David James Ivall (1830-73), artist and coachmaker

David James Ivall was the eldest son of David Ivall, who was the younger brother of Thomas Ivall (1781-1835), my great great great grandfather. This profile contains information from research done by Dennis Endean Ivall.

David was born on 20 September 1830 in St Pancras, the eldest child of David Ivall (1795-1850) and his wife Martha nee James (1796-1853). They had six more children namely Martha James Brisco (1831-99), James (1832-96), Laura (1833-39), Emma (1835-86), Kate Bainbrigge (1836-1917) and Albert (1839-97). David James Ivall was baptised at St Mary's, Saltford, Somerset (where his mother lived at the time of her marriage) on 30 August 1831.

David’s father was a highly successful coach maker who ran a thriving business. In the 1841 census David’s family are listed as living at 158 Tottenham Court Rd, the address of his father’s business. It seems likely that David was at boarding school at the time of the census as he is not listed at this address. The family moved in 1844 to 14 Blomfield Road, Paddington, a large house in the area known as “Little Venice“.

The Coachmakers Company Book of Orders has an entry dated 5 December 1844 recording that David James Ivall was apprenticed to Henry Black as a coach maker for 7 years. It seems that he did not complete his apprenticeship, as his occupation in the April 1851 census is given as artist.

David senior died in 1850. His will left his house and its contents to his wife Martha until her death or remarriage. Thereafter it went to his eldest surviving son subject to him paying £1,500 to be divided between the other surviving children. His children were left £1,000 each when they reached 21 years. His wife received the income from the rest of his estate until her death or remarriage. Thereafter the rest of the estate was to be divided equally between his children. The estate duty record gives the value of David Ivall’s estate as £35,000, which equates to about £25,000,000 today (calculated by comparison with average earnings).

The 1851 census shows Martha Ivall (aged 55, an annuitant), David James Ivall (20, an artist), Martha Ivall (19), James Ivall (18, an apprentice coachbuilder) and two servants living at 14 Blomfield Rd.

When his mother died on 13 June 1853, David was appointed to administer her affairs. He received approximately £5,000 (equivalent to about £3,500,000 now) in total from his father’s estate. The house in Blomfield Road was sold around 1854.

By 1854 David was living in Dieppe, France. “Victorian Painters” by Christopher Wood (1995) records that D.J.Ivall exhibited four works at the Royal Academy in London 1855-60. They were “The Market Place at Dieppe” in 1855, “Chiffonieres de Paris” and “A Study“ in 1857 and “Once a Week“ in 1860. He had addresses in Paris and London. The Benezit Dictionary of Artists says that David was active in Paris and painted genre scenes (meaning events from everday life).

David seems to have lent money on a commercial basis. The following record relates to a property near Bodiam in Sussex : “27 Feb 1854. Geo Alfred Lawrence to David James Ivall of Dieppe, France. Recital: that D J Ivall had lent G A Lawrence £800 on a mortgage in fee simple with power of sale, & penalty of £1600.”

Sometime between 1851 and 1861 David married Lea Mathilde who was born 1833 in Paris.

James Ivall (David’s brother) took over his father’s coachmaking business in 1854 in partnership with Edwin Collins Large. The firm was named Ivall and Large. In about 1858 David joined the partnership and the business moved from 158 Tottenham Court Road to premises in 125 Piccadilly and 56 South Audley Street.

In 1861 David (aged 30) and Lea (27) were living at 7 Loudoun Road, Marylebone with a cook and a housemaid. David’s occupation was given as coach builder.

The London Gazette of 4 April 1862 carried an announcement that James Ivall was leaving the partnership running Ivall and Large. From then onwards the proprietors of the firm were David James Ivall and Edwin Collins Large.

The London Post Office Directory has the following addresses for David in its Court Section

1859, 60	David James Ivall, 152 Picadilly
1861	David J Ivall, 7 Loudoun Rd, St John’s Wood
1863, 64, 65	David James Ivall, 2 Manor Terrace, Brixton Rd
1866	David James Ivall, 2 Manor Terrace, Brixton Rd David Ivall, 15 Park Terrace, Brixton
1867	David Ivall, 15 Park Terrace, Brixton
1868, 70, 72	David Ivall, Somers Cottage, Upper Tulse Hill (2)

The 1871 census lists David (40, a carriage builder) and Lea (37) living in Tulse Hill, Norwood, Lambeth with a cook, housemaid and groom.    

David died in 1873 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in the same grave as his parents (plot 1953, sq 22). The Times printed the following notice in its Deaths section

“On the 13^th inst at Bournemouth, DAVID JAMES IVALL of Somers Cottage, Upper Tulse Hill and Victoria Street, Westminster in the 43^rd year of his age. Friends will please accept this intimation.”

Victoria Street was the business address of Ivall and Large in 1873. The probate registry has the following entry

“29 April 1873. The will of David James Ivall, late of Victoria St, Westminster, Coach Builder who died 13 April 1873 at Bournemouth was proved at the Principal Registry by Caleb Love Price of Elmer’s End, Kent, Gentleman and Frederick Augustus Legg of Sutton, Surrey, Gentleman, the Executors. Effects under £8,000, re-sworn January 1874 under £12,000.”

Caleb Love Price was the husband of Lea Mathilde’s sister Seraphine Charlotte, b1819. The 1871 census lists Caleb, a clerk aged 53, living in Croydon (which is near Elmers End), his wife Seraphine (aged 51, born in Paris), his daughter Naomi (24) and a servant. Frederick Augustus Legg (aged 36 in 1871) was the husband of Kate Bainbrigge Ivall, David’s sister. Frederick was the private secretary to a nobleman.

I have a copy of David’s will (made 29^th March 1873) but it is handwritten and difficult to decipher. It appears that he left his wife £50, his “watches, jewels, ornaments of the person and wearing apparel, plate, plated articles, furniture, linen, glass, china, pictures, prints, books and other articles of household use or ornament.” He left £500 to be given to specified London Hospitals (including £100 to St Thomas’) and £52-10 to each of the executors. The residue was invested to provide an annuity for his wife. On her death or remarriage it was to be divided between his nephews and nieces who were living at the time of his death.

David’s wife Lea died in 1907. The Times printed the following death notice

“IVALL. On the 30^th May, LEA MATHILDE, in her 74^th year, of 40 Geneldon Road, Streatham, widow of the late DAVID JAMES IVALL of Tulse Hill, Brixton. Burial at Streatham Cemetery, Garrett Lane, Tooting on Tues June the 4^th at 11.30.”

I have found her grave (number 729, Block C). It has a headstone inscribed “In Memory of Lea Mathilde Ivall, Widow of David James Ivall, Died May 30^th 1907 aged 73.”

The probate register reads “Lea Mathilde Ivall of “Holmesdale” 40 Gleneldon Road, Streatham, Surrey widow died 30 May 1907 at St George’s Nursing Home, Salford Road, Streatham Hill. Probate London to Caleb Love Price esquire. Effects £6,934 2s 11d.”

The division of David’s estate between his nephews and nieces was administered by the Court of Chancery. A notice was placed in the London Gazette dated 7 August 1908 inviting claimants to come forward. A senior court official prepared a report (which is in the National Archives at Kew) dated 1 April 1909 listing the 22 people who were entitled to a share. Each received approximately £500 (equivalent to about £163,000 now).

Lea Mathilde’s will left a portrait in oil by David of his grandmother Ann James (1756-1845) to his sister Kate Legg and David’s gold watch and chain to Kate’s son, George Ivall Legg.