Henry Gilham (1884 - 1914)

Born 1884 in Wittersham, Kent, England

Ancestors

Died 15 Oct 1914 at about age 30 in at sea- HMS Hawke

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janet Gunn [send private message]

Henry Gilham was Killed in Action during World War I.

Biography

1891 census transcription details for: Kings Gate House, Kings Gate Lane, Wittersham

RG number: RG12

Piece: 696

Folio: 104

Page: 3

Reg. District: Tenterden

Sub District: Tenterden

Parish: Wittersham

Enum. District: 13

Ecclesiastical District: Wittersham

City/Municipal Borough:

Address: Kings Gate House, Kings Gate Lane, Wittersham

County: Kent

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation , Disability Where Born

GILHAM, Robert Head Married M 29 1862 Agricultural Labourer Dymchurch, Kent

GILHAM, Anne Wife Married F 30 1861 Northiam, Sussex

GILHAM, Henry Son Single M 7 1884 Scholar Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, William Son Single M 5 1886 Scholar Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Stephen Son Single M 3 1888 Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Jane Daughter Single F 0 (8M) 1891 Wittersham, Kent

HOAD, David Lodger Married M 70 1821 House Carpenter Wittersham, Kent

HOAD, Edwin Lodger Single M 32 1859 House Carpenter Rye, Sussex

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1901 census transcription details for: Hollow Street, Chislett, Chislet

RG number: RG13

Piece: 797

Folio: 14

Page: 1

Reg. District: Blean

Sub District: Herne

Parish: Chislett

Enum. District: 2

Ecclesiastical District: St Mary

City/Municipal Borough:

Address: Hollow Street, Chislett, Chislet

County: Kent

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation , Disability Where Born

GILHAM, Robert Head Married M 39 1862 Ordinary Agricultural Labourer Dymchurch, Kent

GILHAM, Annie Wife Married F 40 1861 Northiam, Sussex

GILHAM, Harry Son Single M 17 1884 Waggoners Male On Farm Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, William Son Single M 15 1886 Ordinary Agricultural Labourer Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Stephen Son Single M 13 1888 Ordinary Agricultural Labourer Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Jane Daughter F 10 1891 Scholar Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Mary Daughter F 8 1893 Scholar Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Alice Daughter F 5 1896 Scholar Wittersham, Kent

GILHAM, Louisa Daughter F 2 1899 Chislet, Kent

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(after enlistig in 1906, see below)

1911 census transcription details for: Formidable

Military details: Leading Stoker 416

National Archive Reference:

RG14PN3962 RD47 SD2 ED36 SN9999

Reg. District: Medway

Sub District: Gillingham

Enum. District: 36

County: Kent

Name Relation Condition/

Yrs married Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Where Born

GILHAM, Henry Single  ? 27 1884 Stoker first class Canterbury Kent

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Armed Forces registration event: Death

Name: GILHAM, Henry

Ship or unit: Royal Naval Division

Rank: Stoker 1st Class

Year: 1914

Volume: RN.

Page: 1484

Record source: GRO War Death Navy All Ranks Indices (1914 to 1921)

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HMS Hawke

According to Wikipedia

"Early in the First World War, Hawke, commanded by Capt.Hugh P.E.T. Williams, was engaged in various operations in the North Sea. On 15 October 1914 Hawke, sailing with her sister ship Theseus, was torpedoed by German submarine U-9. The submarine's first torpedo missed Theseus but hit Hawke, igniting a magazine and causing a tremendous explosion which ripped much of the ship apart. Hawke sank in a few minutes with the loss of her captain, 26 officers and 497 men; only 70 of her 594 crew survived."^[1]

Henry Gilham, from Chislet, joined the Navy in 1906, and served for five years. At the outbreak of war in 1914, Henry was immediately called up and joined the crew of HMS Hawke as a stoker. In October of 1914, a German submarine sank Hawke in the North Sea, with the loss of 525 souls, including Henry.^[2]

Recorded on the Chatham Naval Memorial

Name Rank Service Number Date of Death Age Regiment / Service Service Country Grave / Memorial Reference Cemetery / Memorial Name

GILHAM, HENRY Stoker 1st Class SS/102992 15/10/1914 30 Royal Navy United Kingdom 5. CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies Researched & compiled by Don Kindell

1st - 31st OCTOBER 1914 in date, ship/unit & name order

Thursday, 15 October 1914

Hawke, old cruiser, torpedoed and sunk by U.9 in North Sea (Survivor list included)

...

GILHAM, Henry, Stoker 1c (RFR B 7611), 102992 (Ch)

Abbreviations

(Ch) Chatham (after service number)^[3]

British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924

Chester, Kent, England

First name(s) Henry

Last name Gilham

Service number SS102992

Birth year 1884

Birth date 04 Feb 1884

Birth place Chester

Birth county Kent

Birth country England

Archive The National Archives

Archive reference ADM 188/1108/102992

Record set British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924

Category Military, armed forces & conflict

Subcategory Regimental & Service Records

Collections from Great Britain, UK None

(14 May 1906 – 13 May 1911

Ships:

Acheron

Pembroke II

 ?? (not legible)

Victorious

Formidable

Pembroke II

7 Aug 1914 – 15 Oct 1914

Hawke – drowned in North Sea when H.M.S. Hawke was sunk by German submarine)

WW1 Naval Casualties

Great Britain

First name(s) Henry

Last name Gilham

Birth year 1884

Birth day 4

Birth month Feb

Birth town Chislet

Birth county Kent

Death year 1914

Death date 15/10/1914

Service number S.S.102992.(R.F.R.Ch.B.7611.) (Ch.)

Rating Sto. 1st.

Service R.N.

Ship or unit HMS Hawke

Cause of death Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action.

Cemetery Body not recovered for burial

Location of grave Not recorded

Relatives notified Mother. Annie. Shelvin, Heath, Kent.

Country Great Britain

Record set WW1 Naval Casualties

Category Military, armed forces & conflict

Subcategory First World War

Collections from Great Britain, UK None

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt Of Honour

Chatham Naval Memorial, United Kingdom

First name(s) Henry

Last name Gilham

Birth year 1884

Age 30

Death year 1914

Death date 15 Oct 1914

War First World War, 1914-1918

Number SS/102992

Rank Stoker 1st Class

Unit (Rfr/ch/b/7611). H.M.S. "hawke."

Regiment Royal Navy

Grave reference 5.

Cemetery or memorial Chatham Naval Memorial

Burial country United Kingdom

Additional information Son of Robert and Annie Gilham, of Shelvin Ford, Hoath, Canterbury.

Link https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead

Record set Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt Of Honour

Category Military, armed forces & conflict

Subcategory First World War

Collections from Great Britain, UK None

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia - HMS Hawke (1891)
2. ↑ KENT FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY ~ CANTERBURY BRANCH ~ TALKS 2007, November 2007 ~ David Wood, 'Why Didn't We Remember Them?'
3. ↑ Naval History

• Find My Past
• Sinking of H.M.S Hawke.
• Wikipedia HMS Hawke
• THE SINKING OF HMS HAWKE 2nd edition 15th October 1914 Compiled by E.J.Sparrow
• Chatham Naval Memorial
• World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies