Sunday, 6 May 2012

William Albert Ivall (1868-1948), nurseryman

William Albert Ivall was a grandson of David Ivall (1795-1850, a successful coachmaker) who was the younger brother of Thomas Ivall (1781-1835), my great great great grandfather.

William was born on 25 November 1868 in Marylebone. His father was James Ivall (1832-1896), his mother was Sarah Ivall nee Benn (1839-1904). He was the sixth child of nine, of which the first four died in infancy. William was baptised at St Mary Magdalene, Paddington on April 22nd 1869.

The 1871 census shows James Ivall (a dairyman aged 39) his wife Sarah (31) and their children James (4), William (2) and Edith (1) living at 120 Talbot Road, Kensington.

The 1881 census shows James (a coachmaker’s clerk aged 47) and Sarah (40) living at Thames St, Hampton, Middlesex with their children William (12), Edith (11), Henry (7) and Percy (4). Also listed at the address was Martha Sparks (49), who was James’s elder sister and a widow (her husband died in 1880).

In 1891, William (22) was living at the King and Queen pub at 1 London Rd, Wendover. He was a publican and coal merchant, with his brother Percy (14) as his assistant. The Bucks Herald dated 28 Mar 1891 contained the following story
Henry Brown of Amersham and Thomas Tomsett, Deanhill, Sussex, were charged with having on the 23rd March, stolen from the till at the King and Queen public house, Wendover, the sum of 8s 0½d, the moneys of William Albert Ivall, the landlord. The prosecutor said the prisoners came to his house on Monday, about 2pm and sat on the settle in the taproom. There is a half door between that and the bar. While they were there witness went to the till several times. There was in it about 7s in silver and 1s 6d in coppers, including a new half-crown, a florin, shilling and some sixpences. After that Brown had a pot of beer and gave witness the half-crown produced. He went to the till to change it, when he missed all the silver. He sent for the policeman, who came in about five minutes and they followed the prisoners, who had gone out. The policeman searched them and found on them a florin, three shillings, two sixpences and 8½d in coppers. Witness gave Brown two shillings and coppers in change for the half-crown. After a customer named Harding left there was no one in the house but the prisoners and the money was safe when he went out. Prisoners had been in the house for two or three hours. Prisoners were remanded till Saturday.

William married Annie Grace Broome on 14 August 14 1894 at St Mary’s, Hampton. They were both aged 25. He was a bachelor, a manager in a diary company. She was a spinster, from Hampton, the daughter of William Broome, a milkman. The item below was printed in the Surrey Comet dated 18 August 1894:

Popular Wedding.—On Tuesday afternoon, in the Parish Church, a wedding that attracted a large concourse of parishioners was solemnized by the Rev. R. Digby Ram, vicar and rural dean, the bride being Miss Annie Grace Broome, second daughter of the late Mr. William Broome of Thames Street, and the bridegroom Mr. William Ivall, second son of the late Mr. James Ivall, of the Box, Hampton. On arrival at the sacred edifice they were greeted by the march from “Lohengrin” and on departure the wedding march was played. The bridesmaids were the Misses Stacey and Wright, the best man Mr. George Broome, and the bride was given away by Mr. Roger Ivall. At the conclusion of the solemn rites the vicar gave a most sympathetic and eloquent address.
"Roger" was the name used by Henry Thomas Ivall (1874-1956), a younger brother to William.

The Hampshire Advertiser dated 30 August 30, 1899 had the following item

Bad Language
George Griffin and William Ivall, racing stable grooms, who did not appear, were charged with using obscene language at Owlsebury, on the 11th inst. PC Kemp stated the facts. They were ordered to pay the costs, 6s each.

By 1901, William was a commission agent (bookmaker) living at 18 Salvin Road, Putney. He was probably working for his elder brother James Ivall, who owned racehorses and was one of the largest bookmakers of his time.

In 1909, William inherited approximately £500 (equivalent to about £28,000 now) from his uncle David James Ivall, whose will instructed his residual estate to be divided (after his wife’s death) amongst his nephews and nieces alive at the time of his death (which was in 1873). There were 22 of them and the National Archives has a Chancery Court document listing their names. David’s widow (Lea Mathilde Ivall) died in 1907, which meant that the money could then be allocated.

The 1911 census shows William (42, a nurseryman) and Annie (42) living at The Nursery, Wickham Road, Shirley, Croydon. The census return shows that they employed a domestic servant, who lived with them, that they had no children and that their house had 5 rooms. William’s brother James Ivall was a co-owner of Ivall and Brighton, a wholesale nursery at this address. The partnership was dissolved in 1913 and James continued to operate the business. After James died in 1922 the business, now named Ivall Brothers, was run by William and his brother Percy. An announcement appeared in the London Gazette of 1 July 1927 saying that the partnership between Percy and William was dissolved by mutual consent. William continued the business.

The 1935 electoral register shows William, his wife Annie and his sister Edith Peters living at 6 Wellesley Parade, Wellesley Road, Twickenham. In 1936 and 1938 William and Annie were registered at 21 Bramfield Road, Battersea. The 1939 national register shows them at this address. Annie died in 1945 aged 76 in Wandsworth. William was at 34 Darley Road, Battersea in 1946 and 1947. He died in 1948 aged 79 in Battersea. There is no record of probate being granted on his estate.

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