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.
Christina Jan Connon
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Christina Jane Connon
Do they already have a Wikipedia page? If yes, please paste link: No
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: b. Reading 10/03/1895 Q2
Date and Place of Death: d.…
Grace Emily Costin
Research kindly shared by Nigel Crompton, who is conducting a research project on WPS.
Name: Grace Emily Costin
DoB: 29 October 1888
Place of birth: Folkestone, Kent
Parents: Thomas & Annie (nee Dawson) Thomas appears to have died and Annie remarried in 1882. Her new husband was William Parsons
Parental Home: 44 Braybrook Road, Hastings
Siblings: May Alice (1894-1971), Rose Annie (1896-1988) William Victor (1897-1983), Frederick Arthur (1899-1905) Lily Edith (1901-1902)
Spouse: Never married
Date of Wedding: Not applicable
Children : None identified
Marital home(s): Not applicable
Employment: Lady’s Nurse
1911 Census: The Edinburgh Hotel, St Leonards on Sea
Date of death: April 1979
Location: Posbury, Devon House of St Francis, Posbury, nr Crediton, Devon
Gretna details
Name: Grace Emily Costin
Clock No
Date joining: Not known (see notes)
Date leaving: March 1917
Addresses: Not known
Rank on start: PC
Promotion: Not known
Career after: City of Oxford Police, then social work, finally religious house as Mother Superior
1921 Census : Living at 5 Crieff Road, Wandsworth (see copy)
Addresses after Gretna
45 Silverlands Road, St Leonards on Sea
1935 – 5 Oakley Crescent, Islington
1939 to 1942 – House of St Francis, Kemming Road, Whitwell, Isle of Wight
1942 to 1979 – House of St Francis, Posbury, Devon
Additional information
Grace was born to Thomas & Annie Costin in October 1888.…
Helen Kate Cupper
Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.
Name: Helen Kate Cupper
DoB: 29 December 1882
Place of birth: Paddington, London
Parents: Arthur and Eliza (nee Hoadley)
Parental Home: 5 Norfolk Crescent Mews, Paddington
Siblings: William Howard (1870), Eveline Eliza (1872), Arthur Hoadley (1874) Annie Marianne (1876), Victor (1877), Ethel Sarah (1878), Edgar Cecil (1887), Henry James (1889), Maud Agnes (1894)
Spouse: Never married
Date of Wedding: Not applicable
Children : None identified
Marital home(s) : Not applicable
Employment: Nurse/ domestic servant
1911 Census: Living at Redholme, Wrawby, Brigg, Lincs – Employed as Nurse by Harry Metcalfe Hett, local solicitor who had a sick child living at home
Date of death: 29 March 1970
Location: Orpington Hospital, Orpington, Kent.…
George Herbert Hudson
GEORGE HERBERT HUDSON
Date and place of birth : 21 October 1885 in Gravesend, Kent
Date and place of Death : 8 March 1968 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Nationality: British
Biography: George had one sister, Kate Hudson born 1889 in East Ham, Essex
Parents: Stickney Hudson married Margaret Ellen Blashill on 5 august 1884
Parents occupation : Stickney started his career as a Teacher but then joined HM Customs + Excise and worked his way up to becoming an Examining Officer.…
William James Rumley
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : William James Rumley
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: Q1 1873, Dartford, Kent
Date and Place of Death: Q4, 1921, Dartford , Kent
Nationality: British
Childhood: 3rd of 9
Parents: John and Jane Priscilla nee Hills
Parents occupations: Contractor’s labourer
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Labourer and plater in iron foundry
Place of residence at Gretna:Not known
Marital status: Married
Children: 2 daughters – both died in 1916
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Positions held: N/K
Trivia / any other information:
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:
Mini Biography
William James Rumley 1873-1921
William James Rumley was born in Q1 1873 at Dartford, Kent to John and Jane Priscilla nee Hills
1881 – living at 12, Vauxhall Place, Lowfield Street, Dartford.…
Archibald Walter Sharpe
Gretna Fire Brigade 1915 – 1925
Professional fire brigade members
Research Project led by Nigel Compton
Service and Personal details
Name Archibald Walter Sharpe DoB 21 May 1893
Place of birth Willesborough Kent England
Parents Alfred J and Margaret (also shown as Margarita)
Parental Home 23 Royds Road, Willesborough, Kent 1901
30 Herbert Road, Willesborough, Kent 1911
Siblings Alfred, Mabel, Hilda Ellen, Tryphena Nellie, John, Margaret
Spouse Barbara Whitelaw Cairns
Date of Wedding 17 August 1914
Location Leopold Place, Edinburgh
Children Alfred William (1915), John Wilfred, Margaret, Archibald Walter (1920)
Marital home(s) 86 Waverley Road, Epsom
Employment See below in Additional Notes
1911 Census Serving on SS Arracan, Steam Trading Vessel, as a sailor which was
docked at No 25 Coal Tip, No 2 Barry Dock on April 2nd 1911
Date of death 2nd March 1950 Location County Hospital, St Helier, Surrey
Gretna details
Name Alexander Walter Sharpe Clock No
Date joining December 1915 or early January 1916
Date leaving 1917
Station Annan Road
Addresses 27 Annan Road
Rank on start Fireman
Promotion None identified
Newspapers The Scotsman 1932 includes photo
Career after Rejoined Edinburgh City Fire Brigade in 1919
Joined Surbiton Fire Brigade as 2nd Officer 1932
Chief Officer, Surbiton Fire Brigade in 1933 until November 1937
Retired October 1937
Awards Mercantile Marine Medal – Great War Service
Additional information
Employment and career
Mercantile Marine up to 1911,
London Fire Brigade 1912-1913
Edinburgh Fire Brigade 1913-1915
Gretna Fire Brigade 1915-1917
Naval Service with Mercantile Marine 1917-1919
Edinburgh Fire Brigade 1919-1932
Surbiton Fire Brigade 1932-1937
1939 – employed as temporary clerk in War Office
Known addresses in Edinburgh & Surrey
1913-1915 – West Norton Place, Edinburgh – serving at London Road Fire Station
1919-1920 – 78 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh – serving at Edinburgh Fire Brigade HQ station
1921-1932 – 1 West Norton Place, Edinburgh – serving at London Road Fire Station
1932-1937 – Surbiton Fire Station house, Ewell Road, Surbiton
1937-1950 – 86 Waverley Road, Ewell, Surrey
The 1911 census shows that Alfred and Margaret had 7 kids, 4 still alive (this is we believe incorrect and should be 5 alive)
