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.
Christopher John Pursey
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Christopher George Pursey
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 1877, Pancras, London
Date and Place of Death: 18th June 1934 (burial), Uxbridge, Middlesex
Nationality: British
Childhood: Eldest child
Parents: George T and Sarah E nee Lockwood
Parent’s occupations: Publisher’s messenger and dressmaker
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Electrical engineer
Place of residence at Gretna: C5 Eastriggs
Job title at Gretna: Electrician.…
Edgar Montague Pybus
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Edgar Montague Pybus
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 17/07/1888 Islington
Date and Place of Death: 18/01/1969 Hounslow aged 80
Nationality: British
Biography
Childhood:
Parents: Richard and Selina Pybus
Parent’s occupations: Paint Manufacturer
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Works Chemist Paint and Colour Manufacturer
Place of residence at Gretna: N/K
Job title at Gretna: Chemist at Dornock
Marital status: Josephine May (nee Kirton) Knaresborough 1920.…
Kenneth Bingham Quinan
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Kenneth Bingham Quinan.
Gender: Male.
Date and Place of Birth: 3rd July 1878, Orange, Essex, New Jersey, United States.
Date and Place of Death: 26th January 1948, Bizweni, Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa.…
Patrick Quinn
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Patrick Quinn
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 11th May 1866, Egremont, West Cumberland
Date and Place of Death: April 1939, Whitehaven district
Nationality: Both parents Irish
Childhood: One of 7, 5 surviving
Parents: Peter and Sarah nee McVey/McVeigh
Parents occupations: Iron ore miner
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Munition worker
Place of residence at Gretna:New Zealand House, Eastriggs
Marital status: Unmarried
Children: None known
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):
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Mini Biography
Patrick Quinn 1866- 1939
Patrick Quinn was born on 11th May 1866 at Egremont, West Cumberland to Peter Quinn and Sarah nee McVey/McVeigh
1871 – Living on Main Street, Egremont.…
George Francis Rablah
GEORGE FRANCIS RABLAH
Date and place of birth : 6 November 1870 Scarborough, Yorkshire
Date and place of Death : 1940 Poole, Dorset
Nationality: British
Biography: George grew up in Scarborough with his sister Louisa Florence Rablah
Parents: James Joseph Rablah and Caroline Jennings who were married 18 August 1866 in Scarborough, Yorkshire.
Parents occupation : James Joseph Rablah was a Surgeon.…
Fred Raby
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Fred Raby [Faby]
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 3rd November 1872, Ryther, Tadcaster, Yorkshire
Date and Place of Death: Quarter 2 1941, Lower Agbrigg, Wakefield, Yorkshire
Nationality: English
Childhood: Eldest
Parents: Edwin and Mary nee Mason
Parents occupations: Farm Bailiff
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Police constable 1894- 1905, colliery banksman, commissionaire
Place of residence at Gretna: Possibly Kirkandrews Nether ( 1921 address)
Marital status: Married
Children: 4, 3 survived
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Positions held: Secretary of Mold Green Wesleyan Band of Hope
Trivia / any other information: Yes
Bibliography
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Mini Biography
Fred Raby 1872-1941
Fred Raby was born on 3rd November 1872 at Ryther, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire to Edwin Raby and Mary nee Mason.…
Bessie Raine
Appeared in Dumfries and Galloway Standard; January 30th, 1918., under the title ‘Appropriation of Jerseys’, took a scarf without permission and was fined £1.
Maud Raine
Appeared in Dumfries and Galloway Standard; January 30th, 1918., under the title Appropriation of Jerseys, took a scarf without permission and was fined £1.
Isabella Deans Ransome
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Isabella Deans Ransome
Gender: Female
Date and place of birth: Q2 1898 , Hebburn County Durham
Date and Place of Death: July 1933, South Shields
Nationality: British
Childhood: 1 of 4
Parents: James George and Eliza Jane nee Breese
Parents occupations: Shipyard rivetter
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: N/K
Place of residence at Gretna: N/K
Marital status: Married
Children: None known
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Positions held: N/K
Trivia / any other information: N/k
Bibliography
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Mini Biography
Isabella Deans Ransome 1898- 1933
Isabella Deans Ransome was born in Q2 1898 at Hebburn , County Durham to James George Ransome and Eliza Jane nee Breese.…
Robert Ray
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Robert Ray/Rae
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 12th April 1889 Cellardyke, Fifeshire
Date and Place of Death: 19th May 1964 , Sheffield
Nationality: Scottish
Childhood : 2 brothers, one with heomophilia. Upbringing at The Manse, Cellardyke
Parents : James Ray and Agnes Bonthone nee Oliphant
Parents occupations : Clerk in Holy Orders
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: St Andrew’s University Possibly 1910/11 – 1912/13 BSc, FRS.…
Edgar Alexander Rayner
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Edgar Alexander Rayner
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 6 September 1887 Harrow, London
Date and Place of Death: 21 October 1971 Huntingdon
Nationality: British
Childhood: Edgar grew up with 3 siblings. 1 sister and two brothers.…
Alice Mabel Read
Mabel Alice Read was very briefly mentioned in our blog about Women Police Officers at H.M. Factory Gretna. The Women’s Police Service (WPS) was formed in 1915 by Margaret Damer Dawson, and one of its largest wartime units patrolled H.M. Factory Gretna and nearby towns. Over 150 women officers worked at Gretna, and we know very little about most of them.…
John Edward Read
Email from relative, 2022:
John Edward Read worked [at Gretna] in, at least, 1917 and 1918. JE Read was born in 1867 in Burnley and died in 1925 in Stockton-on-Tees.
In the 1901 and 1911 England and Wales Census he is listed as a “general contractor” and “contractor (building and roads)” which may be a hint as to what he was doing at Gretna. …
Matthew Reardon
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Matthew Reardon
Gender: Male.
Date and Place of Birth: N/K
Date and Place of Death: 1926. January Quarter. Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
Nationality: British.
Childhood: N/K. The surname is common in Glamorgan and as Riordon in Ireland.
Parents: N/K
Parent’s occupations: N/K
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Listed as storekeeper in the Electoral Roll.…
Alfred Edmund Reed
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Alfred Edmund Reed
Gender: Male
Date and Place of Birth: 1897, Croydon
Date and Place of Death: N/K
Nationality: British
Childhood: One of 4 children, the eldest of 2 surviving.
Parents: Bessie nee Miles, father unknown
Parent’s occupations: Laundress
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Fishmonger’s errand boy in 1911
Place of residence at Gretna: N/K
Job title at Gretna: N/K
Marital status: N/K
Children: N/K
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Trivia / any other information: Alfred Edmund Reed was born in 1897 in Croydon to Bessie nee Miles.…
G H Reed
Appeared in local production of ‘The Gonderliers’ whilst at Gretna:
Appeared in Dumfries and Galloway Standard; Nov. 3, 1917, under the heading ‘Presentation to Sir E Pearson.’
John Rees
Appeared in Dumfries and Galloway Standard; Jan. 24, 1917 under the heading ‘An Amusing Case’, called as witness in Edward McDonnell
case
Patrick Rehill
Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Patrick Rehill
Gender: Male
Date and place of birth: 1868, Denholme, Roxburghshire Scoland
Date and Place of Death: 15th March 1945, Melrose, Roxburghshire
Nationality: Scottish by birth, Irish by parentage
Childhood: 4th child
Parents: Patrick and Mary nee O’Brien
Parents occupations: General Contractor
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Van Man
Place of residence at Gretna: Springfield, Gretna
Marital status: Married twice
Children: At least one son
Travels: None known
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Positions held: N/K
Trivia / any other information:
Accused of buying regimental boots and fined
Bibliography
Books published (Title, year of publication, publisher):
Books written about the individual or mentioning the individual (Title, year of publication, publisher):
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Websites about the individual:
Further links, notes, and comments:
Dumfries and Galloway Standard – Saturday 19 January 1918 (transcript below)
Mini Biography
Patrick Rehill 1868-1945
Patrick Rehill was born at Denholm, Roxburghshire, in 1868 to Patrick Rehill, general contractor and Mary nee O’Brien.…
