My grandfather

Tom was born in Templemore, Derry on 27 September 1874, to Thomas and Frances Doherty. He had three brothers, William, John and Michael and three sisters Mary Anne, Ellen and Josephine, and one unknown sibling.

Tom joined the 13th Hussars in Glasgow on 18 November 1892, and fought in the Boer War, winning medals at Tugela Heights and the Relief of Ladysmith.

He joined the Army Reserve in 1902, and became a Postman in Clonmany, Co. Donegal. Tom formally left the army on 17 November 1904 after twelve years distinguished service, of which 2 years 280 days were spent overseas, in places as diverse as India and South Africa.

In South Africa, Tom was a witness at a Court Martial observed by Winston Churchill. As part of the normal procedures, Tom was asked to swear on the Bible that he would give " .. the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ..". Tom refused to take the oath on a Church of England Bible, and the trial was halted until a Roman Catholic one could be found. Years later, when Churchill again met the 13th Hussars, he immediately recognised my grandfather as " .. the man who stopped the trial .. ". Just a small footnote in history.

It was in Donegal that Tom met his future wife, Mary Anne Crumlish. They married on 12 November 1908 at St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry, and lived in Argyle Terrace, before moving to Beechwood Avenue, Derry,about 1916. They had six children, Gwen, Angela, Mary Josephine, Bernadette, Adrienne and Gabrielle.

See Tom's homes

Tom wasn't a great one for the drink, but one Christmas Day, as the mother tells it, he was well appreciated by his customers, and was delivered back to Beechwood by taxi, with his postman's bicycle strapped to the roof!

Tom died peacefully in Derry on 17 June 1948.