To search our directory of workers at HM Factory Gretna either enter any name, place of birth or place of death in the search box or if you know what their job was from select from the drop-down menu.
Percy Harold Rooney
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Percy Harold Rooney
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 22nd April 1877 , Dalston, London ( Hackney)
Date and Place of Death: 24th September 1956, Sanderstead , Surrey
Nationality: English
Childhood: No detail.
Parents: Dennis Henry Rooney and Ethel nee Trutch
Parents occupations: Civil servant, Superintendent London Post Offices
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Not known
Occupation: Began as a clerk then became a Managing director of a company ( merchants) Occ.…
James Dugdale Rothwell
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): James Dugdale Rothwell
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 28/5/1893 Prestwich, Lancashire (2) (4) (5)
Baptised 25/6/1893 at Holy Trinity, Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire (2)
Date and Place of Death: 29/9/1942 aged 49 at Southport, Lancashire (5) (10) (6)
Buried at Ramsbottom Cemetery, Bury, Lancashire (10)
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood
6 siblings, one died in childhood- (1) (9) (3) Elizabeth Ann born 1892
Katie born 1895
Ellen born 1899
Richard born 1897
Edith born 1906
Parents: Father: James Brook Rothwell born 1866 in Salford (1)
Mother: Ellen Dugdale born 1866 in Preston , Lancashire (1)
Parent’s occupations: Father was a dyers engineer (1)
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance:
Occupation: Chemist (11)
Place of residence at Gretna: 2, Dunedin Road, Eastriggs (12)
Job title at Gretna: Chemist (11)
Marital status: Married
Spouse name (including male name): 1st wife Sarah Ethel Wright born 1890, Wrexham, Denbighshire (2) Died 31/8/1927 (9)(10)
2nd wife Myfanwy Wright born 29/12/1891, Wrexham, Denbighshire (4)(5) Died 21/2/1971 (5)(6)
Date of marriage: 1st 16/12/1916 (11)
Place/Parish of marriage: Dr.…
John Collins Ruddick
Email from John’s grandaughter, May 2021: I am trying to research my family history and have found that my grandfather died young (aged 33) in 1922 of TB and had been discharged from the Border Regiment in WW1 as unfit for duty. My mother (who is also now deceased) was a small child when he died and so had no solid memory of him, especially as her mother died a few years later and so there were no family stories handed down.…
Bertha Sarginson
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Bertha Sarginson
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 1 April 1899, Potters, Place, Carlisle Source: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/new-photos-of-world-war-one-workers
Date and Place of Death: 7 June 1990, Carlisle Source: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/new-photos-of-world-war-one-workers
Nationality:
Biography
Childhood: Unknown
Parents: Mother – Sarah Jane Hutton born in 1867
Father – William Sarginson born June 1864
Source: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/34114243/person/20246010963/facts
Parent’s occupations: Unknown
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Unknown
Occupational history (previous jobs in their career): Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Place of residence at Gretna: Unknown
Job title at Gretna: Unknown
Marital status: Married
Spouse name (including male name): Joseph Robson 1989-1963
Date of marriage: September 1920 Source: England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/48850667/person/20170849000/facts
Place/Parish of marriage: Unknown
Children: Joseph Robson 1920-1940 and Herbert Robson 1927-2006
Travels: Unknown
Awards/recognitions: Unknown
Trivia / any other information:
Information from: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/new-photos-of-world-war-one-workers – ‘Bertha worked at HM Factory Gretna.…
William Sarginson
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) :
William Sarginson [1, 2]
Gender:
Male
Date and Place of Birth:
2nd May 1880, Stainton, Penrith, Cumberland [2, 6, 10]
Date and Place of Death:
26th January 1952, Red Cottage, Scotby Carlisle Cumbria [4, 5]
Nationality:
English, British
Biography
Childhood:
William was born at Stainton near Penrith.…
Daphne Sayer
Daphne Edith Nora Sayer
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 21 October 1901 in London
Date and Place of Death: 1997 At Colchester, Essex
Nationality:British
Biography
Childhood: Daphne grew up in London with her brother and sister:
Gladys Linda Sayer (1892-1989) who was a world renown pianist
Frank Bernard (1893-1940) who died when his ship was sunk by enemy action.…
Egerton Sayer
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Egerton Sayer
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: Baptism: 20th October 1864. St George Brandon Hill, Bristol, Gloucestershire.
Date and Place of Death: 1927 April Quarter.…
Ellen Scholfield
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Ellen Scholfield nee Green.
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 25 March 1883, Cornforth, Durham.
Date and Place of Death: N/K
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood:
Census 1901: Ellen Green, Housemaid domestic, living at 8 Belle View Park, Thornhill, Sunderland in household of Deborah Doxford.…
William Leonard Scotcher
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : William Leonard Scotcher
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 7th May 1890, Millwall
Date and Place of Death: 1982, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Nationality: British
Childhood: East end, overcrowded
Parents : Ernest William and Priscilla nee Gray
Parents occupations : Metal turner
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Not clear but must have studied Chemistry before 1915
Occupation: Analytical chemist
Place of residence at Gretna: No 6 Staff Quarters.…
Charles Seeley
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Charles William Seeley
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 19/11/1884 at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire (1) (4) (6)
Date and Place of Death: 16/12/1976 at Macclesfield, Cheshire (8)
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood:
Charles had two sisters, Edith Harriet, born 27/12/1887 and Gertrude Ann, born 08/12/1890.…
Sarah Hall Seymour
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) Sarah Hall Seymour
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: October 1895 Easington, Co.Durham
Date and Place of Death: 3rd March 1945, 17 Ash Terrace, Murton Colliery, Co Durham
Nationality: English
Biography
Childhood: Spent childhood in coal mining community, Murton Colliery, Easington.…
Alice Mary Sherwen
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) :
Alice May Sherwen
Gender
Female
Date and place of birth
“High Boonwood” farm, Gosforth, Cumberland 16th January 1887
Date and Place of Death:
Died 15th April 1967 at 3 Elmhurst Villas, Cheltenham Rd London SE 15
Nationality:
English
Childhood
Spent on farm then at Quaker boarding school in Ackworth, West Riding followed by The Mount, York
Parents
Sarah Ann nee Walker and Peter
Parents occupations
Yeoman farmer
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance:
Ackworth and The Mount, both Quaker boarding schools
University College London
Occupation
Teacher
Place of residence at Gretna:
Not known
Marital status
Single
Children
None
Travels
Travelled extensively for pleasure- Portugal, Jerusalem, New York and to teach- Cairo, Cape Town
Awards/recognitions:
Positions held
Trivia / any other information:
She was an amateur novelist – wrote 5 novels unknown if they were published ( Whitehaven Archives catalogue)
Bibliography
Books published (Title, year of publication, publisher):
Books written about the individual or mentioning the individual (Title, year of publication, publisher):
References
Blogs about the individual:
Websites about the individual:
Further links, notes, and comments:
Whitehaven Archives hold 172 folders relating to this family, many solely concerning Alice.…
David Sim
Gretna Fire Brigade 1915 – 1925
Professional fire brigade members
Research Project led by Nigel Compton
Name David Sim DoB October 1889
Place of birth Kirkandrews, Cumberland
Parents David Humphrey and Ann (or Annie) (nee Moscrop)
Parental Home 4 Moat Place, Edinburgh – 10 Polworth Grove, Edinburgh
Siblings George (1888-) William (1891-1979), Mary (1893-1980), Arthur (1895-)
Annie (1897-1990), Violet (1899-1989), Leslie (1900-1901)
Spouse Margaret Atkinson
Date of Wedding February 14th 1918
Location Haltwhistle, Northumberland
Children Leslie Moscrop (22/08/18-00/02/90), David Humphrey (01/07/20-27/06/21)
Violet (19/05/21-15/07/01), Margaret (27/01/1923-30/05/89)
Marital home(s) U 7 West, Gretna – T 5 West, Gretna
Employment At time of marriage Feb 1918 was Fireman at Gretna Fire Station
1911 Census Not found
Date of death 4th March 1923 Location Lochmaben Hospital
Gretna details
Name David Sim Clock No
Date joining Possibly 1917 – Wedding certificate shows fireman FB on 14 February 1918
Date leaving By birth of daughter on 19th May 1921 had apparently left
Station Gretna
Addresses U 7 West, Gretna – T 5 West, Gretna
Rank on start Fireman
Promotion None found
Newspapers Only death notice in The Scotsman
Career after Railway clerk via valuation roll
Address after Gretna None found
Are Pictures available None found Possible relatives Yes
Additional information
Family legend is that David died of respiratory difficulties caused by firefighting although no
confirmed details have been found.…
Charles Evelyn Simmons
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Charles Evelyn Simmons
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth:10/03/ 1879 Kingsbridge, Devon (3) (5) (7)
Baptised 9/4/1879 at Kingsbridge, Devon (3)
Date and Place of Death: 31/03/1951 Barnet, Middlesex (3) (9)
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood: Had three siblings (4) (6) –
Grace Millicent Simmons born 1878, St.…
Lieut Leonard Slater
Lt Leonard Slater
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth 13th September 1892, Bramley, Leeds
Date and Place of Death: 13th August 1949, Nether Edge, Sheffield
Nationality: English
Childhood In Leeds then Carlisle
Parents: John William Slater and Mary nee Simon Parents occupations Schoolmaster then Inspector of Schools and School mistress up to marriage
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Manchester University from 1911 MSc Tech
Occupation: Scientific and Industrial researcher
Place of residence at Gretna: Eden Gardens?, Howard Place, Carlisle
Marital status Married
Children One
Travels None known
Awards/recognitions: None known
Positions held Trivia / any other information: None
Bibliography
Books published (Title, year of publication, publisher):
Books written about the individual or mentioning the individual (Title, year of publication, publisher):
References
Blogs about the individual:
Websites about the individual:
Further links, notes, and comments:
Biography
Lt Leonard Slater MSc Tech.…
Edward Spencer
‘Many examples of heroic conduct were displayed in times of emergency by the staff and workers of H.M. Factory Gretna. At Dornock around about four thirty in the afternoon on November 5th 1917, due to an oversight, spent acid was run from No 2 Nitrator, Hill 1, into a charge of Nitro-glycerine which was being washed in the pre-wash tank.…
Sarah Evelyn Spencer
Sarah Evelyn Spencer 1875 – 1969
Sarah Evelyn Spencer was born on 26th June 1875 at Broxholme, Lincolnshire to Henry Spencer born at Crooks, Sheffield in 1841 and Sarah nee Smith born 1840 from Lincolnshire. Her father was an auctioneer and valuer. She was the 3rd of 8 children to be born to Henry and Sarah between 1872 and 1884 and the only one of two to be born in her mother’s native Lincolnshire.…
James Carter Spensley
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : James Carter Spensley. Reference 1
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 1866 Reference 1: 11 November 1886 Reference 2.…
Margaret Jane Sutherland
‘Mrs St.Clair of Tyne and Weir tells a story that is typical of many. Her mother was a chargehand in the Dornock factory, Margaret Jane Sutherland who met and married an Irish navvy by the name of James Casey from Dublin. Long after the war Margaret died as a consequence of inhaling poisonous fumes during her days in Dornock.…
