Vincent Humphrey Gately

(1888 – 1946)

Vincent Gately was born on the 9th of November 1888. He was of Irish heritage and spent his early years in Liverpool. Eventually he moved to Derbyshire and in his professional life he was a master at Derby School and having become a resident of Little Eaton he was active in the village and a much-respected figure.

In 1914 he was appointed to a position at Derby School. Given that the school was a Church of England establishment with conservative leanings politically and Vincent was a Roman Catholic, his appointment may have come as a surprise to some. However, with the outbreak of war in 1914 he saw military service in the Machine Gun Corps in the conflict and rose to the rank of Captain.

Following the armistice, Vincent returned to teaching and he taught classics at Derby School. He developed an interest in history and organised trips to Arbor Low and Roman sites. One of the more notable trips was to an exhibition at Wembley. He also took charge of the School Officer Training Corps from 1920 until 1924.

Sport was another of his interests and he took an active part in the organisation of school sports. He was a enthusiastic touch line supporter of the school football team. He became one of the original housemasters at the school, and from 1936 until his death he was a senior master.          

Vincent's connection with Little Eaton began in 1920 when he moved to Woodlands House.

As can be seen from the photograph, the house at that time stood on its own up a narrow track from Duffield Road. The house is now at the top of Woodlands Close which was developed by the building of the new houses on either side of the original house and the lane up to the house. Woodlands House was built in the 1880s and the new development appeared in the 1960s.

Vincent married his wife (Sarah Veronica Traynor) in 1921 and settled to married life. By the 1930s the couple had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. The children were Bernard, Nora, John and Josephine. Despite the responsibilities in his professional life Vincent immersed himself in various causes.  It was clear that, like many others, the 1914/18 conflict had a profound effect on Vincent, and he felt a great responsibility towards wounded veterans and on one occasion he accompanied a widow to a tribunal in Manchester to secure a pension for her after the death of her husband, who had been gassed in the war and had subsequently died.

Being the committed and public spirited individual that he was, it was inevitable that he would become immersed in activities in his adopted village. He served for a number of years on Little Eaton Parish Council and was Chairman for a time. He was also a leading light in the foundation of Little Eaton Sports Day in the 1920’s. This was the forerunner of the Carnival which is still an annual event every July. He also had an interest in the theatre and amateur dramatics. He organised a concert party and productions were held in the hall in the basement of the Methodist Church on Alfreton Road. This building still stands today but is now a private residence.

He was Chairman of the Labour Party in the village and as such sought to protect the rights of the individual. At a time when the rights of walkers and ramblers were less strong than today, he was opposed to local landowners blocking footpaths and actively removed barriers to free access.

At a Parish Council meeting in 1946 to discuss the arrangements for the victory celebrations after WWII, Vincent collapsed. He died shortly after this at his home at Woodlands House. Even in 1946 his death aged 57 would have been regarded as premature. A requiem mass was held for him at St Mary’s Church followed by internment in St Paul’s churchyard at Little Eaton.

After his death his widow, Sarah, continued to live at Woodlands until 1956 and one of his daughters, Nora, followed in her father's footsteps by serving on the Parish Council in the early 50’s.

In the time that was given to him Vincent Gately led a full and active life of service. He was of independent thought and he was not afraid to challenge authority in the pursuit of justice for the individual. He gave his time freely in support of the “under dog” if he felt that it was justified. Many of his contemporaries were grateful for the actions of Vincent Gately.

 I am grateful to Josephine Gately, Andrew Polkey and Paul Langdell who provided me with valued comments and information in the preparation of this article.

Josephine Gately is Vincent Gately’s daughter. She was born at Woodlands House in the 1930’s. At the age of eight she wrote a poem about Eric Richardson who is listed on the WW11 war memorial. The poem can be read here. Eric Richardson was a naval man who was present at Dunkirk and was clearly traumatised by his experience.

Josephine emigrated to America in the 1950’s and now lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

If anyone reading this feels that they have further information or that some of the information contained here is incorrect, please feel free to get in touch with me.

 Bill Hutchison