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St George Mervyn Kirke reached the rank of Colonel in the Royal Engineers with the singular distinction of seeing no active service and thus receiving no medals of any sort.
St George Mervyn Kirke was born 07 AUG 1847 at Sturton Le Steeple, Nottinghamshire, England, the only son of St George & Mary Kirke. [1] [2]
He was baptised by his father on 12 AUG 1847 at Sturton cum Fenton, Notts.
In 1851, he is living with his family at 47 Church Street, Sturton Le Steeple and, aged 3, his occupation is charmingly entered as "Clergyman's Son"![3]
By 1861, the family had moved to Brighton and St George Kirke had died. [1]Living there, Mervyn (that's what the family called him) was educated at Brighton College from 1861-64 from where he passed 14th into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He passed out 6th on the list and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers. [4]
In 1871 he was serving in the Royal Engineers at Shorncliffe Camp[5]
He married Sarah Elizabeth Howey on 26 AUG 1873 at Tynemouth Priory church.
[6]
The Brighton College Register gives further details of his military career.
He was in Gibraltar from 1871-6 where his son Kenneth was born.
He was posted to Portsmouth in 1877, during which time Walter Kirke was born
From there he was in charge of No5 Division of the Ordnance Survey
He was promoted Captain in 1880 and in 1888 was serving in India[7]
By 1881, he was the Brigade Major at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham.[8]
In 1900 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and commanded the Royal Engineers, Scottish District. (posting order in possession of profile manager)
He died of a Cerebral Haemorrhage (death cert) on 07 APR 1928 in Guildford. [9]
He was buried on 11 Apr 1928 in Guildford Cemetery and is commemorated in Holy Trinity church, Guildford with a plaque (see images).
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7YT-M4W : 13 December 2017), G M Kirke in household of Mary Kirke, Brighton, Sussex, England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
- ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26TL-3WJ : 1 October 2014), Saint George Mervyn Kirke, 1847; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG6J-HY9 : 10 November 2017), Geore Mervyn Kirk in household of Saint George Kirke, Sturton Le Steeple, Nottinghamshire, England; citing Sturton Le Steeple, Nottinghamshire, England, p. 11, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
- ↑ "[1]" Brighton College register, with brief biographical notices 1886, P138
- ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF8Y-PLC : 11 December 2017), St G M Kirke, 1871.
- ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DG7-5ZM : 13 December 2014), St George Mervyn Kirke, 1873; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1873, quarter 3, vol. 10B, p. 372, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
- ↑ "[2]" Hart's Army List for 1888 P163
- ↑ "[3]" Whitaker's Almanack 1891 P233
- ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV4Y-188V : 4 September 2014), St George M Kirke, 1928; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Guildford, Surrey, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
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