Robert Lewes Gordon (1894 - 1918)

Born 3 Sep 1894 in Flisk, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 10 Mar 1918 at age 23 in Brálos, Phthiotis, Greece

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Biography

Robert was born in 1894, the illegitimate son of Clementina Gordon^[1]. His mother was a domestic servant living at Logie Cottages in Flisk, a tiny rural parish on the north coast of Fife, at the time of Robert's birth. She was 20 years old when he was born. No father is recorded on his birth certificate.

At the time of the 1901 Census, Robert was 7 years old and living with his maternal grandparents William and Clementina Gordon at East Lathrisk Cottages^[2] Easter Lathrisk Farm, with attendant farm cottages, still exists today, in the Howe of Fife near Ladybank. Robert's mother had married John Duncan in 1899 while they were both employed at Woodmill Farm near Falkland^[3]. By 1901 Clementina was living at adjacent Falklandwood Farm with an 8-month old daughter, Robert's half-sister, also named Clementina.

At the 1911 Census, Robert was living in a bothy at Dura Mains Farm in Kemback Parish, just East of Cupar in Fife ^[4]. (The adjacent farm cottage was occupied by a William Gordon and his family, but this is neither Robert's uncle William nor his grandfather- presumably it is a more distant relative.) His occupation is given as farm servant.

Robert joined the army to fight in the First World War in 1915, and was posted initially to Egypt. I have not obtained his army record myself, but the Cowdenbeath War Memorial website maintained by Brian F. McArthur, has detailed information about every soldier commemorated there^[5].

Robert married Jean Downie on the 23rd December 2016^[6]. Jean's occupation was given as 'Domestic Servant'. They were married in Dunfermline, and both gave their usual address as 32 Grieve Street. His occupation is given on his marriage certificate as 'Coal Miner' and then, in brackets, 'Driver, Army Service Corps'.

Robert died in 1918 in while serving in Greece (the Salonika Campaign. He died not due to enemy action, but of Blackwater Fever, a complication of malaria^[7]. Malaria was a huge cause of sickness and mortality in some areas of the First World War^[8]. At the time of his death, his registered address must have been in Cowdenbeath, for he was listed as a resident on the records of the town's War Memorial^[9].

Robert is buried in Bralo British Cemetery in Greece^[10]. This cemetery served the 49th Stationary Hospital, which would presumably have been where Robert was being treated before he died^[11].

Sources

1. ↑ Statutory Register of Births in 1894 in the District of Flisk in the County of Fife, page number 3, entry number 7. Document ID: 1893 GORDEN, ROBERT LEWES Statutory Births 430 00/007. Accessed via scotlandspeople.gov.uk .
2. ↑ 1901 Census Return for the Parish of Kettle, page number 19, schedule number 112. Document ID: Census 1901435 00 003 00 019. Accessed via scotlandspeople.gov.uk .
3. ↑ Statutory register of Marriages in 1899 in the Parish of Falkland> in the County of Fife, page number 7, entry number 14. Document ID: 1899 GORDON, CLEMENTINA (Statutory registers Marriages 428/ 14). Accessed via scotlandspeople.gov.uk .
4. ↑ 1911 Census Return for the Parish of Kemback, page number 8, schedule number 60. Document ID: 1911 GORDON, ROBERT (Census 433/ 1/ 8). Accessed via scotlandspeople.gov.uk .
5. ↑ https://cowdenbeathwarmemorial.wordpress.com/g/ Accessed 21/09/21.
6. ↑ Statutory register of Marriages in 1916 in the District of Dunfermline in the County of Fife, page number 142, entry number 284. Document ID: 1916 GORDON, ROBERT (Statutory registers Marriages 424/ 284). Accessed via scotlandspeople.gov.uk .
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_fever
8. ↑ https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/malaria-in-the-great-war/
9. ↑ https://cowdenbeathwarmemorial.wordpress.com/g/ Accessed 21/09/21.
10. ↑ https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/342236/ROBERT%20GORDON/
11. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bralos