Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the grandson of William Burrows, a stone quarry labourer, born 1854 in Ketton, Rutland and his wife Susan, born 1852 in Stamford, Lincs. Thomas Gould Whittaker was born in 1891 in Ketton, Rutland, in March 1901 the family home was at The Green, Ketton, Rutland. In April 1911 Thomas was employed as a stone quarry worker and was residing in the family home at Ketton, Rutland together with his wife Ellen Whittaker (nee Peet, married 1911), born 1892 in Tixover, Rutland. Thomas left three children, Thomas W., born 1911, Violet E., born 1913 and Robert A., born 1915, all the children were born in Ketton, Rutland. After enlistment and training Thomas embarked for France on the 15th July 1915. He was killed on the Somme during the attack on Misty, being hit by a bullet. In the third quarter of 1918, Thomas’s widow married Harry Burrows in the Stamford, Lincolnshire marriage registration district. They resided at Council House, Empingham Road, Ketton, Rutland. On Friday November 9th 1917 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL MEN IN THE CASUALTY LISTS.” – Official lists on Tuesday disclosed heavy losses in the Leicestershire Regiment as follow: Officers wounded 3, men killed 54, died of wounds 16, wounded 323, total 390. Local men in other units; Killed 7, died of wounds 1, wounded 15, and missing 2, making a total of 415. They included the following:- WOUNDED. LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT. Whittaker, 12476, T. (Melton Mowbray).