The son of Arthur Loftus Tottenham and his wife, Sarah Ann Gore, he was born at Edenfarm in County Leitrim in February 1871.
[1] He was admitted to the London Stock Exchange in 1902, before emigrating to New Zealand, where he worked as a general carrier.
[1] While living in New Zealand, he made his debut in first-class cricket for Hawke's Bay against Canterbury at Napier.
[3] He assumed the surname Gaussen by royal decree in September 1906, when his wife's father died and she inherited his estate.
[7] He served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in the early stages of the First World War, gaining a temporary commission as a lieutenant in September 1914.