A Pigman, Policeman and Publican, the story of Gilbert Hopkins Forest
The author, Martin Harrison, is an Ordecomedologist (collector and researcher of Orders, Decorations and Medals). As most British medals are named to the recipient it makes specific research possible, often with interesting results. One such story is that of Gilbert Hopkins Forest whose 1914-18 British War & Victory Medals were acquired from a dealer in Warwick in 1993
Gilbert’s medals and wrist ID dog tag.
The medals lay un-researched for many years until Ancestry.UK, his will and death certificate were checked, enabling Gilbert’s brief biography to be completed, establishing that Gilbert had died in Leamington in 1945.
St James the Great church, Burford
Latterly, proving the old medal collectors adage of ‘Research Never Ends’, Terry Gardner also kindly provided additional snippets of detail and following a 15 minute presentation at a Tuesday morning LHG café at the Old Band Factory, it was suggested Martin check the British Newspaper Archives for further information.
The newspaper archives did indeed have more information on Gilbert, enabling an even more detailed biography to be pieced together, a precis of which is below. A 30-year gap between acquisition of the medals and this most recent story.
RASC Medal
Gilbert Hopkins Forest was born on Friday 19th December 1890 at 158 High Street, Witney, Oxfordshire, son of Henry, a Baker and Alice nee Hopkins. He was one of four children, Wilfred Henry born in 1887, Catherine May 1890 and Gertrude Louisa 1894.
According to the census of 1891 the family had a servant and Assistant Baker living with them, Franklin R Clifford, and a lodger Emily A Gilbert. Gilbert was Baptised on 22nd February 1891 at the Burford Parish Church, St James the Great by William Courtenay the Vicar. His sister Catherine had also been Baptised only seven months earlier
at the same church.
In 1896, Henry got into debt and, unable to maintain the business, called in the creditors, neglected the business and called in auctioneers to sell up. He then deserted his family, leaving Alice to bring up her four children alone. By 1901, Alice and children, minus Catherine, were living at a cottage in Fulbrook, Burford this having been provided by her mother and brother. Henry is shown living as a boarder in a different location.
Following his schooling in about 1905, Gilbert became a Cattle and Pigman working on a local farm and living at the cottage with his mother. Following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, Gilbert enlisted into the Army Service Corps as a Private with service number M2/104830, his number suggesting he joined the Mechanical Transport section of the ASC. The precise definition of M1 and M2 is not clear but appears to be that the man had enlisted into the New Armies, otherwise known as Kitchener’s Army. He was subsequently promoted to Corporal.
Between July and August 1915 aged 24, Gilbert married Ethel Baisley in Daventry and they had two children, Cyril Hopkins born in October 1920 and Gwendoline May, January 1923. Gilbert served overseas, most likely on the Western Front, surviving the war and being awarded the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. He then moved to Leamington Spa with Ethel, joining the Leamington Borough Police as a Constable; his brother Wilfred already having joined the Metropolitan Police. In 1920 Gilbert was living at 30 Plymouth Place in the town and in the 1922, 25 and 26 town directories shown as ‘living’ at The Police Station known as the Old Town Hall, High Street.
Leamington Borough Police continued as a separate body until 1946 when it was amalgamated into Warwickshire Constabulary. The police station was based at the old Town Hall which became such in about The building is still in use today (2023) as the Polish Centre. In March 1926 Alice, Gilbert and Wilfred were summonsed to attend. The Petty Sessions Court in The Cotswolds, as the Witney Board of Guardians were now looking after their 65-year-old father Henry, who was unable to work and seeking payments towards his upkeep. Despite their spirited defence and explanation of their father’s desertion some 30 years earlier, they were ordered to pay 3s. and 2s. a week respectively towards his upkeep.
Gilbert retired from the police in 1936 on health grounds and the 1939 census shows him as a Publican (ex PC) at the Plough Inn, Warmington, Southam, close to Leamington, together with Ethel, Cyril and Gwendoline. He is also shown as being a Police Reservist; a War Reserve Constable was a voluntary role within the ranks of the local forces and created in 1939. Officers were sworn in under the Special Constables Act 1923 and had the full powers of a police officer. He worked as a Police Ambulance Attendant.
Interestingly, Gilbert’s son Cyril also became a Police Constable in Leamington and served as a Sergeant in the Royal Air Force during WWII.
Gilbert who still owned property in Leamington Spa and subsequently lived at 32 George Street, a stone’s throw from the Police Station, then 16 Leam Terrace, followed by 18 Leam Street, served in the Police Reserve during World War II, but sadly died on 19th June 1945, a month after VE Day, he suffered a heart attack and was taken to Warneford Hospital in the town, where aged just 54 he died of Myocardial Failure and Acute Cholecystisis, a serious infection of his gallbladder. He left £8417s 4d (£36,500,00 approximately in 2020) His brother Wilfred acted as executor.
His funeral service was held at Leamington Cemetery on Friday 29th June 1945 and his coffin borne by four comrades of the Leamington Borough Police Force – PS French, PS Toone, PWR Robinson and Section Leader Godfrey of the National Fire Service. Reverend F A Bunn, Ethel lived another 33 years and passed away in 1978 in Northampton aged 84. As Gilbert had served for at least three years in the Police War Reserve during World War II he became eligible for the posthumous award of the Defence Medal.
Leamington Police Station WWII
Martin D Harrison, July 2023