Gerald Talbot
Sweeting
15th May 1884 -14th March 1915
Gerald Talbot Sweeting was born on the
15th May 1884 to the Rev. Walter Debenham Sweeting and his
wife Maria Georgina. He was the
youngest of seven children, five sons and two daughters.
His father had been Second Master (the equivalent of
today's Deputy Head) and later Headmaster of The Kings
School, a position he held for 20 years. On leaving King's
Mr Sweeting had become vicar of Maxey.
Gerard joined
The King's School at the age of 13.
He was at King's for 3 years. The School Archive has a
photo of this athletic young man with a shock of blond hair
- he became a King's Scholar, and left in January 1900.
What he did and where he went next, we don't know for
certain, but we believe that he was articled to a firm of
London stockbrokers.
His mother died on 1st November 1900 and Reverend Sweeting
moved to London, possibly to be near his family or his son.
By 1906 Gerard was working in a Stockbroker's Office in the
City of London, with a home address of ‘Maxey’, Queens
Road, Wallington, Surrey.
In about 1912 Gerard joined the Queen Victoria’s Rifles as
a territorial soldier. Not only did this teach him
soldering but it would also have been treated as something
of a social Gentlemen’s Club. On the 4th November 1914
Gerard was called to the Colours to join ‘A’ Coy 9th
Battalion London Regiment and sailed for France the same
day.
Gerard was killed on March 14 1915 - he was on look-out
when a German grenade exploded behind his back. In a letter
to his sister Mary, his Commanding Officer, wrote that he
was held in high esteem by his comrades; he was an
immaculate soldier, who never missed a parade, never went
sick or fell out on the march. Always doing his share,
never grumbling and ever ready to help others.
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