Alice Ann Gent was the daughter of John Gent (b1814) and Ann Bamber (b1815).  She married Thomas Garstang on 19 April 1870 in St John’s church, Whittle le Woods.

Before they married Alice worked as a Coloured Winder while Thomas was a Warehouse Clerk, both in Whittle le Woods. After marrying they moved to Bradford, Yorkshire where Thomas became a cotton yarn salesman.  Her four daughters, Annie, Edith Mary, Kate Caroline and Alice Garstang, were all born in Bradford.  Only Tom Garstang, their only son, was born in Whittle le Woods in 1886 when the family returned to the village.

By 1891 the family were living in Rose Cottage, Chorley Road, and Thomas was the Postmaster of Whittle le Woods.  He became Assistant Overseer and Rate Collector for the township for 20 years until his death in 1910.

Both he and his wife Alice were ardent workers in connection with St John’s church, Whittle le Woods.  For twenty years Thomas was the teacher of the Young Men’s Class and sidesman while Alice was teaching the Young Women’s Class, was a member of the choir and was generally very active in church activities.

A tablet is displayed in the St John’s church for Thomas Garstang, paid for by subscriptions from his scholars and friends. (see below)

Memorial of Thomas Garstang

Alice Garstang left Whittle le Woods in 1917 to live with two of her daughters in Liverpool.  The members of the Young Women’s Bible Class, GFS and Sunday School Teachers of St John’s made her a presentation of a Bible and silver tea pot.

Alice died at 14 Jermyn Street, Liverpool on 18 January 1924 and was buried with her husband at St John’s, Whittle le Woods.

By the 1911 census only Annie Garstang had married, although Tom married 16 days later on 18 April 1911.

Name	Yr of Birth	Spouse(s)	Yr of Marriage	Place of Marriage
Annie Garstang	1871	James Birkett Atkinson	1906	St John’s, Whittle le Woods
Edith Mary Garstang	1873
Kate Caroline Garstang	1874
Alice Garstang	1881
Tom Garstang	1886	Elizabeth Fowler	1911	St John’s, Whittle le Woods

Thomas and Alice’s daughters followed their parents example by becoming teachers, albeit of children in the community rather than through bible class.  Annie Garstang was Head School Mistress in Whittle le Woods in 1901,  Edith Garstang was a School Mistress in Bradford in 1901 and Alice Garstang was an Assistant Elementary Teacher in Whittle le Woods in 1911.  Kate Caroline Garstang followed her father and worked as a Post Office Clerk in Whittle le Woods in 1901 and by 1911 she was a Post Office Sorting Clerk & Telegraphist in St Annes, Lancashire. Tom Garstang worked as a Mechanical Engineer in Whittle le Woods.