Christopher Chowler Gilbert
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- Military History
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Note: second name 'Chouler' as recorded on parents' marriage record, his registration of birth and other civil records but 'Chowler' on family memorial, CWGC and Probate.Christopher Chouler Gilbert was the youngest son of Edward Fowler Gilbert and his wife Emily (née Chouler). His father Edward Fowler Gilbert was born in 1836 at Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, the son of Henry and Susanna Eliza Gilbert. Edward was baptised at Farnsfield St Michael in May 1836; the family lived at Hexgreave, Southwell. His mother Emily Chouler was born in 1847 in Harleston, Northamptonshire, the daughter of William Pepys Chouler. Edward and Emily were married on 8 April 1869 at Harlestone parish church and had 12 children, one sadly died in infancy or early childhood. Their eleven surviving children were: Henry William birth registered 1870 (J/F/M) and Edward Fowler birth registered 1871 (J/F/M) who were born in Little Carlton, Mary Annie b1872, Emily b1873, Harry b1874, Isabella b1875 (reg. 1876), Dinely Prior b1877, Charles birth registered 1879 (J/F/M) and Harriet Eliza (or Elizabeth) b1880 who were all born in South Muskham and Margaret Annie b1882 and Christopher Chouler b1883 (A/M/J) who were born in Fenton. The child who died in infancy may have been Frank (b. 1883 A/M/J, mother's surname Chouler) who would have been Christopher's twin.Edward Fowler was from a farming family and in 1871, two years after his marriage, was recorded living at Gilbert's Road, South Muskham, where he farmed 570 acres and employed 11 men and two boys on the farm. Also in the household were his wife and their two sons, Henry and Edward, Edward senior's brother Henry Gilbert (28) and his wife Mary Clarke Gilbert, and three female domestic servants.By 1881 Edward was farming 359 acres at Main Road, Fenton, Lincolnshire, and employing eight men and three boys. He and his wife now had nine children, but only the seven youngest were in the home on the night of the census as the two eldest boys, Henry and Edward, were at boarding school in Nottingham (Ropewalk Street, Standard Hill). Edward snr. employed a governess, cook, housemaid, nursemaid and a groom.The family had moved to Barnby House, Cross Street, Barnby in the Willows, by 1891; Edward snr. was recorded on the census as 'living on own means.' In the home on the night of the census were his wife and six of their eleven children Mary, Emily, Charles, Harriet, Margaret and Christopher (7). Also in the household were a governess, a general servant and a certificated nurse.Edward and Emily were still living in the village of Barnby in the Willows near Newark in 1901 but only one daughter, Margaret, was living at home and there was now only one live-in domestic servant. On the same census, there is a record of a Christopher C Gilbert (17 b. Nottinghamshire), a bank clerk, living in lodgings at Louth, Lincolnshire. His older brother Dinely was living in Didsbury, Manchester, where he was working as an engineer (electrical & mechanical) in the Civil Service Post Office Engineering Department (grade: engineer 2nd class).Edward snr. died at his home on 7 August 1902. By the time of the 1911 census his widow had moved to 67 Harcourt Street, Newark, where she was living with her unmarried daughter Emily; both had private means. Emily snr. employed one live-in domestic servant. Emily snr. and her unmarried daughters Emily and Isabella, all of private means, were still at 67 Harcourt Street in 1939 when the England & Wales register was compiled. They employed one domestic servant. Emily snr. died in March 1943. The probate record gave her address as 67 Harcourt Street; probate was awarded to her daughters Emily and Isabella.
Formerly 17559 Lance Corporal, 10th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment). 11th (Reserve) Bn Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) attached to the 8th (Service) Bn Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment).The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) was formed during the 1881 Army Reforms through the amalgamation of the 33rd (The Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot and the 76th Regiment of Foot which became the 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively. Nineteen Territorial and Service battalions were raised in the First World War.Both the 8th and 11th Battalions were formed in Halifax, West Riding, in 1914, both as Service Battalions but the 11th becoming a Reserve Battalion in April 1915 and later absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 3rd Reserve Brigade. The 8th (Service) Battalion was part of Kitchener's First New Army and sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli in July 1915 as part of 34th Brigade 11th Northern Division. The Battalion landed at Suvla Bay in August 1915 but was evacuated from Gallipoli in December 1915 having suffereed heavy casualties from combat, disease and bad weather. In February 1916 it deployed to Egypt to defend the Suez Canal but was then deployed to France in June/July 1916 to reinforce the 3rd Army on the Western Front.Lieutenant Christopher Chouler Gilbert was gazetted to the West Riding Regiment (temporary lieutenant); he was attached to the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment).He served in Gallipoli where he was wounded in November 1915. According to a newspaper report of his death, Christopher later contracted enteric fever in Malta, presumably having been evacuated there from Gallipoli after being wounded. In March 1916, after spending nine weeks in hospital in England, he rejoined his Battalion which by then was serving in Egypt. There is a medical record that Christopher was admitted to 19th General Hospital [Alexandria, Egypt] on 22 May 1916 but he was discharged on 2 June 1916 so presumably deployed to France with the battalion in June/July the same year. He was killed in action on 29 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
WMA27071. All Saints Church, Barnby-in-the-Willows NG24 2SA. Family memorial, dedication: ‘In loving memory of Christopher Chowler (sic) Gilbert youngest son of Edward and Emily Gilbert aged 32 years. Lieut. Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. Was wounded in Dardanelles Nov. 1915. Had command of his company in the Battle of the Somme. Fell while leading his men into action Sept. 29th 1916. His body rests in a soldier’s grave in France. ‘Till he come’Newark Advertiser, ‘Deaths’, 13 August 1902: ‘On August 7th, Edward Fowler Gilbert, of Barnby, aged 66 years.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Newark Herald, 16 August 1902: ‘Barnby. The death is announced of Mr EF Gilbert, son of the late Mr Henry Gilbert, formerly of Barnby Manor, at the age of 66 … He belonged to an old family, well-known in agricultural circles in years past.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Newark Advertiser, ‘Roll of Honour’, 11 October 1916: Gilbert. Killed in action (in France), Lieut. CC Gilbert, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, youngest son of the late Edward Fowler Gilbert and Mrs Gilbert, Harcourt-street.’ (ww.britishnewxpaperarchive.co.uk)Report published in the Newark Herald, 28th October 1916:- 'Youngest son of the late Edward Fowler Gilbert of Barnby Manor & Emily Gilbert of Harcourt Street, Newark. He joined the army at the beginning of the war, having given up a good appointment in India and was gazetted to the West Riding Regt. Wounded at Gallipoli in Nov. 1915, contracted enteric fever in Malta and after being in hospital in England for nine weeks, he rejoined his old regiment in March 1916 and went out to Egypt. He was recalled to another front and given command of a company. He was a great traveller and had served in the Canadian Mounted Police and the Queensland Light Horse. A keen naturalist and entomolgist, had recently published a book on the butterflies of Ceylon.'The above report was also printed in the Newark Advertiser and the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer.Probate: GILBERT Christopher Chowler (sic) of 67 Harcourt-street Newark Nottinghamshire temporary-lieutenant West Riding regiment died 28 (sic) September 1916 in France Administration (with Will) London 3 February to Dinely Prior Gilbert engineer. Effects £679 1s 1d
