Harry was born on 12 December 1875 in Chalvey (a village
which is now a district of Slough) the fifth of fifteen children of Thomas
Ivall (1837 - 1908) and Lucy Ivall nee Hobden (1845 - 1929). Thomas was a baker
and ran the Chalvey village bakery.
The 1881 census shows that the family consisted of Thomas
(aged 44, a master baker), Lucy (34), Walter (12), Annie Lucy (7), Harry Alfred
(5), Catherine Dora (3), Percy Bertram (1), Reginald Ivall (2 months) and Eliza
Hobden (27, Lucy’s sister, a nurse). Their address was Jordan Place Bakers
Shop, Chalvey, Buckinghamshire.
In 1891 Thomas Ivall (aged 53, a baker), Lucy (43), Walter
(22, an assistant schoolmaster), Annie (17), Harry (15, a baker), Catherine
(13), Percy (11), Reginald (10), Charles (8), Margaret (8), Gilbert (6), Jane
(4) and Philip (0.75) were living at 6 Jordan Place, Church Street, Chalvey.
Harry was assistant secretary of the Slough Flying Club. Its
members owned homing pigeons that were raced by sending them by train to the
starting point, where they were all released at the same time. The winner was
the owner of the bird that arrived back home at Slough first. The Slough, Eton
and Windsor Observer dated 13.2.1897 reported on a club dinner at the Reindeer
Inn. The item read
“The Chairman then called on Mr Rawlings to present his cup
to Mr H Ivall, who had won all four races for it (applause). The average
velocity of his birds in the four races was 980 yards per minute, and as 880
yards was considered the standard velocity it would be seen that he was
considerably over the standard (applause). Mr Rawlings then presented a very
handsome cup to Mr Ivall, and congratulated him on his success. Mr Ivall, in
reply, said he hoped someone else would win it next year (laughter and
applause). The cup was then filled by Mr Ivall and handed round.”
Harry was a notable footballer and played for Slough in
goal. There are many football reports in the Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer
that refer to him.
In May 1899, Harry joined the Metropolitan Police, when aged
23. His service record is in the National Archives (MEPO 4/415). When he joined
the force Harry was 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighed 11st 10lbs. He was
single, his residence Church St, Chalvey. His occupation is given as baker and
last employer T Ivall (his father). He served in Division M (Southwark).
According to John Ivall (a son of Harry’s brother Walter),
Harry kept goal for Woolwich Arsenal before they became famous and moved to
Highbury in North London.
Sadly, Harry died on 27 January 1901 aged 25 of
blood poisoning in St Thomas’s Hospital, London. He was buried in St Mary’s
churchyard, Slough (row 18, sections A/D). His father (in 1908) and mother (in
1929) were later buried in the same grave. St Mary’s churchyard was tidied up
in 1980 when many gravestones were removed. I have not been able to find the
Ivall gravestone. Slough Local Studies Collection has a list of the monumental
inscriptions for the graves (including the Ivall plot) that were in the
churchyard.
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