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Name: GABBOTT, Sydney Henry

Birth Date: 1890 Sale, Cheshire

Death Date: 22 Feb 1972 Johannesburg, Transvaal

First Date: 1922

Profession: Africa Inland Mission. Rift Valley Academy

Area: Kijabe

Married: 1. In Germiston, S. Africa 21 July 1915 Josephine Elsie Beal b. 8 Oct 1892 Barton, Manchester, d. 29 Jan 1966 Johannesburg, Transvaal; 2. In S. Africa 23 Apr 1966 Edna Rose Thelma Rowe b. 23 Sep 1904 Cape Town, d. 16 Jan 1976 Cape Town, S. Africa (div. 19 Oct 1966)

Children: Josephine Mary (8.10.1920 Kijabe); son

Book Reference: KAD, Red 25, Hut, Red 22, Dow

War Service: S African Medical Corps

General Information:

Dow - Rift Valley Academy - Mr Gabbott stands out as another one of the adults at RVA that gained the affection and admiration of the young students during these years. It is thus a bitter irony that a fatal flaw in Gabbott's character led to perhaps the greatest tragedy of the young school's history. It was evening and Gabbott's young children were noisily careening around the family's quarters. At the end of a tiring day Gabbott was unusually irritable and yelled at his children to quiet down. They obeyed for a time, but soon playfulness had again won the day and their father's words were forgotten.
As the noise reached a climax Gabbott allowed his anger and irritation to get the better of him and before anyone knew what happened Gabbott had slapped his young son hard enough to knock him off balance and into a basin of scalding hot water being prepared for bathing later in the evening. Despite Gabbott's quick rescue, the burns to his child were deep and covered virtually every inch of his small body. Within a few days, Gabbott's son was dead leaving the family and the school community profoundly shaken.
Moved to Johannesburg by 1931 - a salesman

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