Colin McMillan has provided the following:
In 1901 5 year old Frederick Gordon Brodie lived at 2 High Stanners with his parents Adam (53), Luciana (48) and six siblings: Elizabeth A. (26), Mary J. (22), William A. (17), Luciana. (10), Olive M. (6) and John (1). The father, Adam, must have worked and lived in several places as among the birth places of the children were Ulgham, Netherwitton, Hartburn, Longhorsley and Morpeth.
By 1911 several changes had taken place, some of them quite remarkable. Firstly, both Lucianas appear to have changed their name to “Lucina”. Secondly, the older sisters Elizabeth A and Mary J are no longer living with the family and appear to have been replaced by another daughter, 24 year old Margaret Isabella. Thirdly, Frederick Gordon Brodie is now described as “grandson” and fourthly, John, who would be 11, died and was buried on 22nd August 1901. The census document shows that Adam and Lucina had eight children born alive and one having died, so if this is Margaret Isabella then the tally is correct.
In 1911 the 15 year old Frederick Gordon Brodie was a clerk with a debt collection and emigration agent and lived at 114 Newgate Street. At attestation he was a hairdresser. During World War 1 he was Private 37856 in the 1st/4th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment. He died on 10th April 1918 aged 22.
Thee is another mystery surrounding Frederick Gordon Brodie and that is his date of death. The following is a transcription of a letter written by his father on 9th May 1918 and date stamped by the recipient, the Army, on 10th May. It was sent from 114 Newgate Street.
Dear Sir,
We received the official news this morning stating my son Private Frederick Gordon Brodie 37856, East Yorkshire Regiment was posted missing on 23/3/18. I must say that I think there has been some mistake, as the last letter we received from him, he wrote it on the 5th April so he could not have been missing on the 25/3/18 [indecipherable] I am enclosing his last letter we received from him. Trusting you will look [?] ..to [?] case and [?] [overleaf] is some [?] somewhere. Hoping you will let us have an early reply,[?] you will return his letter. I am [?] faithfully, Adam Brodie.Regrettably some of the above letter was indecipherable due to (possibly) tears, ink blotches and hand writing style, but the gist of it is quite plain. Whether or not Adam Brodie eventually learned the truth and true date of his son’s death we do not know. The official date of Frederick Gordon Brodie’s death is now put at 10th April 1918.
The Morpeth Herald reported on 17/05/1918 as follows:
“Mr and Mrs Brodie, 114 Newgate Street, Morpeth, received official news on the 9th May that their son, Signaller F.G. Brodie, East Yorks, was posted missing on the 25th March, and now officially notified that he was killed in action on that date”.
From an unknown source, photo shown here:
"In Memoriam
Private Frederick Gordon Brodie, 1/4th
Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment,
whose family lived at 114 Newmarket Street,
was killed on the 10th April 1918.
His parents and siblings wrote:
However long our lives may last . .
Wherever we may be, Whatever joy or
grief we have, We always think of thee.
Loved in life, still loved in death. Ever
remembered."
Frederick Gordon Brodie is remembered in Morpeth on M17.01, M17.09 and M17.29
Is he the "G. Brodie" on M17.02?