On the committee of the Stratford Co-operative and Industrial Society in 1919. Probably the same person as the Councillor T. M. McGiff, J.P. who was on the East Ham Corporation Public Health Committee in 1928.
2023: Peter Churchill kindly sent this information: "I inherited his gold pocket watch as he was related to my mother's side of the family. The watch was presented to him by the Education Committee as a thank you for his work as Education Secretary.
"He was the first Labour Mayor of East Ham. He was also member of the Knights of Columbus, and went to St Michael's church along with his brother and my grandfather John and his sister Nora (as she was referred to as simple, Thomas and John teased her rotten, but loved her dearly). There was also another sister Elizabeth, who I called Aunt Lizzie. She married, and had two girls Eileen and Elsie. Eileen remained a spinster and Elsie married, becoming Elsie Shead, and had two boys Michael and Tony. Both are now retired. Tony served at St Michael's RC church in Shoeburyness where he is the archivist.
My side of the family was my uncle Desmond, who married but never had children, and my mother Mary Patricia (was always called Pat from a young age, so as not to confuse her with her mother, who was a Mary). Fyi - Thomas McGiff and his wife couldn't conceive, so they adopted Francis. As far as I know the East Ham branch of the family name died out due to the women marrying and taking new names / no male heirs."
Peter is looking out a photo of McGiff, but meanwhile here is a photo of the watch: "Presented by the L.C.S. Education Committee to Ald. T. M. McGiff, JP, (Educational Secretary) August 1925". L.C.S. almost certainly stands for London Co-operative Society.
