Biography

Family background

Kenneth Russell Gurney was the second child of Ernest Russell Gurney and his wife Clara Caroline Gurney (nee Ward). Ernest and Clara had married in 1905 in Scarborough and their first child, Mabel Caroline Gurney, was born on the 24th March 1906, in Horsforth, Leeds. Mabel was baptised at St. James' Church Woodside in West Yorkshire. The family's address at the time was Laurels, Broadgate Lane, Horsforth, and Ernest's occupation was listed as a journalist. Ernest studied law and eventually rose to become Recorder of Rotherham.

Kenneth Russell Gurney was born on the 2nd August 1909. In the 1900s, the Gurney family appears to have moved house frequently in this period and the Kelly's Directory for Leeds in 1908 records Ernest Russell Gurney, a journalist, living at 15 Blandford Gardens, Leeds. Kenneth was born in Chapeltown, Leeds and was baptised (on the 25th August 1909) at St. Martin Church, Potternewton. His father Ernest is again recorded as a journalist, and their family address was now 8 Sholebroke Terrace. By the census date in 1911, the family had made a major move and were living at 52 Cromwell Road, Beckenham in Kent, and Ernest is described as a journalist/sub editor.

Ernest and Clara's third child, Basil, was born in Lytham, Lancashire, in 1919, so the family had clearly made another major move from Kent, back to the North of England. Two years later, at the time of the next census, in 1921, Ernest and Clara were living at 66 Clifton Street, Lytham with their children Mabel Caroline, Kenneth Russell and Basil Russell. At this time, Ernest was described as a dairy produce merchant. This seems a remarkable career change for Ernest, from lawyer to journalist to diary produce merchant, and we have no explanation why he made such a change.

A year later, in 1922, Ernest and Clara's youngest child, Stephen Dudley Russell Gurney, was born in Fylde in Lancashire.

We don't exactly know why or when the Gurney family moved to Collingham, but by 1937, Ernest and his wife and daughter were all recorded on the electoral roll for Collingham, living at Redgarth, Collingham, and two years later, at the time of the National Registration, Ernest and Caroline are recorded, still living at Redgarth, Leeds Road, Collingham, along with Caroline's widowed mother, Clara Ward, and their daughter, Mabel. Mabel is described as a fashion designer, and as taking classes for nursing. Also present are Stephen K Gurney, a law student, and a housemaid, Catherine Hurn. Ernest's occupation is now described as a Barrister at Law. Ernest is also described as a Special Constable.

Before the war Kenneth joined the Army on the 24th June 1925 into the Royal Army Medical Corps, attesting on the 24th June. He gave his occupation as an apprentice electrical engineer. This may have been an enlistment into the Territorial Army, and we have found no further details of his service at that time.

In 1939 Kenneth was living at 21 Launceston Gardens in Perivale, West London where his profession was noted as a mechanical engineer.

Service record

We do not have exact service details for Kenneth but he served in the Royal Army Service Corps as noted in the report, from 1942, of his brother Basil's wedding:

In 1942, as well as being Best Man for his brother, Kenneth also married, to Cicely E Gwen Owen.

After the war

Soon after the war, Kenneth and Cicely emigrated to Australia living in Western Australia, where Kenneth worked as a carpenter. He died in Brunswick, Harvey Shire, Western Australia on the 16th June 1998 and was buried in Australia.

Biography last updated 19 January 2024 13:46:46.