William David Ivall (1898-1927), photographer.

William David Ivall was a great grandson of David Ivall (1795-1850), the highly successful coach maker who was a brother and business partner of my ancestor Thomas Ivall (1781-1835). David left £5,000 (a substantial sum of money then) to each of his six children when he died. The youngest was Albert Ivall (1839-97), who lost most of his inheritance between 1861 and 1871, when he was a farmer. He was declared bankrupt in 1875 following a court case brought against him by the Mayor and Corporation of Hastings (see my item on Albert’s life for more details). Albert’s youngest son was Harry Ivall (1869-1935), who married Emily Ann Carpenter (1862-1942) in 1896 in Hemel Hempstead, where Emily was born. They moved to Upton Park, West Ham where they had three children, Hilda Maria (born 1897), William David (born 1898) and Harry Robert Ivall (b1905).

The 1901 census shows Harry (32, a draper’s assistant), Emily (36), Hilda (3) and William (2) Ivall on a visit to the house of Emily’s parents William (62) and Rosina (68) in Hemel Hempstead. In 1911, William Ivall (aged 12) is listed as living at 35 Selsdon Road, Upton Park, West Ham (a property of 6 rooms) with his parents Harry (41, a draper’s assistant) and Emily (45), siblings Hilda (13) and Harry (6) plus grandmother Maria Ivall (70).

William was too young to join the army in 1914, when war was declared. The Military Service act came into force in March 1916. This introduced conscription for single men aged 18 to 41. William’s army record can be viewed on the Ancestry website. It shows that he completed his Attestation Form on 11 September 1916, aged 17 years 11 months. He was unmarried, a photographer, living at 35 Selsdon Road, Upton Park. His height was 5 foot 6¾ inches, chest 33½ inches. He was mobilised into the 19^th Training Reserve Battalion on 12 March 1917 and posted to France on 17 October 1917, where he was allotted to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. On 3 May 1918 he was admitted to Sutton Veny Hospital, near Warminster in Wiltshire. He was granted a furlough (leave of absence) from 19 to 29 June, returning to his unit on 30 June 1918.

William was not demobilised from the Army until October 1919, after 2 years 227 days service. He was assessed as 30% disabled from the effects of trench fever and granted a payment of 12s 0d per week for 26 weeks. Trench fever was first reported on the Western Front in December 1914. Incidences of trench fever continued to grow throughout the war. It attacked all armies and until the final year of the war, baffled doctors and researchers.  Chief symptoms of the disease were headaches, skin rashes, inflamed eyes and leg pains. Despite such wide-ranging symptoms, the condition was not itself particularly serious, with patients recovering after five or six days although prolonged hospitalisation amounting to several weeks was common. In military terms, however, it proved one of the most significant causes of sickness. In 1918 the cause was identified as excretions from lice. The disease was transmitted via the bites of body lice.

Records at The Wellcome Library indicate that William was employed as a photographer at The Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research (WBSR) in London, before the war. His job was to take photos for scientific purposes in connection with the museum of tropical medicine and hygiene for a salary of 30 shillings per week. In March 1919, the WBSR wanted to re-employ William in this role at 50 shillings per week. However, he was not released from the Army in time and the post was filled by someone else. Rifleman W Ivall 204142 was then in 5th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps, R.G.A. Barracks, Sheerness.

The 1921 census shows William living with his family at 35 Selsdon Road, Upton Park. The household consisted of Harry Ivall (aged 52, a draper's assistant with McKay and Ryland Drapers, 243 Whitechapel Road), Emily (54), William (22), Harry (16) as well as Maria Ivall (81, Harry's mother) and a boarder. William's occupation was as a photographer with Burroughs Wellcome, Chemists at Snow Hill Buildings, London E6.

A 1925 London directory lists William Ivall, photographer, at 35 Selsdon Road, Upton Park. 

In the second quarter of 1927, William married Dorothy Frances Henderson in West Ham. He was aged 28, she was 21.

William and Dorothy

(photo kindly supplied by Dorothy's great grandson Mark)

William died in September that year, in Romford, Essex of a throat tumour and was buried in grave 76/319 in Manor Park Cemetery, East London. His tombstone is inscribed :

In loving memory of my dear husband William David Ivall, who passed away 23^rd September 1927 aged 28 years. If my love could have saved thee, thou wouldst not have died, but God knows best.

Photos of William's grave
(kindly supplied by Shelley Williams)

The cemetery records give William's last address as 64 Glenham Drive, Ilford. There is no record of probate being granted on his estate.

Dorothy married Edward A Gaston in 1944 and died in 1962.

Robert George Ivall DFM (1923-2011), RAF Pilot in WW2

Robert George Ivall (known as Bob) was a great grandson of Robert Thomas Ivall (1812-65), who was a brother of my ancestor David Ivall (1816-67). This profile contains information from Robert’s son, his niece and nephew.

Robert was born on 6^th January 1923, the eldest of three children born to Walter George Ivall (1868-1953) and his second wife Alice Ivall nee Cumber (1884-1959), who married in 1921. Walter previously had six children (of which two died soon after birth) with his first wife Lily, who passed away in 1915. When Robert was born, his father was aged 55 and his mother was 38. Walter was deputy headmaster of Slough National School in the 1920s. Robert was born and grew up in Chalvey, a suburb of Slough. He nearly died from a perforated appendix aged 9 and was sent to convalesce at a farm near Dallington, Sussex, the home of Jack Croft, a tenant farmer married to Kate Hobden, who was Walter's first cousin.

The 1939 Register shows Robert, a motor mechanic, living at 11 Whiteford Road, Slough with his parents. Robert joined the RAF during the Second World War. He was too young to take part in the Battle of Britain (in 1940) but underwent flight training near Liverpool in 1942. He was then shipped to Cape Town in South Africa. From there he traveled by train to East Africa and by flying boat from Lake Victoria to Egypt. He thought he would drown when the flying boat almost sunk on landing. Robert then saw action in Malta and Italy, flying Spitfires and Hurricanes. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, which was given to non-commissioned officers and men for acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy. A total of 6,637 DFMs were awarded during the Second World War. Robert didn’t talk about his war time experiences much and his son doesn’t know the reason why he was given a DFM. Of the intake of pilots with whom he trained in the UK, Robert believed he was the only one to survive the war.

Robert in his RAF uniform

After the war, Robert got a job working for a business called Car Electricals in Slough. His role was to find and supply electrical components to customers, who included the nearby Pinewood Studios.

In 1951 he married Barbara Eileen Dunford at St Laurence’s Church, Upton (on the edge of Slough). He was aged 28, she was 25, a daughter of the manager of the Slough Co-op (the biggest shop in town). They had a son who was born in 1953 and moved into 50 Alpha Street in Slough, a house that was owned by Barbara’s parents. Robert lived here for the rest of his life. Robert and Barbara adopted many cats that found their way to their door. After their dog Candy died they had up to six cats at a time.

Sadly, Barbara died of cancer in 1981 aged 55. This was a loss that Robert never got over. In 1988, when he reached the age of 65, he retired from full time work at Car Electricals and then worked there part time for several years.

Robert was often kind and generous. In 1942, whilst he was stationed near Liverpool, he responded to an advert for a second hand Hornby train set on sale in Manchester. Robert travelled there, bought the train set and gave it to his two nephews as a Christmas present. This was a huge gift at that time. He was a good artist and drew pictures of Hurricanes or Spitfires in pencil. Robert’s son describes his father as a character, who would say things to get a reaction from other people. He was rather shy and had to be cajoled into taking part in social events, although once there, he would normally take part enthusiastically. Robert was a pipe smoker, like his father.

In 2011, Robert had a stroke in the night and was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital. He died there a few weeks later on 16^th September 2011 aged 88. A funeral service for him was held at St Laurence’s Church, which he had attended. After his cremation, his ashes were placed with those of his wife in the churchyard.

Rose Lily Kebbell nee Ivall (1885-1965) and her children

Rose was a sister of my grandfather George William Ivall. She was born on 14^th September 1885 in Somers Town, an area of London west of St Pancras Station. Her parents were George Ivall and his wife Alice. They had five children, Rose was their fourth. She was born the year after their third child (called Rosa) had died aged 5 months.

The 1891 census shows George Ivall (aged 38, a cabinet maker), Alice (36), Alice (13), George (10), Rose (5) and Albert (2) living at 51 Freeling Street, Islington. Charles Booth did a poverty survey of London in 1891. He classified the inhabitants of Freeling Street as being in the category “Poor. 18s. to 21s. a week for a moderate family.”

By 1901 the family were living at 125a Holly St, Hackney and consisted of George (aged 49, still a cabinet maker), Alice (47), Alice (23, a theatre bar manageress), Rose (15) and Albert (12). The inhabitants of Holly St are classified in the 1898-9 Booth poverty survey as being “Fairly comfortable. Good ordinary earnings.”

The 1911 census shows Rose (25, a restaurant waitress) living at 76 Princess May Rd, Stoke Newington with her father George (57, a general cabinet maker), mother Alice (55) and brother Albert (22, a general cabinet maker). Later that year, Rose married Walter Edwin Kebbell in Edmonton. He was aged 27, a brewer’s clerk, born in Hackney, a son of Edward Rhodes Kebbell (1834-1915), a carpenter and joiner. She was 26.

Rose and Walter moved to Newport, Isle of Wight, where they had two daughters, Joyce (known as Joy) Lillian Kebbell, born on 18^th January 1914 and Winifred (known as Wynne) Rose Kebbell, born on 6^th May 1915.

 Rose, Wynne, Joy and Walter in 1918

The 1921 census shows the family living at 9 Medina Avenue, Newport. Google Street View shows this to be one of a terrace of Edwardian houses. Walter (aged 37), Rose (35), Joyce (7) and Winifred (6) are listed at the address. Walter's occupation is recorded as "Brewer's manager, bottling dept" working for Whitbread Co Ltd at the Wighthall Brewery, Quay St, Newport. This is about half a mile from 9 Medina Avenue. Also listed are Rose's parents George (aged 67, a retired cabinet maker) and Alice (65). The census was taken in June 1921, so presumably they were visiting their daughter for a summer holiday. 

Clockwise from bottom left : Rose, Charles Alexander Luxford (Rose’s nephew), George Ivall (Rose’s father), Walter, Alice Eliza Ivall (Rose’s mother) and Wynne, c 1929.

Rose’s daughter Joy went to university, which was quite unusual for women at this time. During World War Two, she was a children’s welfare officer, her role being to place evacuees into homes. Phyllis Luxford, the wife of her cousin Charles Luxford, and their two young children were evacuated to live with her in Yeovil.  

Joy in 1933

 Walter and Rose, c 1940

Wynne (aged 30) married Frederick Charles Edwards (aged 34) in February 1946 at St Andrew’s Church, Hove. I have a copy of an item in the Sussex Daily News about the wedding. It says that Fred was recently demobilised from the RAF after nearly four years’ service in the Middle East. Wynne was a school meals organiser for the Brighton Education Committee. The attendants were Wynne’s sister Joy and Gillian Luxford (aged 7), her cousin. The best man was Albert C Gunn, Fred’s brother-in-law. The reception was held at Hove Town Hall and the honeymoon was in Torquay. The article gives Rose and Walter’s address as 46 Langdale Road, Hove and says

“The bride, whose family formerly resided at the Isle of Wight before taking her appointment as school meals organiser for Brighton, established the Yeovil school canteens so satisfactorily that her work drew Ministerial commendation.”

Fred and Wynne on their wedding day

Fred was a wine merchant. Phone books show that he had a shop at 47 Reginald Road, Bexhill-on-Sea in 1950 and 1952. By 1959, his business was located at 6 Collington Mansions, Bexhill-on-Sea.

Rose and Walter had moved to 62 East Street, Brighton by 1950, where they lived until 1962. They then moved to 3 Thornbank, Collington Avenue, Bexhill-on-Sea. I have a vague memory of visiting them there with my parents and noticing that there were several grandfather clocks in the house. Walter died on 19^th January 1964 at St Helena Hospital, Hastings aged 79. Rose died on 15^th February 1965 at Bexhill Hospital, also aged 79. Probate on Rose’s estate (£1,748) was granted to Wynne.

Joy, Fred and Wynne in 1984

My parents kept in touch with Wynne and Fred. They had no children and lived above the off-licence that Fred ran in Bexhill-on-Sea. I remember being told off by Wynne for climbing on their sofa during a visit to them, when I was a young child ! In 1966 they moved to Heather Bank, Winchelsea Bank, Guestling, northeast of Hastings. The house had a largish garden on different levels, which they found difficult to maintain as they got older. Fred died in 1991 aged 80, Wynne on 29^th April 1997 aged 81.

Joy never married. I don’t know much about her life but am told that she was rather a serious person, difficult to relax with. My father commented that Joy was a misnomer for her ! Phone books and/or electoral registers show her living at 128 Wightman Road, South Hornsey, London in 1953. By 1961 she was living at 3 Heathville Road, Islington and by 1966 her address was 48 Barrington Court, Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill. By 1975 she had moved to Bexhill-on-Sea and was living at Lamberley Court, Barnhorn Road. When she died on 21^st February 1998 aged 84, her address was Ledsham Court, 314 The Ridge, Hastings.