Robert James Gordon 
Birth Notes
Date of Birth - 1901 census.
Civil Birth Record
Name: Robert James Gordon Date of Birth: 24-Aug-1893
Registration Date:
Address: Lislea Parish/District: KILREA
Gender: Male County Co. Derry
Father: Thomas Gordon Mother: Thomasinia Mcmullan
Occupation: Farmer
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1: Thomas Gondon
Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:
Notes:
REGISTER RECORDS THE FATHER AS THOMAS GORDON JUNIOR.
Death Notes
I am almost certain that this man was killed in action during World War 1 as there is a Robert James Gordon listed on the Roll of Honour in 1st Kilrea Presbyterian Church.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1737879/gordon,-robert-james/
Rifleman
GORDON, ROBERT JAMES
Service Number 26091
Died 07/06/1917
4th Bn. 3rd
New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Son of Mrs. T. Gordon, of Lislea, Portglenone, Co. Derry, Ireland.
Commemorated at MESSINES RIDGE (N.Z.) MEMORIAL
Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Number of casualties: 828
See cemetery plan
MEMORIAL DETAILS
https://weshallrememberthem.wordpress.com/
With a population of just over a million New Zealand sent 103,000 men overseas in the First World War. 18,500 died and over 50,000 were wounded.
At this time 95 years ago Australian and New Zealand troops were preparing for their role in the battle for Messines Ridge near Ypres in Belgium. It was the first time they had actually fought alongside each other on the Western Front. The attack was carefully prepared – twenty-four mines, packed with over 500 tonnes of ammonal had been placed under the German lines. When they exploded at 3.10 a.m. on June 7th 1917 it is said the sound of the explosion could be heard in London. (The film “Beneath Hill 60” tells the story of the Australian tunnellers in Flanders.)
For eleven days prior to the attack 3.5 million shells reduced Messines and Wystschaete to rubble and the ridge to a brown wasteland. This poem was published in “New Zealand at the Front” – a magazine published and illustrated in Flanders by men of the New Zealand Division 1917 issue, page 141.
The report from the Auckland Weekly News (30 August 1917) states “The Great Battle of Messines Ridge. Where the New Zealanders played a glorious part: A view of a mashed German Observation Post and Trenches in the vicinity of the Ridge.
However, the ‘Battle of Messines’ lasted another week, as German guns bombarded the newly captured areas with increasing ferocity. By the time the New Zealand Division was relieved 700 men were dead and another 3000 wounded.
General Notes
Source = 1901 census.
1st Kilrea Presbyterian Church Communicants Roll Book shows the name Robert J Gordon written below that of "Mrs Thos Gordon (Ina)" in the period circa 1906.
I think this is probably the man whose death is recorded on the Roll of Honour Board in 1st Kilrea Presbyterian Church as per "Eddies News Site", which shows, "Gordon, Robert James, Lislea, Private, Australian Force, Killed in Action" (no date).
1901 Census:
Residents of a house 31 in Lislea (Tamlaght, Londonderry)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
Gordon Thomas 42 Male Head of Family Presbyterian Co Londonderry Farmer Read and write - Married -
Gordon Thomasena 40 Female Wife Presbyterian Co Antrim - Read and write - Married -
Gordon Annie 12 Female Daughter Presbyterian Co Antrim Scholar Read and write - Not Married -
Gordon John 10 Male Son Presbyterian Co Londonderry Scholar Read and write - Not Married -
Gordon Robert James 7 Male Son Presbyterian Co Londonderry Scholar Read and write - Not Married -
Gordon Cassie 5 Female Daughter Presbyterian Co Londonderry Scholar Read and write - Not Married -
Gordon Samuel Geo 2 Male Son Presbyterian Co Londonderry - Cannot read - Not Married -
Gordon Letetica Female Daughter Presbyterian Co Londonderry - Cannot read - Not Married -
Gordon Mary 66 Female Mother Presbyterian Co Londonderry - Read - Widow -
1911 Census:
Residents of a house 20 in Lislea (Tamlaght, Londonderry)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living
Gordon Thomasena 52 Female Head of Family Presbyterian Co Antrim Farmer Read write - Widow - - - -
Gordon Mary 82 Female - Presbyterian Co Derry - Read - Widow - - - -
Gordon Annie 23 Female Daughter Presbyterian C Antrim - Read write - Single - - - -
Gordon John 20 Male Son Presbyterian Co Derry - Read write - Single - - - -
Gordon Robert J 18 Male Son Presbyterian Co Derry - Read write - Single - - - -
Gordon Cassie 16 Female Daughter Presbyterian Co Derry - Read write - Single - - - -
Gordon Samuel G 13 Male Son Presbyterian Co Derry Scholar Read write - Single - - - -
Gordon Letitia 11 Female Daughter Presbyterian Co Derry Scholar Read write - Single - - - -
Laughlin William J 5 Male Orphant Presbyterian Co Derry Scholar Cannot read - Single -
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