He is also commemorated on the Underwood war memorial.
An article published on 7th June 1916 in the Nottingham Evening Post reads :-
The suicide of a local colliery owner, Gerard Oakes who lived at Felley Priory, was reported on 7th June 1916.
“NOTTS. MAGISTRATE FOUND SHOT.
“TRAGIC DISCOVERY IN A WOOD NEAR RIDDINGS.
“A sensation was created in the Riddings district, and in a wider circle in Notts. and Derbyshire, when the discovery of the dead body of Mr. Gerard Rosengrave Oakes, J. P., of Felley Priory, was made late last night [6th June 1916] in a wood some distance from Hollyhurst, Riddings, the residence his brother, Ald. James Oakes, J.P., who is the chairman of the Derbyshire County Council. The deceased was shot, and the circumstances are said to point to a case of suicide.
“He had been missing from home since Monday. [4th June 1916] It seems that for some time he had been in bad health and depressed, although there were not the least indication in his condition of such a tragic happening. He was 55 years of age, and was the second son of the late Mr. C. H. Oakes, Hollyhurst, Riddings, and a member of the well-known firm of Messrs. James Oakes and Co., coal and iron masters, who own the Alfreton Ironworks and several collieries in the counties of Derby and Nottingham. He leaves a wife and family, including one son, who is in the army. He was magistrate of Notts., and a member of the Notts. County Council, representing the Selston electoral division, and being a member of the Education, Public Health, Food and Drugs Committees. He also served on the Eastwood Old Age Pensions Committee.
“The deceased gentleman was not so well known as his eldest brother, Ald. James Oakes, but was a keen and earnest business man.”
Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918