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.
Stewart Clifford Phipps
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Stewart Clifford Phipps
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 09/02/1880 Birkenhead
Date and Place of Death: 1977 Q3 Liverpool
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood:
Parents: Alexander James and Elizabeth (Betsie) Phipps
Parent’s occupations: Professor of Music (father)
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Birkenhead College of Music and Organ School
Occupation: Music Teacher
Place of residence at Gretna: 5 N West
Job title at Gretna: Clerk
Marital status: Catherine Chalenor Phipps
Children: Stewart A Phipps (born in 1916)
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions:
Trivia / any other information:
Stewart was called Clifford Stewart Phipps when he was born and seems to have reversed his name, maybe for professional reasons.…
Walter Rowland Pickles
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Walter Rowland Pickles (Rowland Walter on Elect Reg)
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 15th July 1900, Holbeck, Leeds, Yorkshire
Date and Place of Death: 25th June 1972, Belle Isle, Leeds
Nationality: British
Childhood: Only child.…
George Henry Pike
Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : George Henry Pike
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 4 December 1882. Stonehouse, Devon
Date and Place of Death: 12 March 1917 at 4am. Killed as result of explosion.…
William Arthur Pitts
WILLIAM ARTHUR PITTS
Date and place of birth: 24 February 1888 at Pinetown, Natal, South Africa
Baptised at St. John the Baptist Church in Pinetown.
Date and place of Death: 1959, South Africa
Nationality: British South African
Biography
William grew up in South Africa. The family home was at 7 Gordon Road, Bertrams,
Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa.…
Ethel Place
ETHEL PLACE
“Mrs. Burnett”
Date and place of birth: 2 December 1900, Southwick, Sunderland, Durham
Date and place of death: 1977 Sunderland registration district.
Nationality: British
Do we have photos of this person? No
Biography: Ethel’s mother died when she was 5 years old. When Ethel turned 9 years of age, her father remarried. Ethel’s new step-mother was also her Aunt Jane, her late mother’s sister so Ethel’s cousins then became her step-siblings! …
Lucy Maud Polmen
Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Lucy Maud Polman
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 16th April 1877, Walmer, Kent
Date and Place of Death: 1952, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Nationality: British
Childhood: She had five siblings, 1 sister and 4 brothers.…
William Robert Poole
Married Selby Bald in June 1918 in Sunderland.
Selby Bald of Sunderland’s time in Dornock: Selby Bald lived in Sunderland and went to work at the Munitions Factory in 1916, age 18. She lived first at Timbertop Township for a short time until moving into private lodgings in Annan, at the home of a Mrs Halliday.…
Peter Gardiner Porteous
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Peter Gardiner Porteous
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 25th July 1878, Corrie Common, Hutton, Dumfriesshire.
Date and Place of Death: 12th July 1955, 34 Auckland Walk, Eastriggs.
Nationality: British
Childhood: On the 1881 census, Peter was living with his mother & grandparents.…
James Walker Porter
Name and address appeared in the Dornock Farwell, held in The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s archive collection:
Appeared inInstitute of Chemistry 1918 part 4
Porter, James Walker, A.R.C.S.I., S. West 13, Gretna Township, Gretna
Charles Wilfrid Roberts Powell
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Charles Wilfred Roberts Powell
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 1892 Sydney NSW Australia
Date and Place of Death: 1965 Palm Beach NSW
Nationality: Australian
Biography
Childhood:
Parents: Charles Edward and Maria Louisa (nee Roberts) Powell
Parent’s occupations: N/K
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Univ of Sydney
Occupation: Chemist
Place of residence at Gretna: Staff Quarters, Sarkbridge,
Job title at Gretna: Chemical Department at Dornock.…
Peter John Power
Peter John Power
Date and place of birth: 26 June 1880 at Cape Town, South Africa
Date and place of Death: 7 October 1953 at Cape Town, South Africa
Nationality: South African
Biography: Peter grew up in Cape Town with his 6 siblings
Parents
Mother Ellen Gorman
Father William Power
Parents occupation: Landed Proprietor and Capitalist
Schools Universities attended and years of attendance:
St.…
James Prentice
JAMES PRENTICE
Date and place of birth: 27 June 1855 Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Date and place of Death: 31 August 1931 in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
Nationality: Scottish
Biography: James grew up in Scotland, the eldest of a large family. His siblings were –
Mary Prentice 1858
Jean Prentice 1860
William D Prentice 1862
John Prentice 1864
Joseph 1866-1916
Robert Prentice 1869
Jessie Prentice 1870
Alexander Prentice 1873
Archibald Prentice 1876
Harriet Prentice 1882
Parents: Joseph Prentice (1835-1925) and Harriet Pollock (1837-1925)
Parents occupation: Joseph was a Coal Pit Engine Keeper
Schools Universities attended and years of attendance: Not known
Place of residence at Gretna: Not known
Marital status: James was married twice –
First marriage was to Margaret (Maggie) Calder with whom he had 6 children.…
Benjamin Theodore Priestman
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Benjamin Theodore Priestman
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 6th November 1883, Hale Southcote, Hull, Eats Riding of Yorkshire
Date and Place of Death: 4th March 1967, Holborn Cottage, North Ferriby, Hull
Nationality: British
Childhood: 7th of 8 children
Parents: Thomas and Sarah Ann nee Pretchell
Parent’s occupations: Solicitor
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Chemist
Place of residence at Gretna: 13-15 The Ridge, Eastriggs
Job title at Gretna: Chemist
Marital status: Unmarried
Children: None known
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Trivia / any other information:
Benjamin Theodore Priestman was born at Hale Southcote’s, East Riding of Yorkshire on 6th November 1883 to Thomas, a solicitor and Sarah Ann nee Pretchell.…
Caroline Primrose
Caroline Margaret Primrose was born on 2nd June 1879 *at 54 Irish Street, Dumfries** to William Primrose , solicitor, aged 43 *, and Caroline Elizabeth (nee Moses) **wife, aged 26.
Her father was employed and subsequently also an employer in the family firm of solicitors following in his father’s footsteps.…
Clive Macfarlane Primrose
CLIVE MACFARLANE PRIMROSE
Date and place of birth : 27 August 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland
Date and place of Death : 21 September 1944 at Bridge of Allan, Scotland
Nationality: British
Biography: Clive grew up in Scotland with his siblings:
Ethel Primrose 1881
Daisy Primose 1885
Douglas Primrose 1887
Gordon Primose 1888
Parents:
Peter Brown Primrose married Amelia Hinshelwood, place not known but could be Ireland
Parents occupation :
Peter was a Metal Merchant.…
James Purcell
The Annandale Observer is not currently digitized, however a volunteer on this project is manually searching the physical copies of this paper stored at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Purcell was mentioned in the AO on 01/02/1918 at p. 7 and column 4. He was described as a Labourer living at 22 Dunedid Road, Eastriggs and the details of the entry were ‘Matches in Factory
Reginald Peter Purcell
‘In the Eastriggs ceremony can be seen the grave of Reginald Peter Purcell, who was accidentially killed in H.M. Factory Dornock on 15 March 1925 age 26 years. From the date it would appear that he may have died during the demolition operations when the factory was being dismantled.’ – G Routledge, Gretna’s Secret War, (Bookcase 1999), p.…
