Gabbey, Hugh Maurice

Major Hugh Maurice Gabbey (known as Maurice)

Gabbey was born at 97 South Parade, Belfast on 11th April 1907 to Hugh Gabbey, Engineer and Sara Ethel Gabbey nee Gelston. They had married on 23rd June 1906 at Fisherwick Presbyterian Church.

In 1911 Gabbey (4) lived at house 90 South Parade, Ormeau, Belfast with his parents, Hugh (49) and Sara (31) and his sister, Sara Ethel (1). A servant, Mary Kelly (20) also live din the property. The census record has their surname transcribed incorrectly as Garbey [Error notified on 4th January 2022).

Gabbey was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI - Inst).

He joined the Belfast Banking Company on 15th December 1924. His mother signed his Bankers Guarantee giving her address as Dundela Villas, Strandtown, Belfast and later as 22 Cairngorm Crescent, Glengormley.

Belfast Bank - Bankers Guarantee ledger sheet

Gabbey's early years were served in Head Office until his career was interrupted by the Second World War.

Belfast Bank, Head Office, Waring Street

The Belfast Telegraph of 15th June 1938 reported the wedding of Maurice Gabbey to Miss Maureen Creighton Jackson at Craigavad Parish Church:

The Belfast News-Letter of 16th June 1938 published this photo of the wedding party:

There are a great deal of sporting reports featuring Gabbey in the local press [British Newspaper Archive].

1939 saw Gabbey volunteering and enlisting into the 21st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery with Service Number 87357. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in April 1939.

Gabbey was one of those fortunate to return unscathed from the French beaches and he saw action in Burma where he commanded a battery from 1942 to 1945. By 1944 he had been promoted to Major.

8th Belfast HAA Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Gabbey is mentioned in this 16mm film just after 6' 40" in. He is described as a bridge player. 

Acknowledgements to lennonwylie

Gabbey was a member of the Belfast Banking Company Sports Club on 24th April 1946 paying 5 shillings subscription. At that time he was recorded as being in Castle Place branch. 

Belfast Bank, Castle Place branch

The following year, he was recorded as working in Head Office. He served as an Inspector (1953), Manager, Waring Street (1959), Managing Director (1966) and Director of the Belfast Banking Executor and Trustee Company Limited.

In the 1966 annual accounts of the Belfast Banking Company he is recorded as being Managing Director of the Belfast Bank.

Gabbey's interests outside the bank were rugby football, tennis, soccer, contract bridge, Chamber of Commerce, Royal British Legion. He was also Governor of the War Memorial Building in Waring Street, Belfast.

The Staff Magazine ‘The Link’ of Summer 1972 contains a photograph of Gabbey . 

His wife is a former member of staff of the Belfast Bank and also of Midland Bank Limited. 

Maurice Gabbey died on 2nd December 1974.

H M Gabbey - June 1971

The author, C S Lewis also lived at Dundela Villas.