Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Thomas was born at Gateshead in 1877 the son of John and Mary Ann (nee Brennan) who died in 1891.
In 1891 Thomas was not living with his family but in fact at the County Industrial School, Earls House, Witton Gilbert.
In July 1894 Thomas whose record say he was born at Birtley and at 18 years old was a musician, joined the Durham Light Infantry at Barnard Castle. He was dismissed three years later.
He married Janet Elizabeth Little in 1896 and the couple went on to have 11 children but sadly 4 died. The 1901 census shows Thomas and his wife and 3 children visiting the home of R.W. Smith who lived at Darlington.
By 1911 Thomas was employed by Barnard Castle Gas works as a general labourer. His living children were Emily (15 spinner at flax works), Thomas (14 unemployed), John (10) Arthur (9), Ethel (6), Leslie (1) and Ruth (under a year). The entire family of 11 were living in 2 rooms at Thorngate, Barnard Castle.
Thomas enlisted and joined the Northumberland Fusiliers. He embarked for France on January 16th 1915. Thomas was killed in action on May 8th 1915 however his body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial along with almost 55,000 of his comrades.
Son Thomas also served in the Great War and died at the Somme on 1st July 1916 and son John Willie died June 15th 1918 and is buried at Elswick, Newcastle with a CWGC headstone.
Thomas Mulgrew is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25, at Benwell on B86.02 and B86.19b
He is remembered in the Northumberland Fusiliers Book of Remembrance
