Gilbert Pickering Watson Farrer

An Able Seaman with S.S. Sixty Six (Middlesbrough), Gilbert died on 29th of June 1918 at the age of 68. 

Gilbert was born at Lowestoft on 29 June 1849, a son of Matthew and Jane Farrer. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 5 August 1849. In 1851 his family lived at the South Turnpike, Lowestoft. He married Georgiana Farman at Saint Margaret’s Church on 24 December 1878 and Gilbert was a mariner and they both lived in Lowestoft. By 1891 they were living at 67 Mills Road, and Gilbert was a seaman. In 1901 they lived at 186 Raglan Street and Gilbert was a fisherman and this was still their home in 1911 when Gilbert was a seaman. 

In July 1915 Gilbert was an Able Seaman working on the S.S. Sixty Six. He was still working on the ship in 1918. Early on 29 June 1918 the Sixty-Six was sailing alone from Middlesborough with a cargo of cement. Off Scarborough the ship was spotted by the German submarine UB-88 which followed the ship and fired a torpedo which hit the ship amidships. The Sixty-Six sank immediately and Gilbert and five other men were killed.