GILL, William Rey
William Rey Gill was born at Ipswich in the last quarter of 1879, eldest child of the eight children of William Gill (1854-1912), a photographer and artist, and his wife Elizabeth Charlotte, née Rey (1856-29 March 1934), a teacher, who married at Norwich in the first quarter of 1879. The family were living in Ipswich for the birth of young William and his sister Elizabeth Nora in early 1881, and he studied at the Ipswich School of Science and Art from where he won an extra prize in the 'studies from life' class in 1884. Shortly afterwards they moved to Colchester, Essex and in 1891 were living at Mauldine, Errington Road, Colchester where his mother Elizabeth died in 1934. Young William married at Camberwell, Surrey in 1906, Jessie Riviere (12 July 1881-11 June 1972) and they lived at 202 Maldon Road, Colchester, Essex, where Jessie died in 1972. In 1909, young William travelled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but by 1911, was back in England, a 31-year-old photographer, living at 41 Harsnett Road, Colchester. During the First World War, firstly a cadet then a 2nd Lieutenant in the 28th London Regiment, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, William Rey Gillwas killed in action in Belgium on 21 August 1917, aged 38, and buried in West-Vlaanderen Cemetery, Belgium. Listed as a photographer & artist, but was a photographic artist, his father however was a miniature painter & photographer.