Glasgow. In 1931 she and her daughter Katherine had left the family home at Belmont Street and moved to Cresswell Street.

Mathew died in 1949 in Glasgow though he appeared to have been living in Inverness. His sister Katherine confirmed his death, and she continued to live in Glasgow until at least the mid 1950s

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

I have noticed an anc tree on the Gentle family (they quote the same 1901 census) but reluctant to contact since some alot of  the information is not correct.  i.e they have the death of Thomas as 1928 

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Probate - Matthew Page Gentles of the Golf View Hotel Inverness died 1 st April 1949 Glasgow. Confirmation of Catherine/Katherine McCallum Gentles spinster and John Kevan McDowall solicitor - sealed London 25 August.

Looking like neither of these may have married.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Brother William R Gentles did not marry.

William Robert Gentles - aged 34 years -  died 1918 - 620/ 19 - West Kilbride.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

There is a death for Olga Gentles - aged 36 years - died 1923 - Dumfries - 821/311 -

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

It was Katherine Gentles that was mentioned in the probate of mother Mary Gentles who died 6 December 1933.

Sandra