John Gough Poole was born in Deptford, London on 7th May 1851 and baptised in St Paul, Deptford on 4th November 1859. His father, James Webster Poole had been born in Taunton, Somerset around 1814 and he had married in 1837. John Gough was one of eight children, four boys and four girls. In 1851 his father was a bricklayer and in 1871 at the aged of 19, John Gough was also a bricklayer craftsman.
In 1878 he became a Theological Associate of King’s College London and on Sunday 22nd December 1878 he was ordained at Norwich Cathedral. The next day he was appointed to a curacy in Docking and served as curate of Docking and assistant chaplain of the Docking Union from 1878 to 1881.
On 27th May 1881 he was appointed by Bishop Pelham to the rectory of St Margaret de Westwick and St Swithin, Norwich.
In November 1883 he became vicar of Barton Turf, also serving as chaplain of the Smallburgh Union from 1898 to 1917 and rector of Irstead from 1905. He retired in 1929 and died in Streatham on 1st April 1935. He was buried in Barton Turf on 4th April 1935. For more information about his time in Barton Turf, see the relevant Past Incumbents page.
John Gough Poole’s first wife Hannah Maria died on 8th March 1895 and her brother Sam had a memorial tablet erected in Barton Turf church. In 1908 he married his second wife, Julia Fraser who was the daughter of Captain William Alexander Fraser, the retired captain of the Dayspring, which had been a missionary ship. Julia was born in Australia and some of her brothers and sisters were born in other parts of the South Seas. Julia’s mother, Julia Smith Fraser, moved to Norfolk after the death of her husband in 1914 and lived with her daughter and son-in-law at Barton Turf vicarage until her death. She was buried in Barton Turf on 9th May 1920. In 1921 John Gough Poole and Julia travelled to Canada to visit Disney Gough Poole. After John Gough’s death, Julia moved to Devon and died there on 6th March 1948, but was buried in Barton Turf on 17th March.
In 1878 John Gough Poole married Hannah Maria Lockhart (or Locker) in Southwark. She had been born in Ireland around 1853 and was from a circus family. She was a trapeze artist, and her three brothers were elephant trainers.
Their first son, John Twells Poole, was born on 6th September 1879 in Deptford. He went to St John’s College, Cambridge, graduating as a B.A. in 1903. He was ordained in 1903 and became a priest in 1904. He held a number of appointments and served as a naval chaplain during the First World War. His later appointments were in Norfolk and he was rector of North with South Lopham from 1940 to 1951. He retired to Barton Turf with his wife Rosamund, whom he had married in 1911, and continued to officiate at the church and conduct services until his death on 21st November 1965 at the age of 86. He was buried on 24th December 1965 in Barton Turf.
Their daughter Hannah Elizabeth Poole was born on 2nd June 1881 and baptised on 8th July 1881 in Docking. She died on 29th October 1886 at the age of fifteen, probably of tuberculosis, and was buried in Barton Turf on 2nd November 1896.
Their second son, George Blisset Poole, was born in 1883. He attended the London School of Divinity and was ordained in 1908. He held a number of appointments, again mostly in Norfolk after 1917, becoming vicar of Sporle with Great and Little Palgrave, Norfolk from 1945.
Their third son, Disney Gough Poole, was born on 6th April 1887 and baptised on 26th June 1887 in Barton Turf. In 1901 aged 13, he was a student in Leatherhead, Surrey. Left England and went to sea as a cabin boy on a sailing ship. He worked his way from cabin boy to first mate before deciding to immigrate to Canada. He originally worked on farms in British Columbia before securing land of his own. He married in 1911 and had four children. Before he could begin farming he joined the Rocky Mountain Rangers and went off to battle in World War I as a scout in the Canadian Army. During the war he was mustard gassed and almost lost both of his eyes. Upon recovery he returned to his family and later became a ferry captain. He died aged 83 on 8th June 1970 in British Columbia.
Memorial to John Gough Poole in Irstead Church.
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Memorial to Hannah Maria and Hannah Elizabeth Poole in Barton Turf Church.
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