People on board

GALBRAITH, Kenneth Sharp

Kenneth Sharp Galbraith was born in Glasgow in 1890 to John Galbraith and Elizabeth McMillan. He was the fifth of their six children, three of whom had died before 1911. John Galbraith, originally from Ireland, gave his occupation in the 1891 census as ‘Spirit Dealer’, ‘None’ in 1901 and ‘Police Messenger’ in 1911. In 1901 the eldest son, James, was a Commercial Clerk but he died in 1906. By 1911 the eldest, Margaret, aged twenty-six was a Dental Assistant, Kenneth was a Warehouseman and the youngest, John, was a Clerk.

There is a Royal Navy Register of Seamen’s Services entry for Kenneth Sharp Galbraith from Glasgow. He gave his date of birth as May 1888 and his former occupation as Waiter. He served on HMS Terpsichore from the 16th of September 1906 until the 9th of November of the same year. His Character was given as V.G. and he was discharged ‘Shore C.R.’

Kenneth Galbraith’s WW1 Medal Card shows that he was a Private in the Cameron Highlanders, Service Number 6/16042, and that he served in France from the 4th of May 1915. No other record of his involvement with that regiment has been found nor any indication as to when he transferred to the Army Pay Corps. However it appears that he was awarded the Victory and Star medals while he was on the Roll of the A.P.C.

It is not known why he had been in Ireland in October 1918, probably work related, but just possibly making contact with his father’s relatives. He travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th and survived the sinking. He received his discharge on the 17th of October 1919 on grounds of disability.

On the 31st of May 1924 Kenneth Galbraith married Annie Urquhart Leslie in Blythswood in Glasgow. He gave his occupation as ‘Mercantile Clerk’ while Annie was a ‘Drapery Saleswoman’. He declared his then deceased father to have been a ‘Spirit Merchant’. Kenneth Galbraith died in Pollok in Glasgow in 1948 aged fifty-seven.