Gordon Usmar was born on 26 October 1881 in Chiswick, Middlesex (now Greater London), one of the six children of John Henry Usman (1847-1929) and Agnes Ness Usman née Grant (1851-1946). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1881 in the Brentford Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 2 December 1881 he was baptised in St Paul's Church, Grove Park, Chiswick.
In the 1891 census he is shown as aged 9 years and living at Heather Lodge, 2 Queens Ride, Barnes, Surrey (now Greater London), with his parents, together with a cook and a housemaid. His father was listed as an American merchant.
He was described as aged 19 years and a marine engineer in the 1901 census, residing at St Rhadagunds, Stonehill Road, Mortlake, Surrey (now Greater London), with his parents and four siblings: Muriel Usmar (b.1875); Rupert Grant Usmar (1878-1960), a secretary; Norman Alan Usmar (1880-1965), an analytical chemist and Angela Marguerite Usmar (1891-1980), together with a cook and two housemaids.
On 20 October 1910 he married Margaret Lindsay Thomson (1885-1968) at St Mary's Church, Wimbledon, Surrey (now Greater London), where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 28 years, a bachelor and an engineer, residing at 9 Phoenix Lodge, Hammersmith, London, whilst his wife was described as aged 25 years and a spinster residing at Lindisfarne, Copse Hill, Wimbledon, the daughter of Benjamin Thomas Lindsay Thomson (1850-1925), a Colonel.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 29 years and an engineer (motor) living in a six roomed flat at 4 Warwick Mansions, Cromwell Crescent, South Kensington, London, with his wife, together with domestic maid.
Their son, Gordon Graham Usmar (1915-1997) was born on 20 February 1915 and when he was baptised on 28 April 1915 at St Luke's Church, Redcliffe Gardens, South Kensington the baptismal register shows the family were still residing at 4 Warwick Mansions, Cromwell Crescent, South Kensington and that his father was described as an engineer.
Electoral registers in 1916 confirm that he was still at 4 Warwick Mansions, Cromwell Crescent and was described as a motor engineer who was assessed at £69 for the poor rate. From 1918 to 1925 both he and his wife are listed at 7 Old Court Mansions, Kensington High Street, London, W8, From 1926 to 1935 the registers show both he and his wife at Dormers, Church Street, Effingham, Surrey and from 1936 to 1939 they and their son continued to be listed at this address.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is listed as an automobile and mechanical engineer at Dormers, Church Street, Effingham, with his wife, a female domestic servant and a male gardener.
His death, aged 94 years, at the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund's care home at Lynwood Court, Lynwood Village, Rise Road, Ascot, SL5 0FG, was registered in the 1st quarter of 1976 in the Bracknell Registration District, Berkshire.
He is shown as 'GORDON USMAR ESQ. DIRECTOR OF VINOT CARS LTD' on the foundation stone that was laid in 1912 at Redhill Place, 1-3 Redhill Street, London, NW1, at the junction with Little Edward Street.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
