As the Grand National is this weekend, I am posting an expanded version of my item on James Ivall, who owned a horse that ran in the 1921 race.
James 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.
James was born on
25 May 1867 in Marylebone, the fifth of nine children, the first four of which
died in infancy. His father was James Ivall (1832-1896) who was a coach maker
(1861), later became a dairyman (1871), then a coach maker again (1881 and 91)
and finally a tobacconist (1896). His mother was Sarah Ivall nee Benn
(1839-1904). James was baptized on 22 Aug 1867 at St Mary Magdalene,
Paddington, which was near 11 Cellbridge Place, Paddington where the family
were living.
The 1871 census
shows James Ivall senior (aged 39) his wife Sarah (31) and their children James
(4), William (2) and Edith (1) living at 120 Talbot Road, Kensington. I can’t
find James Ivall junior in the 1881 census – he is not listed with his family.
Perhaps he was at a boarding school.
James became an
engineer. In 1891, he was an engine maker fitter, aged 23, lodging at 13
Paradise Terrace, Hunslet, Yorkshire. On 7 December 1892, James married Rose
Amelia Idle (b 1872 in Twickenham, her father was a boot maker) at St Mary’s
Church Hampton. He was aged 25, an engine fitter and she was 20. James’s
brother William and sister Edith were witnesses.
Electoral
registers show James Ivall living at 56 Eccles Rd, Wandsworth in 1898 and 1899.
The 1901 census shows James Ivall aged 33 living at 2A Schubert Road,
Wandsworth, London with his wife Rose (28), brother-in-law Frank Idle (18, a
barman), his wife’s niece Edith Lyford (9) and a domestic servant. The
occupation given for James is “commission agent” ie bookmaker. James and Rose
had no children.
James became one
of the largest bookmakers of his time. He would have taken bets at race
meetings - bookmaking shops were not legal when he was operating. He also owned several
racehorses. For example, he owned a 5 year old horse called All Round, which
came second in the Novices Steeplechase at Gatwick on 1 February 1900 (the
results were given in The Times the following day).
National Hunt racing colours (blue and white stripes), registered in 1901 by James Ivall (drawing by Dennis Ivall)
The bookmaking
business run by James Ivall was placed into receivership in 1906. The London
Gazette of 12 February 1907 records that creditors of James Ivall (sued as
Isaac White) of 172 Falcon Road, Clapham, lately carrying on a business at 75
High Street Balham, were to be paid 10s in the pound.
In 1909, James
inherited approximately £500 (equivalent to about £180,000 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 address of
James in 1909 was Lynwood, Foxley Lane, Purley. It was also his address at the
time of the 1911 census which shows James (43, a commission agent), his wife
Rose (38), her niece Edith Lyford (19), a housemaid and a cook living there. The
census return shows the house to have 11 rooms, so it must have been
substantial. The 1915 and 1919 electoral registers show that the house was 121 Foxley Lane.
121 Foxley Lane (now called Oakwood) in 2015
In 1915, the
government banned horse racing at all venues except Newmarket, to avoid
disrupting the war effort. The Evening Telegraph dated 27 May 1915 reported
that the National Sporting League held a meeting in London about this, at which
“Mr James Ivall presided.” Resolutions opposing the ban were agreed and passed.
The London
Telephone Directory for 1916 lists “James Ivall, agent” at Lynwood, Foxley
Lane, Purley. Presumably “agent” means commission agent. The following horses
were shown as owned by him on the racing pages of The Daily Mirror in 1919 :
Santfreda, Prevoyant, Julian, Lady Raja. James had a runner – Rock Ahoy – in
the 1921 Grand National.
James also became
a nurseryman. The 1913 London Telephone Directory has an entry for Ivall and
Brighton, Nurserymen, Shirley. The London Gazette dated 30 December 1919
contained the following item :
“Notice is hereby
given that the Partnership lately subsisting between us, the undersigned James
Ivall and Fred Brighton, carrying on business as Wholesale Nurseryman at The
Nurseries, Shirley, Croydon, in the county of Surrey, under the style or firm
of IVALL & BRIGHTON has this day been dissolved by mutual consent. All
debts due to or owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the
said James Ivall, who will continue the said business. As witness our hands
this tenth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.”
The 1921 census shows James Ivall (54, a commision agent), his wife Rose (48), her niece Eveline Idle (35), a visitor Ada Gibson (47), a cook and a housemaid at 6 Foxley Lane, Purley.
James died on 20
January 1922 (the day my mother was born!) at the Trinity Nursing Home,
Falkland Road, Torquay. He was aged 54. An obituary was printed in the
Yorkshire Post:
DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN BOOKMAKER
A WEAKNESS FOR “FREAK” BETS
The death took place yesterday morning of Mr
James Ivall, better known as “Ike White”, one of the leading bookmakers in
Tattersall’s Ring. Genial and hearty, he was popular with all classes of
racegoers, and he gave freely to deserving charities. He was fond of making “freak”
bets and on one occasion laid and lost a wager of £100 to a cigar during the
running of a race.
Mr Ivall had horses in training with Cecil
Young and Bennett. Rock Ahoy was to have carried his colours at Plumpton
yesterday. Prevoyant won many races for Mr Ivall, both before and after the
war. A goat used to accompany this peculiar-tempered horse to the race
meetings.
(Tattershall’s
Ring is the enclosure at racecourses where established bookmakers are located.)
Probate on the
estate of James Ivall was granted on 25 May 1922 to Rose Ivall (his widow),
Percy Ivall (his brother) and George Idle (his brother-in-law ?). Percy and
George were commission agents. The Times printed the following item in its
Estates section on 31 May 1922
“Mr JAMES IVALL (better known as “Ike White”)
of Weybourne, Foxley Lane, Purley, bookmaker, for many years prominent in
Tattershall’s Ring and owner of several racehorses, who died at Torquay on 20
January 1922, left estate of the gross value of £10,866 with net personalty
£8,112.” (equivalent to about
£1,450,000 now).
James had made a
will in 1911 and amended it with a codicil in 1914. Under the amended will, his
estate was invested to provide an income for his wife Rose. On her death his
residuary estate was divided into 16 shares, one each going to his 11 nephews
and nieces (the 5 children of his brother Henry namely Marjorie, Patricia,
Henry, Percy and Dorothy and the 6 surviving children of his brother Percy that
is Edith, Alice, Percy, May, Albert, Doris), one each going to his wife’s
nieces Winnie Idle and Maude Lyford. Three shares went to his wife’s niece
Edith Lyford.
Rose Ivall died in 1923 in Purley aged 51. James and Rose Ivall are buried in grave L144 in Bandon Hill Cemetery, Wallington, Sutton. The cemetery is full and so grants new burial rights in graves which have not been used in the previous 75 years. John Clemson (who was not related to James and Rose) was buried in grave L144 in 2001 and the plot now has a headstone with his name on it. The cemetery office tell me that the memorial to James and Rose was a rustic granite cross inscribed "In loving memory of James Ivall, who died January 20th 1922 aged 54 years. Also of Rose Amelia, dearly beloved wife of the above, who died August 8th 1923 aged 51 years." It was removed in 2000 and broken up.
