Born: 10 May 1891, Apperley Bridge
Died: 18 February 1919, Eccleshill
Buried: St Wilfred’s, Calverley
Address: Brentwood, Eccleshill
Parents: Gideon & Florence May, nee Watkiss
Spouse: Elizabeth Hilda Gertrude, nee Hutton
Siblings: six sisters
Occupation: salesman
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Sec Lieut
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: West Yorkshire
Gideon Blackburn
Gideon Blackburn was born on the
10th May 1891 in Apperley Bridge
and baptised at St Wilfrid Church,
Calverley on the 5th of June 1891,
the son of Gideon Blackburn and
Florence May, nee Watkiss.
Gideon senior was born in 1856 in
Bradford and Florence May in
1869 in Lichfield. They married in
Lichfield in 1889 and came to live
in Apperley Bridge at Glenhurst.
Gideon senior was a wool merchant
employing men.
Five children were born to Gideon
and Florence, Marguerite in 1890,
Gideon in 1891, Dorothy in 1893,
Bertha in 1896 and Beatrice in
1900 and two servants were
employed to look after the family.
By 1911 two more daughters had
been born, Phyllis in 1902 and
Florence Mary in 1904. Gideon at
19 years of age was living at home
with his parents and working as a
salesman for his father’s business.
His sisters were at boarding school
in Blackpool.
In 1916 he married Elizabeth Hilda
Gertrude Hutton who had been
born in Bradford in 1888 and they
went to live at Brentwood in
Eccleshill.
Gideon enlisted in 1917 in the 1/7th
Battalion of the Prince of Wales
Own West Yorkshire Regiment and
received the commission of 2nd
Lieutenant. Nothing is known
about his war service but he died
on the 18th February 1919 at home.
He was one of the millions
worldwide who were victims of the
Spanish Flu epidemic.
On 21 February 1919, Gideon’s
family put a notice in the columns
of the Shipley Times & Express:
BLACKBURN – February 18th at
Brentwood, Eccleshill, Bradford,
from pneumonia following
influenza, in his 28th year, Gideon
Blackburn, Second Lieutenant,
1/7th West Yorkshire Regiment,
very dearly loved husband of
Lysbeth Blackburn and the only
beloved son of the late Gideon
Blackburn and Mrs Blackburn of
Glenhurst, Apperley Bridge.
Cortege will leave Glenhurst on
Saturday morning, February 22nd,
at 11 o’clock for service at
Calverley Parish Church at 11.30.
In his will he left £132.18s to his
wife Elizabeth of Brentwood,
Eccleshill and to her also his Army
effects of £5.5s.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks