Notes A birth registration was found for Frederick John Leopold Gilbrook: Year of Registration: 1894; Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec; District: Hackney; County: Greater London, London, Middlesex; Volume: 1b; Page: 550. Parents: John Joannes Leopoldus Gilbrook and Mary Slatter, married August 17, 1890 in Hackney, London, England.
In 1901, John Gillbrook, 6 years of age, was shown residing at 4 Frances Terrace, North Hackney, London, England. Other family members included: John Gillbrook, 34, cigar maker; Joseph Gillbrook, 1; lodger, John Wilson, 45, general labourer; Lilly Gillbrook, 3; Mary Gillbrook, 34; Mary Gillbrook, 5; and Violet Gillbrook, 7. (Source: 1901 Census of England; Class: RG13; Piece: 210; Folio: 139; Page: 11.)
The Gilbrook boys' mother, Mary, died suddenly of Typhoid in London, England, in 1904. A death registration was found for Mary Gilbrook: Estimated Birth Year: abt 1865; Year of Registration: 1904; Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep; Age at Death: 39; District: Edmonton; County: Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex; Volume: 3a; Page: 270.
Their father couldn't cope and the children were placed into orphanages. The girls stayed in England, but first the eldest boy was sent to London, Ontario, then the two younger ones were sent, eventually ending up at different locations. Sufficient to say all ties were severed.
In 1910, John Gilbrook, 15, arrived at Quebec, Canada, in a group of 109 MacPherson children en route to Stratford, Ontario, Canada. (His brothers, Joseph Gilbrook, 13, and Henry Gilbrook, 10, arrived in 1912 with MacPherson on the Corsican.)
John Gilbrook was also known as John Males.
On January 12, 1915, at London, Ontario, Canada, John Males, 20, enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces (Service No. 400500). He declared that he was born in London, England; that his next of kin was his father, John F. L. Gilbrook, who resided at 14 Pressburg Street, Clapton, London, N. E. England; that he was born November 3, 1894; that he was a cap maker; that he was not married; and that he had previously served in the 7th Regt. for 2 years. He was described as 5 foot 6 inches in height; fair complexion; brown eyes; black hair. He was a member of the Church of England. He had a birth mark on his upper left arm; tattoo pictures "September Morn," and "Hands Across the Sea" on his left forearm; and tattooed girl on right arm.
On January 29, 1920, London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada, a marriage was registered between John Frederick Leopold Gilbrook, 25, lineman, born in London, England, to John Gilbrook (mother's name unknown); and Hester Mulligan, 18, born in County Down, Ireland, to William Mulligan (mother's name unknown).
John and Hester Mulligan Gilbrook had three children: Joan Gilbrook; William Gilbrook; and Ronald Gilbrook (1922 ? 1998).
Years later, John managed to contact the two others and eventually they were all reunited in London, Ontario after many unhappy adventures. They carried their scars all their lives, and although they all eventually married, they all refused to talk about their previous lives to their own families, so there families grew up with no knowledge of where their fathers came from, and were left in limbo when they died.
John Frederick Leopold Gilbrook died in 1955 in Ontario, Canada. Hester Mulligan Gilbrook died in 1991 in Ontario, Canada.