Pauline Priano has submitted the following:
John Maxwell Gover was the eldest of 8 children, offspring of John Cockram Gover and Mary Jane Maxwell.
John Cockram Gover was born in 1843 in the town of Crediton, near Exeter, Devon. He was the son of tin plate maker, Samuel Gover and his wife Mary Ann. At the age of 17 John was living as a lodger at 9, Alma Terrace, Chester, serving an apprenticeship as a currier in the leather industry. Fully qualified, ten years later he was a boarder at 3, Southville Place, in the district of Bedminster, Bristol, Somerset. Between 1871 and when he was married to Mary Jane Maxwell in 1876, he had moved to Newcastle upon Tyne. Mary Jane was a native of Newcastle upon Tyne, born in 1849, the daughter of butter and bacon factor/merchant, John Maxwell and his wife Ann, both of whom originated from Cumberland.
John Maxwell Gover was born, February 23rd 1877, Samuel Leslie Liddell Gover 1878, Alfred Ernest 1879, and William Cyril in 1881 whilst they were living at 205, Portland Road, Newcastle. John was supporting his family as a leather merchant, to assist his wife and children he employed a domestic servant and a nurse. Their eldest son John Maxwell was living with his widowed maternal grandmother, Ann Maxwell, at 3, Windsor Crescent, Jesmond.
Over the next 10 years they had a further 4 children, daughter Annie Maxwell 1882, Florence Mary 1883, Constance Buttress 1886 and a son Charles Norman 1890. Ten years later they had left the city for the quieter suburb of Jesmond and occupied Priorsdale, Fernwood Road, but transferred to Springfield, Coxlodge, Gosforth by 1901.
Samuel (22) was employed as a merchant’s clerk, as were his younger brothers Alfred (21) and William (20), their sisters Anne (18) and Constance, as yet unmarried, were still living at home Charles (10) although of school age is not listed as a scholar. The house was run with the help of a cook, a housemaid and a nursemaid. Alfred Ernest Gover died in 1908, aged 28 years.
At the age of 14 John Maxwell was a scholar at James and Mary Ann Balsillie boarding school, 29, George Square, Edinburgh, Midlothian, then went on to Durham University taking a bachelor’s degree with a qualification of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science in 1898. M.R.C.S; L.R.C.P. London 1900, he then held the position of assistant medical practitioner in Alnwick where he was a boarder in the home of his employer, medical practitioner George Jackson. He was Assistant Surgeon Fleming Memorial Hospital for sick children, Hanover Square, Newcastle upon Tyne; House Surgeon and House Physician, Newcastle Royal Infirmary. House Physician, Brompton Chest Hospital & Assistant at the College of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne.
February 14th 1911 he was married at Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales to Olive Gwendoline Turnbull. Born June 6th 1882, in the district of Cardiff, Glamorgan, she was the daughter of steamship owner Lewis R. and Phoebe Turnbull. He and his wife settled at High Street, Gosforth, employing two servants and from where he ran his own medical practice.
When war was declared on August 4th 1914, all regiments were ordered to raise new battalions and men from all walks of life volunteered to serve their County. John Maxwell Gover enlisted and was assigned to the 1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
A unit with HQ in Hutton Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, they served with the 50th Northumbrian Division of the Territorial Force. The division was mobilised and sent to the Tyne defences in August 1914. As a commissioned officer with the rank of Captain he had risen to the rank of Major by April 17th 1915 when he departed for the front.
Attached to the 50th Northumbrian Division having landed in France they concentrated near Steenvoorde in Belgium just as the Germans attacked the town of Ypres and were rushed into battle. Major Gover was in charge of the 50th Casualty Clearing Station which was at Hazebrouck from 1915-June 1917 and having been mentioned in despatches in May 1917 was promoted to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant Colonel, June 25th 1917.
In the New Years Honours list, January 1918, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, awarded to officers above the rank of Captain for meritorious and distinguished service in wartime, in actual combat or under fire also the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to him at Roxburgh House, North Gosforth.
Post war he returned to his medical profession and continued to be a member of the Territorial Army retaining his rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
All of John’s surviving brothers served during WW1, Charles Norman Gover with the Royal Army Medical Corps, William Cyril Gover as a Private with the Royal Fusiliers and as Captain with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Tragically Samuel Leslie Liddell Gover took his own life soon after arriving overseas. This was yet another severe blow to a family already grieving the loss of their father John Cockram Gover who had died, October 11th 1915 as had his widow Mary Jane Gover nee Maxwell, less than 6 months later, April 1st 1916.
When John Maxwell had departed in 1915 for the front he left his wife with a young son, Gerald Maxwell Gover, born December 16th 1914. His wife gave birth to a further 2 children, Leslie John, August 19th 1918 and Noel Maxwell, December 25th 1920. Sadly two years later, April 1st 1921, Leslie John Gover died aged only 2 years of age.
Lieutenant Colonel John Maxwell Gover resident at 19c, Never Square, London S.W. 5. died February 11th 1937, having also out-lived his son Noel Maxwell Gover who died, March 23rd 1930 in Halifax, West Yorkshire. His effects in the sum of £12953 12 shillings 1 pence were assigned to his widow, Olive Gwendoline Gover and Gerald Maxwell Gover, professional musician, May 1st 1937.
In 1938 Olive was still living in Kensington, London, however in the census of 1939 she was in Brynawell, Gwent, Wales with bachelor Paul S. Turnbull and spinster Everilda Turnbull, like her good self, persons of means, also in the household was Emillie G. Weighill, dispenser, and sisters Annie and Doris Maddox, domestic servants.
Olive Gwendoline Gover nee Turnbull resident at 48, Arkwright Road, Hamstead, London, died, May 14th 1971, effects in the sum of £35708 to person or persons unspecified, September 9th 1971.
John and Olive’s only surviving son Gerald Maxwell Gover was living at 106, Jaqueline House, Fitzroy Road, London N.W.1, March 20th 1979. He died in 1982, The Times carried his death notice September 15th and he was buried, September 20th, Camden, London.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
