Difference between revisions of "Anthony Francis Gurney"

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{{TabNaval}}
 
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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Archibald Peile Stoddart|Archibald P. Stoddart]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Bruizer (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Bruizer'']]'''<br>12 Dec, 1895{{NLMar96|p. 208}} &ndash; 18 Aug, 1896|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Arthur Halsey|Arthur Halsey]]'''}}
 
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Archibald Peile Stoddart|Archibald P. Stoddart]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Bruizer (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Bruizer'']]'''<br>12 Dec, 1895{{NLMar96|p. 208}} &ndash; 18 Aug, 1896|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Arthur Halsey|Arthur Halsey]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[H.M.S. Hasty (1894)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Hasty'']]'''<br>18 Aug, 1896<ref>Gurney Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42/233.|}} f. 274.</ref>{{NMI|Friday, Jul 24, 1896; pg. 10; Issue 34951}} &ndash; 1 Mar, 1897<ref>Gurney Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42/233.|}} f. 274.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Sidney Richard Olivier|Sidney R. Olivier]]'''}}
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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Richard Morden Harbord-Hamond, Tenth Baron Suffield|Richard M. Harbord]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Hasty (1894)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Hasty'']]'''<br>18 Aug, 1896<ref>Gurney Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42/233.|}} f. 274.</ref>{{NMI|Friday, Jul 24, 1896; pg. 10; Issue 34951}} &ndash; 1 Mar, 1897<ref>Gurney Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42/233.|}} f. 274.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Sidney Richard Olivier|Sidney R. Olivier]]'''}}
 
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edward Duke Hunt|Edward D. Hunt]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Widgeon (1889)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Widgeon'']]'''<br>1 Mar, 1897{{NLFeb00|p. 314}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Wyndham Forbes|Wyndham Forbes]]'''}}
 
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edward Duke Hunt|Edward D. Hunt]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Widgeon (1889)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Widgeon'']]'''<br>1 Mar, 1897{{NLFeb00|p. 314}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Wyndham Forbes|Wyndham Forbes]]'''}}
 
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Robert Hamilton Anstruther|Robert H. Anstruther]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Hearty (1886)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Hearty'']]'''<br>30 Jun, 1904{{NLOct04|p. 324}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Sutton Smith|Sutton Smith]]'''}}
 
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Robert Hamilton Anstruther|Robert H. Anstruther]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Hearty (1886)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Hearty'']]'''<br>30 Jun, 1904{{NLOct04|p. 324}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Sutton Smith|Sutton Smith]]'''}}
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{{CatDeceasedOnActiveService|UK}}
 
{{CatBritannia|January, 1878}}
 
{{CatBritannia|January, 1878}}
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[[Category:Insane]]
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[[Category:Suicide]]

Revision as of 12:57, 15 April 2020

Captain Anthony Francis Gurney, (5 August, 1864 – 30 August, 1909) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Norfolk, Gurney's service record has appointments that are very difficult to read.[1]

Gurney was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in December, 1887. On 17 April 1888 he reported having injured his hand. It proved serious enough that he was not found fit before 25 June.[2]

On 20 August, 1892, he was reported unfit, diagnosed with a venereal disease. He was not found fit before 7 April, 1893. Three days later, he was appointed to the central battery ironclad Superb.[3]

Gurney was promoted to the rank of Commander in June, 1900.

Gurney was promoted to the rank of Captain in June, 1906.

Gurney's service record is torn and contains no clear and declarative mention of service after November, 1908 and before his death in late August 1909, but it clearly contains reference to fiduciary irregularities for which he was at least partly responsible: "... absconding of Asst Paymr A. A. E. Fluder & deficiency of Public Money. Severe displeasure expressed wi[th failure?] ... to exercise sufficient control over the demands for Public Money which was drawn in ex[cess ?] ... events & for failing to properly inspect the cash balances at the end of the month. Also ... liability to be called upon to make good the whole or part of the missing money."[4] This event seems to be that Fluder deserted from Gurney's command, the depot ship H.M.S. Assistance in August of 1907 "taking with him a large sum of public money." Fluder was removed from the Navy List in 1908.[5]

However, given the above, this reader casts a more probing glance at a faded notation under the record of his date of death and sees a notation which begins, "Shot himself..." This discovery prompted a search of The Times which uncovered his obituary, which outlines a verdict of "suicide whilst of unsound mind." He had shot himself in a hotel room with a revolver, once in the forehead. Two letters to family members were found indicating that he intended to kill himself.[6]

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Archibald P. Stoddart
Captain of H.M.S. Bruizer
12 Dec, 1895[7] – 18 Aug, 1896
Succeeded by
Arthur Halsey
Preceded by
Richard M. Harbord
Captain of H.M.S. Hasty
18 Aug, 1896[8][9] – 1 Mar, 1897[10]
Succeeded by
Sidney R. Olivier
Preceded by
Edward D. Hunt
Captain of H.M.S. Widgeon
1 Mar, 1897[11]
Succeeded by
Wyndham Forbes
Preceded by
Robert H. Anstruther
Captain of H.M.S. Hearty
30 Jun, 1904[12]
Succeeded by
Sutton Smith
Preceded by
William C. Pakenham
Captain of H.M.S. Barham
24 Jan, 1905[13]
Succeeded by
Murray F. Sueter
Preceded by
Cecil E. Rooke
Captain of H.M.S. Halcyon
5 Mar, 1906[14] – Jul, 1906[Inference]
Succeeded by
Edmund P. F. G. Grant
Preceded by
Louis J. MacHutchin
Captain of H.M.S. Assistance
10 Nov, 1906[15] – 14 Nov, 1908
Succeeded by
William S. Bowman

Footnotes

  1. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  2. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  3. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  4. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  5. Fluder Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/171/131. f. 151.
  6. "Captain A. F. Gurney." The Times (London, England), Friday, Sep 03, 1909; pg. 9; Issue 39055.
  7. The Navy List. (March, 1896). p. 208.
  8. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  9. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Friday, Jul 24, 1896; pg. 10; Issue 34951.
  10. Gurney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/233. f. 274.
  11. The Navy List. (February, 1900). p. 314.
  12. The Navy List. (October, 1904). p. 324.
  13. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 282.
  14. The Navy List. (June, 1906). p. 322.
  15. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 280.