The 1881 census shows George (aged 27), Alice (25), Alice
(3) and George (5 months) living at 5 Stebbington Street, St Pancras. The
family had moved to 51 Freeling Street, Islington by 1889, when Alice Ivall (aged
11) was admitted to Gifford Street School. In 1891, the family was living at 51
Freeling St and consisted of George (aged 38), Alice (36), Alice (13), George
(10), Rose (5) and Albert (2). School admission records for Albert show that
the family was living at 33 Boleyn Road, Dalston in 1896 and 61 Spencer Road,
Hackney in 1899.
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). Their son George is not
listed as he was in the marines and overseas. The inhabitants of Holly St are
classified as category 5 in the 1898-9 Booth poverty survey meaning “Fairly
comfortable. Good ordinary earnings.”
Alice married Charles James Luxford on 21st July
1901 at St Peter’s Church, West Hackney. She was aged 23, he was 22. The parish
register gives his name as Charles Henry Luxford, but this seems to be an
error, as all other records give his middle name as James. Charles was a
builder living at 109 Hertford Street and his father was William Luxford, also
a builder.
Alice and Charles’s only child was Charles Alexander
Luxford, who was born on 21st July 1903 (their second wedding
anniversary) in Hackney.
Alice as a bridesmaid
at the wedding of her brother George William Ivall to Emma Armitage in
1906.
The 1911 census shows Alice and her family living at 109
Hertford Rd, Kingsland, Hackney. Charles, her husband, was a house decorator
aged 30, born in Stoke Newington. He is listed as an employer. Alice was aged
31, Charles was aged 7 and at school. The Post Office London Directory for 1915
lists “William Luxford & Son, builders” at 109 Hertford Road.
Electoral registers from 1920 to 1939 show Charles still listed
at 109 Hertford Road (his business address), but say that his abode was 204
Selwyn Avenue, Higham Park, London E4 (near Chingford) from 1920 to 1926 and
Collingwood House, St Margaret’s at Cliffe (on the Kent coast near Dover) from
1928 to 1939.
Collingwood House
The house is still there (in Collingwood Road), but has been
substantially altered. My mother, Grace Ivall (who was Alice’s niece) had fond childhood
memories of holidays staying with Alice and Charles at Collingwood. Her photo
album shows her there in 1932 (aged 10) and 1936 (aged 14).
Alice and Charles built a bungalow, called Collingwood
Close, in the grounds of Collingwood House. The photo below was taken in front
of Collingwood Close in 1935.
I believe that the people in this
photo are (left to right) Emma Ivall (my grandmother), Charles and Alice
Luxford
The national register compiled in September 1939 shows Charles (a master builder and decorator) and Alice at Collingwood Close.
Alice died at Collingwood Close on November 28th
1939 aged 62. The following item appeared in a local newspaper
Mr A Ivall was Alice’s brother Albert. Miss A Gay was Ada
Constance Gay, Alice’s housekeeper, who married Charles in 1941. My mother was
amongst those who sent a floral tribute to the funeral.
Charles James Luxford
in 1949
Charles James Luxford died (from a cerebral haemorrhage) at
Collingwood Close on 23rd November 1949 aged 70. He is buried in
Westcliffe Churchyard in the same grave as Alice. The Dover Express reported
The Church lost a
regular member and a sidesman through the passing, after a brief illness, of
Mr. Charles James Luxford, of Collingwood Close, Nelson Park. Mr. Luxford, aged
70, came to St. Margaret’s from London about 23 years ago.
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