[1] Born in Tokyo to John Rowley Gillingham and his wife Sarah (nee Archer), he was educated at Dulwich College and Durham University.

[3] He later became an army chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers at Tidworth from 1905 to 1907[4] then again a curate at St James-the-Less, Bethnal Green, (1907-1910).

[10] As an amateur cricketer he was a member of the Essex XI who in 1905 beat the Australians at Leyton by 19 runs.

That year he also made the first ball-by-ball cricket commentary for the BBC, speaking for a total of 25 minutes over four sessions.

He was reportedly fired by BBC chairman Lord Reith for reading advertisement placards out on air to fill time during a rain break.