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John Hanlon
SRoH. No mention in The Stewartry Roll of Honour.
Identified from Military Records on Ancestry.co.uk after searching for ‘Girthon’.
Military Pension Records : 15990 K.O.S.B. Born Girthon.
Re-enlisted 3rd September 1914 in Edinburgh. Posted to Berwick-on-Tweed.
Aged 43 years 10 days. Labourer. Married. 5' 5'' tall. Light complexion with brown eyes and hair. Large mole on his left shoulder.
Wife : Catherine Regan or Hanlin, 15 South Grays Close, Edinburgh.
(Previously served in K.O.S.B. (25th Battalion ? No. 7934)
Discharged 16th November 1914. Served 65 days. No obvious reason.
1871 Girthon Census, Back Street : John Hanlon (1, born Gatehouse) with widowed grandmother Mary Hanlon + her 4 daughters.
1891 Glasgow Census, Stobcross Street : John Hanlon (19, farm servant, born Gatehouse) was visiting the Johnstone family (who were all born in Gatehouse).
1901 Glasgow Census, 302 Garscad Road, Denniston: John Hanlon (33, born Gatehouse) in the Navy, with wife Catherine (26, born Glasgow) and children Roseann (6, born Creetown) and Maggie (1, born Glasgow).
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Girthon.
William Hannay
SRoH. Private William Hannay. Home: Cauldside, Gatehouse.
Enlisted Highland Light Infantary. Served on Western Front.
Wounded and taken prisoner 9th April 1918.
1920-21 Anwoth Valuation Roll : John Hannah, shepherd was living at Callside.
Gatehouse link : No details found for this soldier, but SRoH says his home was Cauldside, Anwoth.
John Hay
SRoH. Private John Hay. Home: Birtwhistle Street, Gatehouse.
Enlisted November 1914, 2/5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Transferred to Royal Scots and 469th Employment Company. Home Service.
1891 Girthon Census, at Swan Street : John Hay (4, born Girthon) with father John (37, joiner, born Girthon), mother Catherine, 36, born Girthon), elder sister Nellie, brothers William (8) and Robert (2) and grandmother Ellen Wilson.
1901 Girthon Census, Swan Street : John Hay (14, born Gatehouse) with parents John Hay (47, joiner, born Gatehouse) & Catherine (45, born Gatehouse) + brothers William (18, apprentice joiner, born Gatehouse) & Robert (12, born Gatehouse) + 3 sisters and grandmother Elizabeth Sayers.
1911 Girthon Census, Rosebery Terrace : John Hay (24, farm labourer, born Girthon) with father John (joiner, 59, born Kirkcudbright), mother Catherine (56, born Girthon), brothers William and Robert + sister Lizzie.
Note: John Hay, the father would have been about 60 when war broke out so it is more likely to be son John who was the soldier (although it was more usual for older men to do home service.)
John and Robert Hay were brothers, sons of John Hay and Catherine Muir. William Hay was an uncle - younger brother of their father.
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Gatehouse.
Robert Hay
SRoH. Private Robert Hay. Home: Birtwhistle Street, Gatehouse.
Enlisted November 1914, 1/5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Served on Eastern & Western Fronts (Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine and France).
Wounded twice (Gallipoli & Gaza). Gassed in France.
1901 Girthon Census, Swan Street : Robert Hay (12, b.Gatehouse) with parents John Hay (47, joiner, born Gatehouse) & Catherine (45, b.Gatehouse), + brothers William (18, apprentice joiner, born Gatehouse) & John (14, born Gatehouse) + 3 sisters and grandmother Elizabeth Sayers.
1911 Girthon Census, Rosebery Terrace : Robert Hay (21, tailor, born Girthon) with father John (joiner, 59, born Kirkcudbright), mother Catherine (56, b.Girthon), brothers William and John + sister Lizzie.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 13th Sept. 1915 : In a letter written by Pte. Tom Buxton, son of the former Provost of Gatehouse, from Egypt - 'I heard that Gavin McCrone was in a hospital not far off us, so was Robert Hay. But I never get down to see them before they shifted' (Presumably this refers to Robert's injury while serving in Gaza.)
Kirkcudbright Advertiser 11th May 1917: Private Robert Hay K.O.S.B. has been wounded. He is the son of Mr & Mrs John Hay, Birtwhistle St. Gatehouse.
Dumfries & Galloway Courier and Herald : 12th July 1917: A report on the 1/5th K.O.S.B.s battle in the Dardanelles.'Letters received within the last few days from officers and men show that the Territorials took their share in the successful attack on the Turkish position ....Unfortunately the losses sustained were severe. In many cases the casualties are only mentioned in letters written at Gallipoli and by men in hospitals.... No official list has yet been published... but the following men are mentioned in the letters:
Pte Gavin Crone, Gatehouse & Private Robert Hay, Gatehouse (both killed).
In fact it appears that neither of these two men were killed in this battle and both survived the war.
John and Robert Hay were brothers, sons of John Hay and Catherine Muir. William Hay was an uncle - younger brother of their father.
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Gatehouse.
William Hay
SRoH. Lance-Corporal William Hay. Home: Catherine Street, Gatehouse.
Enlisted January 1915, 2/5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Home Service.
1861 Girthon Census, High Street (north side): William Hay (6 months old, born Girthon) with father John Hay (36, born Kirkcudbright, mason journeyman), mother Jane (35, born Kirkcudbright) and his twin sister Grace (6 months old, born Girthon) and 5 older siblings, including brother John (8, born Kirkcudbright)
1871 Girthon Census, High Street (north side) : William Hay (10. born Girthon) with father John Hay (45, born Kirkcudbright, mason), mother Jane (43, born Kirkcudbright) 3 sisters and a brother. His brother John was no longer at home.
1881 Girthon Census, Hunter Square : William Hay (20, general labourer, born Girthon) with father John Hay (55, stone mason, born Kirkcudbright), mother Jean (53, born Kirkcudbright) and one sister and one brother.
(Hunter Square is believed to be an inlet off the north side of High Street, beside the brewery)
1891 Girthon Census, High Street (north side) : William Hay (29, general labourer, born Girthon) with father John Hay (66, mason, born Kirkcudbright), mother Jane (64, born Kirkcudbright) and brother Alexander.
1901 Girthon Census, Catherine Street : William (38, mason’s labourer, born Gatehouse) with wife Mary (33, born Whithorn) + 1 daughter, Lizzie Jane Hay (8, born Kirkmabreck), and his widowed father-in-law Thomas McCulloch.
1911 Girthon census, Catherine Street : William (50, mason’s labourer, born Girthon) with wife Mary (45, born Glasserton, Wigtown) + daughter Lizzie (18, born Kirkmabreck, domestic servant) & an adopted son Edward Tailor (aged 2, born Stranraer)
Scotlands People Index : 1860 birth in Girthon of William Hay and his twin sister Grace Hay.
Scotlands People Index : 1895 marriage registered at Glasserton, William Hay & Mary McCulloch.
Girthon Banns : 1884 21st December banns read for William Hay from Girthon & Mary McCulloch from Glasserton.
William Hay was the son of John Hay and Jane Anderson. He was a younger brother of John Hay the father of soldiers John & Robert Hay.
A member of the Hay family (Paul Climie) is sure that William Hay, the soldier, is this older man and not the younger William, the brother of John & Robert Hay.
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Gatehouse.
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