Aubrey GURL (1895/6–1917)
Some of this information is repeated under the next entry for Aubrey’s brother Cyril Gurl
Aubrey Gurl was born in Headington Quarry in 1895/6, the ninth child of Thomas Gurl (born in Headington Quarry, privately baptised there on 9 October 1852) and Sarah Emma Briscoe (born in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire in 1860, registered in second quarter in Thame district).
Aubrey’s parents were married at Holy Trinity Church on 4 December 1880. They were both illiterate, and their children born up to 1900 were registered phonetically with the surname Girl; but from 1900 (presumably after the older children had learned to read) they were registered as Gurl. There were thirteen children in all:
- Thomas George Gurl (born in Barton in 1881, registered third quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 30 October 1881)
- Louisa Jane Gurl (born in Barton in 1882/3, registered first quarter of 1883 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 28 January 1883)
- Mary Ann Gurl (born in Barton in 1885, registered second quarter of 1885 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 28 June 1885)
- William Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1997, registered second quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 June 1887)
- Albert Francis Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1889, registered second quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 May 1889)
- Sarah Ann Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1891, registered second quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 31 May 1891)
- Jesse Norman Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1892/3, registered first quarter of 1893 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 1893)
- Nora Martha Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1894, registered fourth quarter and baptised privately on 12 November 1894); died aged 6 days, buried in Holy Trinity churchyard on 17 November 1894
- Aubrey Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1895/6. registered first quarter of 1896 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 23 February 1896)
- Cyril James Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1897, registered third quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 29 August 1897)
- Oliver Reginald Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1898/9, registered first quarter of 1899 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 March 1899); died aged 6 months, buried in Holy Trinity churchyard on 16 August 1899
- Nora(h) Blanch(e) Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in about September 1900 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 28 October 1900)
- Arnold Oliver Gurl (born in Headington Quarry in 1904, registered second quarter, and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 June 1904).
The 1881 census shows Aubrey’s father Thomas Gurl living with his new wife at The Fox in Barton, where he was the publican. His first three children were born here, and then in about 1886 he took up work as a quarryman and the family moved to Headington Quarry.
At the time of the 1891 census Thomas & Sarah Gurl were living at The Square with their first five children: Thomas (9), Louisa (8), Mary (5), William (4), and Albert (2).
The 1901 census shows the family in Quarry High Street (then called Main Street), with eight of their children: Thomas (19) was now working as a stone quarryman; Mary (15) probably helped her mother; William (13) was a farm labourer; Albert (11), Sarah (9), Jesse (8) and Aubrey himself (5) were at school; and then came Cyril (3) and Nora (6 months). The missing daughter, Louisa (18) had gone into service at 102 Abingdon Road.
The family was still living in Quarry High Street in 1911. Aubrey’s mother was now working as a laundress, and only five children were still at home: William (24), who was a builder’s labourer; Jesse (18), who was a quarryman; Aubrey himself (15), who was a printer’s labourer; and Cyril (13) and Nora (10), who were at school. Thomas (30) and Louisa (28) were married; Albert (22) was a soldier at Cambridge Barracks in Portsmouth; and both Mary and Sarah appear to be missing, although only one of them appears to have died.
Aubrey Gurl volunteered to serve in the First World War and was a Private in the 4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 201106).
He was killed in action in France at the age of 21 on 3 March 1917, and is buried at the Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu ( II. L. 6). He is listed on the stone plaque in the porch of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry.
Left: Photograph of Aubrey Gurl’s grave in the Hem Farm Military Cemetery, reproduced with kind
permission of Aubrey Gurl’s great-nephew, Tim Venn. The text reads:
[Emblem of the OBLI]
201106 PRIVATE
A. GURL
OXFORD & BUCKS. LIGHT INF.
3RD MARCH 1917 AGED 21
†
Aubrey Gurl’s brother Cyril was also killed in the war the next year, at the age of 21, on 1 October 1918.
Below: Some of the 394 graves at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, photographed by Tim Venn
Postscript
Aubrey’s parents
- Mrs Sarah Emma Gurl died at 21 Quarry High Street at the age of 74 on 15 March 1935.
- Thomas Gurl died at 21 Quarry High Street at the age of 91 on 24 April 1944, and was buried with his wife in Holy Trinity Churchyard.
Aubrey’s siblings
- Thomas George Gurl (born 1881) married Frances Mary Badger in the second quarter of 1909. At the time of the 1911 census they were living in St Anne’s Road.
- Louisa Jane Gurl (born 1883) married Joseph Thomas Blake in the Headington registration district in the fourth quarter of 1906. At the time of the 1911 census she was living at Long Crendon, where her husband was a cowman, and had two children: Eric Thomas Walter Blake (2) and Una Louisa Mary Blake (2 months).
- Albert Francis Gurl (born 1889) married Beatrice Dorcas Coppock at Holy Trinity Church on 6 September 1919. After her death he married the widow Mrs Edith Mary Kerry at the church on 2 August 1947. He died at 55 Delbush Avenue, Sandhills at the age of 83 and was buried at Holy Trinity churchyard on 7 July 1972.
- Cyril James Gurl (born 1897) was also killed in the war: see separate page