The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

David McNay · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:34 pm Post subject: Private Andrew Gibson

The Museum of the Black Watch posted about this yesterday, and they posted the link to the website today.

Surely we can put our heads together and help with some research?

https://sites.google.com/a/wpga.ca/gibson/home

jrah60 · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:25 pm Post subject:

SNWM has the following

Surname GIBSON
Firstname Andrew
Service Number 8551
Date Death 21/04/1917
Decoration
Place of birth Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
Other 2nd Bn.
SNWM roll THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)
Rank Pte
Theatre of death Persian Gulf.

John

anne park

Father Andrew Gibson
Mother Margaret Agnes Jane Green
Brother Alfred died F & F 31 July 1916
_________________
Researching WWI info from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire & Morayshire.

anne park · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:41 pm Post subject: Brother Alfred's info

Name:
Alfred Gibson
Birth Place:
Grangemouth, Stirlingshire
Death Date:
31 Jul 1916
Death Location:
France & Flanders
Enlistment Location:
Dunfermline, Fifeshire
Rank:
Private
Regiment:
Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Battalion:
7th (Fife) Battalion (Territorial)
Number:
2039
Type of Casualty:
Killed in action
Theatre of War:
Western European Theatre
_________________
Researching WWI info from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire & Morayshire.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:59 pm Post subject:

Andrew Gibson b. 11/1/1891 Park Street, Tillicoultry (only one 1875 - 1900) Father Andrew (Pastry Baker) Mother Maggie Green married 1/8/1890 Dunfermline.

1901 age 10 (b. Tillicoultry) at Buckieburn, Dunfermline with
Grandparents Andrew (66 a dairyman b. Auchterarder) and Ann Gibson (b. Burntisland)

Medal card of Gibson, Andrew
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Highlanders S/8551 Private
Royal Highlanders S/8551 Private

GIBSON, ANDREW
Rank:Private
Service No:8551
Date of Death:21/04/1917
Regiment/Service:Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
2nd Bn.
Panel ReferencePanel 25 and 63.
MemorialBASRA MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
_________________
Ken

David McNay · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:00 pm Post subject:

He's not on Tillicoultry, Grangemouth or Dunfermline memorials.

DelBoy · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:58 pm Post subject:

He died in the battle for the redoubt in which Pte. Melvin of Kirriemuir was awarded the Victoria Cross.

War Return says he was 26 when killed in action on that date.

Derek.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:45 am Post subject:

Some interesting "bits" from the brother's details.

In 1901 ALFRED age 3 "Nephew" was living with the James and Mary G (Gibson?) Reid and their family in Buckieburn, Dumfermiline - and CWGC has
GIBSON, ALFRED
Rank:Private
Service No:2039
Date of Death:31/07/1916
Age:19
Regiment/Service:Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
7th Bn.
Panel ReferencePier and Face 10 A.
MemorialTHIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Adopted son of James and Mary Reid, of 18, Castle Blair Park, Dunfermline, Fife.

It looks as though something happened to Andrew and Alfred's parents and this might explain the lack of NoK details for Andrew.
Are there any details on the Family Tree from Ancestry?
_________________
Ken

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:13 am Post subject:

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:21 am Post subject:

what is known so far, quite a bit.

https://sites.google.com/a/wpga.ca/gibson/the-story-of-pte-gibson

Derek.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:14 pm Post subject:

David McNay · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:59 pm Post subject:

You can see the Medal Card, as well as other documents, by following the "pictures" link on their website.

The medal card has no address details.

His will is available at the National Archives of Scotland. Could someone local maybe go and look into that? Finding the recipient of his will would be useful.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:34 pm Post subject:

David McNay · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:16 pm Post subject:

I posted the link to their website in my initial post. I didn't think I had to explain in full what was on there. Sorry.

ADP · Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh

I see a death for their sister Bella in 1937 in Dunfermline (where she had married in 1930). On these marriage and death certificates, both parents are listed as deceased. When the other sister, Annie, died in 1914, only the father was listed as deceased. On that basis, it is a reasonable assumption (although not proven) that the mother died sometime between 1914 and 1930.

The father died in 1900 (not 1910 as given in one of the posts above).

In the 1901 census where Andrew has already been found with his paternal grandparents, and Alfred in the next household with an aunt and uncle. On that same census page, two households further on there is Bella Gibson, age 7, who is almost certainly the sister of Andrew and Alfred, with another uncle and aunt. The other sister, Annie, aged 5, can be found with another uncle and aunt in Beath (Fife).

I see no sign of the mother after the birth of Alfred in 1897 (the last child known to be born to the couple). The father's death certificate carries no implication that they were estranged, so she was probably in the family home until then. But we know things had changed in the next 6 months, by the 1901 census, when the children were dispersed to other family members.

The 1891 census shows Andrew, aged 3 months, with his parents. The mother's birthplace is given as Ireland. Could she have returned 'home' after the death of her husband? Still no link to Canada found, so the mystery remains as to how the medal made it there. Did Bella produce children who emigrated?

Food for thought...