Thomas Arthur Gautrey was born on 11 January 1881 in Holborn, Middlesex (now Greater London), the third of the ten children of John James Gautrey (1847-1902) and Emily Gautrey née Rayman (b. circa 1857). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1881 in the Holborn Registration District. On 4 February 1881 he was baptised at the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Exmouth Market, Islington, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register his date of birth is confirmed, that his family were living at 11 Yardley Street, Islington and that his father was a labourer.
His nine siblings were: John Henry Gautrey (1877-1884); Emily Elizabeth Gautrey (1878-1951); Beatrice Rose Gautrey (1882-1934); Percy William Gautrey (1885-1886); Annie Louisa Gautrey (1886-1941); James Alexander Gautrey (1888-1960); Maud May Gautrey (1889-1958); Elizabeth Hannah Gautrey (1891-1966) and Edmund George Gautrey (1894-1931).
He was shown on the 1891 census as Thomas Gautrey, aged 10 years and a scholar, living in three rooms at 20 Cynthia Street, Clerkenwell, London, with his parents and five siblings: Emily Elizabeth Gautrey - a scholar; Beatrice Rose Gautrey - a scholar; Annie Louisa Gautrey - a scholar; James Alexander Gautrey and Maud May Gautrey. His father was described as a general labourer and his mother was shown as a shoemaker.
On 25 January 1898 he joined the Royal Navy, service number 197584, as a Boy 2nd Class, giving his occupation as a factory boy. He initially served on HMS Caledonia, an old 98-gun, three decker, second rate ship of the line that was used as a training ship. On 27 February 1899 he was promoted to Boy 1st Class. Transferred to HMS Minotaur, HMS Agincourt and HMS Resolution, he was on 11 January 1900, his eighteen birthday, promoted to the rank of Ordinary Seaman when he signed on for 12 years service. He was promoted to Able Seaman on 12 December 1900.
When the census was undertaken on 31 March 1901 he was shown as aged 19 years, single and an Able Seaman serving on board the first class battleship H.M.S. Resolution under the command of Captain William Wilson and which formed part of The Channel Squadron on station at Gibraltar.
He left the Royal Navy on 11 January 1912 but was retained as part of the Royal Fleet Reserve, (R.F.R.,Po.B.4911) (Po) and in March 1912 he was appointed as a Postman in London’s Northern District Office and transferred in January 1913 to the Western District Office.
On 23 August 1913 he married Hannah Rayman (1876-1970) in Holy Trinity Church, Dalston, Hackney, London where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 32 years, a bachelor and a postman, living at 12 Laurel Street, Dalston, whilst his wife was described as aged 37 years and a spinster residing at the same address. No name or occupation of her father was recorded and they lived at 23 Baxter Road, Islington.
On 13 July 1914 he was recalled to the Royal Navy and was posted to the armoured cruiser HMS Good Hope. He was aboard this ship when it was sunk with all hands, a total loss of all 919 officers and men, at the Battle of Coronel, off the coast of Chile, South America, on 1 November 1914, aged 33 years. As his body was not recovered for burial, he is of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea Common, Hampshire.
He is shown as 'GAUTREY, T.A.' on the Western Postal District war memorial at Mount Pleasant, London, WC2. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the and on of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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