Carlisle, Alexander
Rifleman
No. 294, ‘A’ Company, 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 27)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Bangor and District War Memorial
Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque
Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum
Conlig Presbyterian Church
Conlig Orange Hall
Second Cousin of Private David Gamble (No. 2/8290)
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt Carlile.
Alexander Carlisle was born on 14 September 1888 in Mark Street, Newtownards and he was the eldest son of Alexander and Ellena (Ellen) Montgomery Carlisle (nee Gamble) who were married on 6 May 1881 in Ballysillan Presbyterian Church Belfast. Alexander Carlisle from Conlig was a blacksmith and he was a son of Alexander Carlisle, a butter merchant. Ellen Gamble (aged 20) from Ligoniel was a daughter of James Gamble, a grocer.
The Carlisle family lived in Newtownards, in Donaghadee and in Arthur Street, Conlig.
Alexander Carlisle Senior worked as a blacksmith, general labourer and railway labourer and he and Ellen had seven children:
Elizabeth Jane (born 9 November 1883 in Conlig)
Martha (born 8 October 1885 in North Street, Newtownards)
Alexander (born 14 September 1888 in Mark Street, Newtownards)
Mary (born 21 November 1891 in Railway House, Donaghadee)
James (born 11 December 1893 in Railway Yard, Donaghadee)
William (born 27 September 1896 in Conlig)
Ellen (Helen, born 16 March 1899 in Conlig)
Before the outbreak of the Great War Alexander Carlisle Junior worked as a general labourer. He was an Orangeman and in 1908 the two Lambeg drums in his Lodge were placed in his charge. In Lodge records it is noted that on 12 July that year the Orangemen marched from Conlig to Greyabbey and back again.
Alexander Carlisle enlisted in Newtownards and he served with the 9th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Rifleman Alexander Carlisle (No. 294) was 27 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and he has no known grave.
Rifleman Alexander Carlisle (No. 294) is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Bangor and District War Memorial; on the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum; in Conlig Presbyterian Church and in Conlig Orange Hall.
First World War casualties Alexander Carlisle and David Gamble were second cousins:
Alexander Carlisle was a son of Ellen Carlisle (nee Gamble) who was a daughter of James Gamble who was a son of John Gamble.
David Gamble was a son of Hugh Gamble who was a son of David Gamble who was a son of John Gamble.
During the Great War Alexander’s brother James served as a Rifleman (No. 6435) with the Royal Irish Rifles (4th, 2nd and 1st Battalions). He sustained a gunshot wound to his right foot and was discharged in June 1918 as being no longer physically fit for war service.