St John the Evangelist
Saturday, 1 December 2018 (21–1–23 in E♭)
1274 Grandsire Triples
1 Joan Houghton
2 Joanne E Diamond
3 Elizabeth G Turner
4 James C Turner
5 Graham C Turner
6 Jeffrey D Simcox (C)
7 Raymond J Clayton
8 Raymond A Hutchings
Rung to commemorate Sapper Edward (Ned) Gent, Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire. Died 01/12/1918 age 34. Royal Engineers 13th Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Sect. Service No.466351. Commemorated at Whittle-Le-Woods (St. John) Churchyard, England, Grave in south-west part. Born 11/11/1884. One of seven children; six surviving at the 1911 census. Son of John Gent of Glencoe House, Whittle-le-Woods and the late and Mary Gent (née Garstang, died 1915). Husband of Annie Gent (née Knowles) whom he married on 14/04/1909 at St John’s Whittle-le-Woods, of Lytham View, Whittle-le-Woods. Father of Bessie Gent (born 03/11/1914) He rang his first peal, ringing the tenor and conducting Plain Bob Major at Whittle-le-Woods on 01/02/1913. He rang in and conducted a peal of Plain Bob Major at Chorley (RC) Church on 27/09/1913, the footnote to the peal reported that the “go of them is anything but good”. He rang a peal at Chorley Parish Church, also Plain Bob Major, on 27/09/1913. He worked as a blacksmith for Mr B. Harrison in Chorley before enlisting. On Armistice day, 11/11/1918, his 34th birthday, he wrote to his father and sisters “did ever anyone have a more blessed birthday gift … no more dodging bombs and shrapnel, and machine gun fire”. He had written to his family describing life in the trenches and had ‘seen some pitiful sights’ in Verdun, Lens, Bethune, La Bassée, Vimy and Lille. After three years of active service in France he was given leave of a few days, after walking from Wigan railway station to Chorley in cold, wet and windy November weather he succumbed to influenza and pneumonia and died within days of reaching home. A memorial peal of Kent TB Major was rung to his memory on 21/04/1923 at Whittle-le-Woods, which was conducted by William Lancaster. Born: Chorley. Enlisted: Unknown. Resided (1911 Census): Paradise Row, Whittle-le-Woods.
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