Ivalls on Find A Grave

The free website Find A Grave https://www.findagrave.com/ contains the names and burial locations of over 220 million people. 160.8 million of these are in the USA, 7.8 million in Canada, 7.3 million in Australia and 6.7 million in England. The memorials on Find A Grave contain some information about the person’s life and often a photo of the grave.

The website contains entries for 82 Ivalls buried in England (73 with Ivall as their surname when they died plus 9 with Ivall as their maiden name). 43 of the memorials also have a picture.

A few of the English Ivalls listed, such as my ancestor David Ivall (1816-67), were buried in common graves.  A common grave was a plot which belonged to the owners of the cemetery rather than to a private individual. These plots were used to bury the bodies of unrelated individuals who died over the course of a few days and did not have the means to pay for a plot with private burial rights. These graves were not marked with any kind of stonework.

In addition, there are 86 (69 + 17) Ivall graves in Canada and 13 (10 + 3) in the USA on the website. There is 1 Ivall grave in Scotland and 1 in New Zealand. There are also 2 Ivall war graves in Belgium and 1 in France.

It is not easy to establish where people in England were buried. There are some burial records online but they only cover a minority of cemeteries and burial grounds. Consequently, I do not know where many English Ivalls are interred. If you know of any Ivall graves not on the Find A Grave website, please contact me.

Emily Ralph / Dennis nee Ivall (1845-1911)

Emily Ivall was a sister of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). Their parents were David Ivall (1816-67) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (1817-92) nee Gibson, who had nine children. David Ivall was a journeyman coachmaker - meaning that he worked for other people. The available evidence indicates that he was not well off, so Emily would have grown up in a moderately poor, working- class household.

Emily was born in 1845 in the St Pancras registration district of North London. At this time, her family lived in Somers Town, which included the site (next to St Pancras Station) where the British Library is now located.

The 1851 census lists David (aged 34, a coach maker) and Elizabeth (33) living at 29 Bull Place, St Pancras with their children Henry (9), Georgiana (7), David (2) and Elizabeth Ann (8 months). Emily Ivall (age given as 3 but should be 5) is listed with her grandparents Thomas (aged 54, a coach-lace weaver) and Ann (54) Gibson at 49 Wilsted Street, St Pancras. 

David and his family moved from St Pancras to Southwark sometime between 1851 and 1853. By 1861, the family were living at 19 Nursery Row, Walworth, Southwark and consisted of David (aged 44, a coach maker), Elizabeth (43), Georgiana (17), Elizabeth (10), George (7), Louisa (5) and William (2). Emily is not listed with them. By then she would have been 15 and might have left home for work reasons eg she could have been living elsewhere as a servant. I have not found Emily in the 1861 census.

On 15 August 1864, Emily married William Ralph, at St Peter’s Church Walworth. Their marriage certificate shows that William, aged 25 was a mariner. His father was Thomas Ralph, a labourer. Emily was aged 19. Her residence at the time of marriage is shown as 19 Nursery Row (where her family lived). Her brother Henry and sister Georgina Jane were witnesses to the marriage (Emily witnessed Georgina’s marriage in 1866).

William Ralph in 1860

Emily and William had a child, Emily Elizabeth, in 1867. Another child, William, was born in 1869 but died in 1870. Emily’s husband William Ralph died on 17 March 1871 aged 32. His death certificate says that he was a stoker (someone who shovelled coal into the furnace of a ship’s steam engines) in the Royal Navy. He died from an aortic aneurism at the Royal Naval Hospital at East Stonehouse in Devon. The census in April 1871 showed Emily (aged 25, a widowed dressmaker) and her daughter Emily (aged 3) living at 125 Salisbury Place, Newington, Southwark. Another daughter, Rose Jane, was born later in 1871.

Emily married James Christmas Dennis (a railway guard) on 8^th April 1872 at St John’s Walworth. She was aged 26, he was 33. The 1881 census lists James (aged 42, a general dealer) and Emily living at 24 Green Hundred Road (a shop), Camberwell, which is close to the Old Kent Road. Living with them were Emily’s children from her first marriage, Emily (13) and Rosy (9) Ralph as well as Ann (7), Ellen (3) and James (1) Dennis, from her second marriage.

The family were living at the same address in 1891 and consisted of James (52, still a general dealer), Emily (45), Charles (9), Louisa (7) and Ada (5) Dennis. By 1901, the family at 24 Green Hundred Road were James (62, a general carman), Emily (55), Charles (19, a general dealer), Louisa (17) and Ada (15). Also in the household was Rose Barrett (widow, 29, a laundress) together with Rose’s children Charles (7) and Rose (1) Barrett (Emily’s daughter Rose had married Frederick George Barrett in 1891, but he died in 1899).

Charles Booth arranged a survey of London’s working class and their housing between 1886 and 1903. His team produced a map in which the roads were classified into 7 categories ranging from the poorest (1) to the most affluent (7). Green Hundred Road at the northern end was classified as category 2 (very poor, chronic want), the rest being category 3 (poor, 18s to 21s a week for a moderate family). The property at 24 Green Hundred Road no longer exists.

Emily Dennis nee Ivall

In 1911 Emily (65) and James (72, a retired carman) were living in one room at 492 Old Kent Rd, Walworth. The census return says that 10 children had been born to their marriage, of whom 7 were alive. GRO records show the following 7 Dennis births with Ivall as the maiden name

Ann Ralph Dennis (1873-1931)

Ellen Alice Dennis (1877-?)

James Dennis (1879-82)

Charles Ernest Dennis (1882-1942)

Louisa Susan Dennis (1883-1956)

Ada Dennis (1886-1973)

Florence Maud Dennis (1890-1890)

If Emily’s 3 children by her first marriage are included, it brings the total to 10.

Emily died in 1911 aged 65 in Camberwell. She was buried in a common grave in Camberwell Old Cemetery on 9 September 1911. There is no grave marker. Her husband James died in 1915 aged 76 and is also buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery in a common grave.

Emily’s eldest four children, namely Emily Elizabeth (1867-1970, she lived to the age of 102), Rose Jane (1871-1964), Ann Ralph and Ellen Alice emigrated to Canada. Bev, one of their descendants, has kindly provided me with information and pictures for this article.

Leonard Fordham Ivall Obituary

Leonard Fordham Ivall (1912-91) was my mother’s second cousin. There is an item about his life on this blog. I recently found a short obituary about him, published by the Aberdeen Press and Journal on August 22^nd 1991, in the British Newspaper Archive. It reads :

Former architecture consultant dies

Retired Elgin architectural consultant and a well-known personality in the Moray town, Mr Len Ivall, 113 Morriston Road, died yesterday. He was 79. Originally from Cornwall, Mr Ivall moved to Elgin while serving with the Royal Engineers in the early 1940s.

 In his professional work, he was involved with the design of many of the Royal Mission to Deep Sea Fisherman centres in the northern half of Scotland. He also specialised in hotel design. But his main interest, particularly in latter years, was the Elgin Club in Commerce Street, of which he was a long-standing committee member, trustee and served as president from 1973-1984. He was one of the small group of local businessmen who helped the club survive when it was facing financial difficulties in the 1960s.

Mr Ivall is survived by his wife.

Google Maps shows 113 Morriston Road to be a fairly modern bungalow in Elgin.

The Elgin Club was founded by a group of eminent local gentlemen in 1863. It was housed in imposing, purpose-built premises completed in 1869. It operated as a gentleman’s club until the late twentieth century, when ladies were permitted membership. The club closed in 2002 due to falling membership and increased running costs. The building is now being converted into an entertainment venue and boutique hotel.

Looking for the Grave of George and Alice Ivall

George Ivall (1853-1932) was my great grandfather. An item https://ivall.blogspot.com/search/label/George%20Ivall%20%281853-1932%29 about his life is on this blog. My second cousin Paul, recently sent me a document showing where George and his wife Alice (1856-1935) are buried.

On the back of the document it says

First Interment            George Ivall                78 years           30^th June 1932

Second Interment        Alice Ivall                   79 years           16^th May 1935

Bay Street, Dalston (where George was living when he died) no longer exists. Its site is now occupied by modern housing in Freshfield Avenue. Tottenham Park Cemetery is in Edmonton, North London and was opened in 1912. It is 7 miles north of Bay Street.

Most of the burials at Tottenham Park Cemetery since the 1950s are of people from the Turkish Cypriot community. The Guardian.com published an article about the cemetery on 2 Oct 2018. It contained the following text

 Police have opened an investigation after a broken skull, a shoulder blade and leg-bones were among suspected human remains discovered lying uncovered in a cemetery. The bones include a partial skeleton and were found at the privately owned Tottenham Park cemetery in north London by a group of campaigners who fear that graves are being dug up and reused without consent amid a nationwide shortage of burial space.

More bones have been found by members of the Tottenham Park Cemetery Action Group who have relatives buried there. Police and a leading forensic pathologist have confirmed to the Guardian that some of the bones discovered in recent months are human remains. Tests are pending on others, according to Scotland Yard.

The cemetery is owned by an Essex-based company that runs two private cemeteries in London and charges up to £4,100 per plot. Tottenham Park is one of the largest Turkish-Cypriot burial grounds in the UK and part of it is leased as an Islamic cemetery. While four out of five people are now cremated in Britain, demand for burials remain high among Turkish and Muslim communities that require it for religious and traditional reasons.

Concern about the management of the cemetery has been simmering for years. David Johnson, a medical engineer who has five members of his family buried in three neighbouring plots, claims he discovered in 2005 that two elaborate marble structures had been erected over two of the plots to memorialise two completely unconnected people who appeared to have been buried there. He said he has not been able to get answers about what has happened to the remains of his loved ones. “What have they done with them? We think they have been dumped in a skip. I feel very angry to have this done to my family.”

The Burial Act 1857 makes it an offence to remove buried human remains without a licence from the government, or permission from the Church of England if it is consecrated ground.

Scotland Yard said a man has been interviewed under caution as part of its investigation, which began in May when the first bones were found. It said it was alerted to the discovery of more bones on 29 August and “a dismantled human-looking partial skeleton” on 14 September. “Police will continue to liaise with local volunteer groups and the Tottenham Park cemetery to repatriate the [latest discovered] bones, once confirmed as human, at the location as soon as is practicable,” said a spokesman. Scotland Yard said that bones discovered at Tottenham Park cemetery in May and June were forensically examined and confirmed as human.

In November 2018, Tottenham Park Cemetery Ltd was placed into voluntary liquidation. In 2019 it was under new management, who say “Our aim is to clean the cemetery and reinstate the respect and reverence the cemetery deserves.”

 I visited the cemetery recently to look for George and Alice Ivall’s grave (2132, square C). Most of the memorials there are ornate and for people with Turkish sounding names. There isn’t much space between the gravestones. In most UK cemeteries, enough memorials have the grave number inscribed onto them to work out where another grave is located, if you know its number. In Tottenham Park Cemetery, very few of the memorials have the grave number displayed, so it is not possible to locate other graves this way. I managed to find the approximate location of square C but could not find a gravestone with George and Alice’s name on it.

I phoned the cemetery office who told me that it was very likely that a grave from the 1930s would have been reused since then. I sent an email asking whether they could definitely confirm this and tell me the name on the memorial currently on grave 2132 (if there is one), but have had no reply.

Daniel Durnford Ivall (1905-2000)

The following item appeared in the Harrow Observer dated Thursday 08 January 1959. My item https://ivall.blogspot.com/2012/05/daniel-durnford-ivall-obe-1905-2000.html (written in 2012) about Daniel on this blog contains more information about his life.

NATIONAL APPOINTMENT FOR MR. D. D. IVALL

In a week's time Mr. D. D. Ivall, Assistant Chief Officer of Middlesex Fire Service, will be leaving the county headquarters, Harrow Road, Wembley, to take up a Home Office appointment as an Assistant Inspector of Fire Services. Mr. Ivall has held his present rank since 1948, when the National Fire Service was divided. Mr. Ivall's son John. who was injured in Cyprus when a Services jeep struck a terrorist mine was allowed home for a few days at Christmas from the R.A.F. hospital at Halton, Bucks.

BORN AT FIRE STATION

Mr. Ivall could be said to have been born into the fire service, as he was born at Dulwich fire station, where his father was serving. He joined the London Fire Brigade in 1925, when he was 20, serving first at Cannon Street and later at the headquarters at Southwark. In 1934 he was moved to Camden Town, with the rank of sub-officer. After this he had 18 months at the Soho station. reputed to be the busiest in London, two years as sub-officer inspector in the brigade's training school, and spells of duty at Clerkenwell and Lambeth headquarters. Just before the war he was promoted station officer, in charge of training for the London brigade. When war came he was placed in charge of the Lambeth headquarters and was later promoted district officer.

TOURED AMERICA

For 12 months in 1940-41, Mr. Ivall and a group of colleagues toured 46,000 miles in the United States and Canada. In 145 cities and towns they gave addresses and showed films, paintings and drawings of the bombing of London. Ivall was accompanied at many meetings and official visits by Mr. La Guardia, the famous Mayor of New York. who was Director of Civil Defence. "Those were the days before Pearl Harbour," said Mr. lvall on Monday. "But when Americans were shown the fires and the ruins of London, and the way the fire service and Civil Defence went into action, with bombs whistling and crashing all around, I think we did our share in making them realize the meaning of war." On his return to Britain Mr. Ivall was appointed divisional officer and director of studies of the London officers' training school, No. 5 Region. Within six months came promotion to assistant fire force commander for an area of Middlesex including Edmonton, Hendon and Mill Hill, with headquarters at Highgate. Subsequently he was transferred with the same rank to the South- East London area. In 1945 he became a deputy fire force commander and in 1948, when the N.F.S. was disbanded, he received his present appointment as assistant chief officer of the county service, with 38 fire stations and ten ambulance depots in his area. In the Coronation Honours he was made O.B.E. He also holds the King's, the Defence, the Coronation and the Long Service medals.

This is the 100^th item on this blog. According to statistics provided by Google Blogger, my blog has been viewed 69,700 times since I started it in 2007.

Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall (1922-2006) : Her Life Story Part 4

This is the final part of my mother’s life story. She was a true and constant friend to many people she met. In 2002, she had some thickened skin with a split in it on the sole of her foot. This turned out to be melanoma (skin cancer). She had several operations to try and cure it, but it returned and eventually was the cause of her death in March 2006. During her illness she showed great fortitude, was grateful to others and managed to get some pleasure from life.

Friends

During all my life friends have played a very big part. I’d like to mention a few more of them.

Firstly, Ida and for many years, her husband Eric (he died in 1995). Ida was my rival at school but since 1949 and a chance meeting in Erith she has been a staunch friend. We’ve brought up our families side by side and shared the ups and downs of life. Ida lives nearby (in Northumberland Heath). She is well and happy with a new partner, Ted (he was nearly 90 when she met him!) and I see her quite often.

Pearl and I made friends at Barnehurst Methodist Church Young Wives group. We are both now well into our eighties! Needless to say, we’ve shared many experiences over the years.

Ron and June are friends from many years ago. Ron was Eric’s office friend and he taught Eric to drive (in 1947-48). June and I became chums and spent many days out together. June is a widow now but still a valued friend.

Sheila and Jim recently came back into my life after thirty years. What a happy day that was!

 

These and all the other friends I mention in my story, have a special place in my heart.

Grace and Eric at their golden wedding anniversary in 1994

Recent Times

Time moved on. Evelyn married and left home to build up a life and family of her own. Philip was working and soon he too was leading an independent life. My mother died in 1970. Eric and I became “Derby and Joan”. The big house wasn’t really necessary any more. The work in the garden seemed to be arduous, tiring and rather wearing. By 1996 it was time to scale down and take life easier.

After unsuccessfully looking for our dream bungalow in the Marlow area we settled for a retirement flat in Bexleyheath (with an appropriately botanical name - Fern Court). We “thinned out” our possessions, had the flat decorated and carpeted and moved in. I’ve always thought that the move was right for us and I’ve never regretted the choice that we made. What matters most to me is that Fern Court has given me new friends, particularly Olive. I thank God for their friendship and for that of the many kind folk from the United Reform Church where Olive and I go regularly together. Our move was on 13th June 1996. We had one more year of good health and then in the summer of 1997 unfortunately health problems began to arise.

Grace with her old school friend Cathie

The first sign that anno domini was affecting me was severe atrial fibrillations which resulted in my having to have a pacemaker implanted in October 1997. This took place at St Thomas’ Hospital and was the start of a long association with St Thomas’ and its partner Guy’s Hospital. At this time, Ruth, who was once a neighbour, became my faithful companion accompanying me on regular appointments there. We went by train in those days. Ruth visited me every day during the three week stay that I had in St Thomas’ Hospital after my second foot operation. Thank you Ruth.

As the years went by Eric fell victim to myasthenia and he also had a series of mini strokes (Transient Ischaemic Attacks). It was one of those attacks that finally led to his death in May 2003. Eric died just 3 months before his ninetieth birthday and had he lived nine months longer we would have achieved our diamond wedding anniversary (60 years of marriage).

I think I have coped with widowhood reasonably well, although I miss Eric’s companionship beyond words. I do realise that I have only “kept going” because of the help that Philip gives me, in many ways taking Eric’s place. Philip works with quiet efficiency keeping all my paperwork and problems under control. He is my constant companion, taking me to numerous tedious hospital appointments and also taking me out on pleasure bent. I’m told many times “You’ve got a good son”. “Couldn’t be better” is my reply to that. I value and appreciate all that he does for me.

Before concluding my story there is one more person who is very dear to me that I haven’t yet mentioned - my niece Valerie. Dear, loving, caring Valerie with her optimistic nature and her ability to cheer up bouts of despondency. Valerie has only recently come into my life regularly and frequently, as she has spent all her life looking after her mother (Eric’s sister Vera) who died aged 87 in December 2002. Vera had no hearing at all so needed to be communicated with by lip reading and sign language. In her later years she became nearly blind as well. But Vera had one great blessing in her life, her daughter Valerie who looked after her with total devotion, kindness and love. Now that Vera is no longer with us, “Auntie Grace” benefits from that love and care!

           

Since Eric died my own health problems have escalated (melanoma is the operative word!) but my problems have been greatly eased by my wonderful “back up” team. Evelyn, Philip and Valerie have helped me in every possible way (including boosting my morale) and I am eternally grateful. I love them all dearly.

It is now February 2005 and my story is nearly over. I hope it hasn’t been too tedious reading it. I suppose it’s a fairly ordinary pattern of achievement but to me it has been quite special and I’ve benefited from all my caring family and friends that have shared it with me. So thank you all.

Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall (1922-2006) : Her Life Story Part 3

After the War, Living in Barnehurst

Eric was demobbed in February 1946 and given three months leave. We stayed in Cambridge living with my mother and Old Pop in Paradise Street (it was Paradise to us then). It was a lovely spring and we cycled miles across the traffic free, flat Fenland country to places like St Ives and Ely. We also punted on the River Cam and walked across the meadows to Grantchester. All was well in our (and many other people’s) lives.

So, at ages 32 and 24, we started our “real” married lives and turned our thoughts towards acquiring a home of our own and a family. This meant returning to the London area as Eric was still employed by the LCC (they had made up his army pay to his full salary all through the war years). We wanted a house somewhere in the London suburbs, we didn’t mind where. We had some ex-office friends living at Potters Bar (a northern suburb of London). They suggested that we went to live with them whilst we were searching for our “dream home” and we gladly accepted. However, this arrangement didn’t work for long for a strange reason. All food was tightly rationed and our friends had a fourteen year old son, David. David used to eat our rations in secret! We were always hungry as a result!

One day in early September 1946, Eric and I visited his Dad who lived with his third wife in Woolwich. A chance look at the local paper showed an advert for a terraced house in Barnehurst. We decided to look at it and set off by train to Barnehurst station. I had never heard of the place before but found it pleasant enough, reasonably leafy - typical suburbia. The house was at 309 Parkside Avenue, about a mile from the station. Parkside Avenue was a long straight road, on the local bus route and 309 was at the far end. We looked it over - it was a middle terrace, 3 small bedrooms upstairs, two rooms down with a bathroom and toilet downstairs built on the back. It also had a small glass roofed (freezing in winter) kitchen extension on the back. As you can imagine, houses weren’t easy to come by at that time as there were thousands of demobbed soldiers looking for a home. The house agent who showed us round said “You’ll have to make up your minds straightaway as I’ve got a lot of other people waiting to see it”. We said “Yes” - the house cost £1,195 freehold (£5 deposit!). The advert had been put in the paper for the first time that day. Fate had taken a hand.

Grace (fourth from left) with her old school friends Edna (second) and Ida (third), c1952. Eric (first from left) was Ida’s husband, Basil (fifth) was Edna’s husband.

We lived in 309 for eleven years from September 1946 to September 1957 and during that time both our children were born. Evelyn June, our first child, made her debut at the Russell Stoneham Maternity Home (just around the corner) in 1949. She was a big baby and a horror, crying incessantly in the early weeks of her life. It was a hot summer and wool vests for babies were a “must”! However, she grew up to be a daughter to be proud of. She went to Normandy school for the preliminary years (under the tuition of the eccentric Mr Newman) and then to Erith Grammar School. She obtained 11 O levels and achieved A levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and decided she wanted to be a doctor. Her training was at the Royal Free Hospital and after getting her medical degree there she went on to get many other qualifications, finishing by becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in the faculty of Anaesthetics. Evelyn’s medical training lasted 10 years. Soon after she got her final qualification she married Brian (in January 1979) and then gave us three grandsons Michael, Christopher and Peter (all now over six feet tall). Evelyn’s life is full and busy as she is a Consultant Anaesthetist at High Wycombe Hospital and most important she gives her time to caring for her family and has a happy loving home life. I benefit too in that I have a kind and attentive son-in-law and three grandsons to be proud of. Despite her “action packed” days Evelyn manages to find time to devote and care for me when needed, even though she lives at Marlow, 80 miles away.

Our second child, a son, was born at the Russell Stoneham Maternity Home in 1953. He was a bonny baby and much less demanding in the early days of his life than his sister had been. We named him Philip William - Philip after the Duke of Edinburgh (it was coronation year and the royals were very much in the limelight), William after his male grandparents on both sides of the family. At five Philip started at Barnehurst Primary School under the headmistress Mrs Munford - a strict and formidable lady who commanded discipline and respect. At aged eleven Philip followed in his sister’s footsteps and went to Erith Grammar School, where he later became Head Boy. Philip decided to choose science A levels (after achieving 10 O Levels) and he passed three with good grades which qualified him for a place at Bristol University. He studied chemistry getting a BSc degree, following it with a MSc and then a PhD. He was now a Doctor, so he’d kept up with Evelyn. After 6 years at Bristol University it was time to start work. Philip’s first job was at RHM (Rank Hovis McDougall) Research in High Wycombe, where he stayed for three years. He next obtained a job with the Wellcome Foundation in Dartford where he worked as an analytical chemist. After 12 years he transferred into project management which he did for a further 11 years before retiring (aged 50) as the result of the Dartford site closure (by then Wellcome had been taken over by Glaxo who then merged with Smith Kline Beecham).

During this period when our children were growing up - our family (Eric, me, Evelyn, Philip and Meo, our black cat) moved from Parkside Avenue, where we had a small terraced house, to Barnehurst Avenue (no 92) where we bought a large, detached house with a garden on many levels. This was in September 1957 and we were destined to stay there for thirty nine years (until June 1996). Soon after moving to Barnehurst Avenue it became necessary for us to have my mother (now a widow) to come and live with us. This was because she had become disabled (after a fall and a broken hip joint) and needed looking after. She moved from Cambridge to our house in 1958, had the downstairs front room as her own and stayed with us until her death in October 1970.

Grace and her mother in the back garden of 92 Barnehurst Avenue c1967

For Eric and I the years of our residence at Barnehurst were busy, working years. Eric worked at the County Hall, Westminster for the GLC until his retirement at 65 in 1978. I looked after the house and family, including bringing the shopping home from a local small store on my bicycle. The washing was done by hand, whites boiled in a copper, all of it rinsed in the sink and put through a mangle before hanging out on a line across the lawn to dry! Between us, Eric and I grew fruit, vegetables and flowers in our terraced garden, Eric tended a “con” (conservatory) full of pot plants and I slaved away preserving, freezing and otherwise using vast quantities of fruit of all types. At one time Eric had an allotment as well! They were happy years, probably the happiest in our lives. We were young(ish) and had a good social life with family and friends, lots of energy and (something we probably didn’t fully value at the time) good health.

During this period of our lives I got a part time job - the only time I took paid employment during nearly sixty years I had of married life. I became a part time play school teacher at St Martin’s Play School. During all this time (ten years from 1976 to 1986), I worked closely with Rita Gillis, who has been a much valued friend ever since those days. The experience of working with young children was a very happy one especially at Christmas when the Nativity Play and Christmas party were sheer magic. For a short while Eric also was “on the staff” (unpaid) as he came and played the piano. Here too I made several friends who have loyally shared my life since - Gill Sathy and Pam Sloan being particularly kind and caring to me in my later years.

The National Trust played a big part in Eric and my lives during the years at Barnehurst Avenue. We belonged to their local group (the Darent Cray NT Association) and participated in many outings and holidays with them staying in lovely places all over England - a very enriching experience and a very happy one. Here we made more good friends particularly Jack and Betty Clark, Pamela Monk and Pam and Jim McQuillan. Our other major interest was Natural History. We attended classes and courses, going on many outings based on Botany. We learnt (and often soon forgot) the English and Latin names of wild flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs. We made friends too with folk who had similar interests. It was all a happy and fulfilling experience.

Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall (1922-2006) : Her Life Story Part 2

Grace was my mother. This part of her life story covers 1939 to 1945.

The War Years

In September 1939 Neville Chamberlain announced that we were at war with Germany and Brixton Road no longer seemed a very safe place to live. My mother solved that problem by deciding to re-marry, a decision she lived to regret. Her second husband was a Mr Tom Laughton (known as “Old Pop”). He lived in Cambridge and was a widower friendly with some Cambridge people that my mother had got to know in the first world war. Pop was eccentric, selfish and a “varmint”. My mother’s life was very stormy until Pop had a stroke and died in our house at Barnehurst in 1947.

So my mother went to live in Cambridge (in Paradise Street of all the mis-named addresses !). But what of me? I was aged 17 and wanted to continue with my job at the County Hall (there were some nice boys there!). I had an Aunt (my mother’s sister) who lived with her husband (my father’s brother!) at Southgate, one of the northern outer suburbs of London and they offered to let me live with them. I then had a long journey by underground every day to reach the County Hall where I worked.

26th April 1940 was perhaps the most momentous day of my life. That evening I went to the office dance and got to know a brown eyed handsome chap named Eric Taylor. Eric was a wages clerk and every week paid me the 28 shillings that was my weekly salary. I’d had my eye on him for a long while and this was it. He offered to take me back to Southgate when the dance ended despite the blackout and possibility of bombs, so it seemed that he was rather taken with me too. We had stars in our eyes that summer but in October 1940 Eric was called up into the Army - the Royal Artillery, which was appropriate for a man born in Woolwich. For the rest of the war we had many poignant farewells and long periods of separation.

Eric and Grace

I was still living in Southgate with Auntie Florrie, Uncle Bert and my cousins Kath and Marjorie. Marjorie and I were close companions and playmates all through our childhood. We always dressed alike and pretended to be twins. Kath, four years older was called by us “the enemy” or “her”. But I wasn’t destined to live with them for much longer. One night a large bomb fell in Osidge Lane where I was living. The house opposite was totally consumed by fire and many lives were lost. It was terrifying. Fortunately, we were all protected by a Morrison’s table shelter under which we had dived at the outset of the air raid.

Shortly afterwards, with Eric away in the Army, I decided to go to Cambridge to live with my mother and Pop. The County Hall, Westminster didn’t seem to matter anymore. I managed to get a transfer to the Cambridgeshire County Council and in time became the County Accountant’s Cashier (how, I’ll never know!).

The war progressed and many more people got involved in it. If you were not registered in a reserved occupation you were liable to be called up either into the forces, the land army or into a munitions factory. I found a way of using the war to achieve and satisfy a lifelong ambition. I became a nurse. I joined the St John Ambulance Brigade firstly in a part time capacity, then in 1941, as a full- time nursing member working at the Gresham Road Cambridge Convalescent Home for Soldiers. In my “spare” time I took over the training of a St John’s cadet group, becoming cadet officer and later cadet superintendent. Life at Gresham is a story in itself. We nurses were all in our twenties and ready for any fun that was going. The patients were “getting better” and glad of all the companionship the nursing staff could give them. However, there was no “hanky-panky” - Matron saw to that. Matron was Welsh, had bright red hair, a fiery temper and kept chickens. This hobby was very unpopular with everyone as she used to brew up revolting pots of peelings and other kitchen rejects which gave Gresham a very unglamorous and unhospital-like smell!

My “buddy” during the Gresham years was a Red Cross nurse with the name June Mary Silver Frost or Frosty as she was usually called. Frosty always saw the funny side of any situation and she made us all laugh at a time when the horror of war news made life a serious business. A few years later, in 1949, when Eric and I had a daughter we gave her June as her second name and Frosty became her god-mother. Unfortunately, Frosty died some years ago (in 1995) whilst in the throes of an attack of asthma.

I worked at Gresham from March 1943 to July 1945 when the home closed soon after the end of the war. During this time Eric and I got married, but as the date depended on the course the war took, I must record Eric’s fortunes (and misfortunes!) during the war years.

Soon after Eric was called up in October 1940 he was posted to East Anglia (Southwold and Leiston) for training with the 902 Artillery Regiment. During this period (which lasted for about eighteen months) he used to hitch hike to Cambridge regularly to see me. In July 1942 he was sent to the Western Desert in North Africa where he, General Montgomery (Monty) and a few others fought and won the battle of El Alamein. From there our troops pushed Rommel and the German army back across Africa for about 2,000 miles until they reached Tunis in December 1943. Eric’s regiment then moved on to Sicily for a few months and took it from the Germans before coming home in early 1944.

It was the middle of the winter and during the war but we wanted to get married and on February 12th 1944 we did. We had a traditional white wedding. Because clothes were on coupons, I borrowed my wedding dress (three brides had worn it before me and three were to wear it after me!). For bridesmaids I had Eric’s half-sister Betty and two of my office friends from my Cambridgeshire County Council days. They all wore borrowed dresses (all different). We had my St John’s cadets (who I had trained in First Aid) to give us a guard of honour of splints. We were married at St Andrew-the-Great church which is right opposite Christ’s College in the centre of Cambridge and it was all wonderful. After the reception in the Dorothy café, Eric and I went off for our honeymoon in Lyme Regis. The beach there was blocked off with huge rolls of barbed wire (anti invasion). The hotel though was full of spring flowers.

Eric and Grace’s wedding in 1944

When we returned Eric looked terrible. He was ashen grey, haggard and ill. Everybody blamed me! But it wasn’t married life that was the cause of his condition, it was the anopheles mosquito. He was developing malaria which had been incubating inside him since his return from the mosquito ridden hot countries. There followed a period for him in Black Notley Military Hospital near Braintree, Essex (where I couldn’t get to see him because of its isolated position). However, a nice surprise was ahead. Later that spring a ripple of interest went around the staff of Gresham Convalescent Home. A new patient was about to be admitted - he was 1089894 L/Br Eric William Taylor. Someone had pulled a few strings!

6th June 1944 was a day that affected everyone’s life. It was D-Day - the day of the allied invasion of German held Western Europe. Eric’s regiment (now the 64th Medium Regt R.A.) went across to the Normandy beaches on D-Day itself but Eric wasn’t discharged for duty until D+6, when he crossed and landed at Arromanches. Another long period of separation for Eric and I followed whilst the allies pushed forward through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany itself. At last on May 8th 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally and VE day had arrived. It was with relief that we realised that there would be no more heart-rending partings on Cambridge station. Vera Lynn could stop singing “We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when”. Peace had returned to our lives.

Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall (1922-2006): Her Life Story Part 1

Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall was my mother. She wrote her life story in 2005, the year before she died. It is quite long, so I propose to add it to this blog in sections. The first one covers the period from her birth until the start of the war in 1939.

My Childhood

I was born at 9 Linkfield Road, Isleworth, (close to Isleworth Station) on 20th January 1922. My parents were George William Ivall (born 1880) and Emma Ivall (nee Armitage, born 1883). My parents had one other child, another daughter, Florence Rose (Flossie) born 1908. Flossie died, aged 14, in August 1922 just 7 months after I was born. I have three keepsakes of Flossie, the sister I never knew. They are a large framed photograph, a gold bracelet and some beautiful auburn coloured ringlets cut from her hair the day she died. All of these souvenirs are amongst my most precious possessions, all are irreplaceable.

During the First World War my father saw active service in the Royal Artillery. Unfortunately, a shrapnel splinter severely damaged his hearing and made him almost totally deaf in one ear. This meant that after the war he could no longer work on the buses as he had always done and he had a long period of looking for alternative work. However, sometime before I was five my parents were offered the job as caretakers of the offices of the The Licensed Vehicle Workers Sick Benefit Club. This was at 30 Brixton Road - there was a flat on the top floor (two floors up) where we could live. I have vivid memories of my life here where we stayed for all my childhood. One of those memories is of an unexpected benefit that living there brought into my life and that was an introduction to the pleasure of dancing. The basement of the building was occupied by The Vincini School of Dancing. This was run by Mr Vincent and Miss Vicini (she was very Spanish). Mr Vincent made a bargain with my mother - she would do the refreshments in the interval at the dancing school and her “little girl” could have dancing lessons free. So I grew up to learn ballet (oh those hard block toed shoes!), tap dancing and modern ballroom dancing (eventually doing demonstrations of the latter with Mr Vincent). Although I certainly never became a “star” (or anything like it) at ballet or tap, I developed a lifelong appreciation of these terpsichorean arts.

Grace with her parents in 1929

30 Brixton Road was in Kennington, South London. Just along the road a short way was Kennington church where I went to Sunday School (in the crypt) and where, when I was fourteen, I was confirmed into the Church of England. My religious faith is deep within me and has certainly shaped my life, giving me an anchor to hold on to when I’ve needed one. It was from 30 Brixton Road that, aged 5, I started school. My first school was Hackford Road Infants School. It was a tall, ornate, Victorian building. Within a few days of starting school an important event in my life took place, I made my first friend. Her name was Cathie Bilsland (now Bunting) and she has been my “best” friend all my life. Without Cathie with her lovely nature and impish humour my life would have been duller and greyer. I still value her friendship beyond words. Cathie and I were always together, at school and at play, until we were eleven when Cathie’s parents moved to Aldershot. However, we took note of our first school’s motto “Keep faith” and remained friends. I spent many happy holidays at Aldershot and later, Farnham.

Grace and her friend Cathie in 1930.

At aged eleven Cathie, I and five other girls all won the Junior County scholarship, which meant we went on to what is now a Grammar school (called then a Secondary school). One of these girls became another lifelong friend - Edna Watkins (now Farmer). Edna now lives at High Wycombe and I visit her whenever I can. The secondary school chosen for me was Charles Edward Brooke school for girls. It was a church school which had strict standards of dress and behaviour. We were in dire trouble if we were ever seen by a prefect or teacher out of doors without wearing our hats or our white gloves!!! I did very well at school and was always at or near the top of the class (mainly I think because I was blessed with a good memory). The head mistress had my career mapped out for me. Firstly, I would pass my exams and gain matriculation (the highest academic grade), then go to college and finish up with a brilliant career teaching. She was wrong. When she read out the examination results she got to my name, paused and said “Now comes the biggest surprise of all - Grace - you’ve only passed at General School level, not matriculation.” What terrible humiliation for me! Especially as my arch rival Ida Garrett (now Browne) had passed. I locked myself in the lavatory and cried for hours. I was beginning to learn life’s hard lessons.

My career in ruins, my mother decided I should take the entrance exam for a vacancy with the LCC (London County Council) to do clerical work at the County Hall, Westminster. This was in 1938. Fate was taking a hand. I passed the exam and it was here that I met my husband to be in 1940.

But I have left a few important events out so let me go back a bit. In 1934, when I was only twelve years old, suddenly and unexpectedly, my Dad died. He had acute appendicitis, not diagnosed as such by his doctor. He was taken too late to St Giles Hospital, Camberwell where he died while undergoing an operation for peritonitis. This was a dreadful blow to my mother and I. Everyone loved my Dad. He was kind-hearted, loving jovial and helpful to everyone he came into contact with. My mother struggled on with the caretaker’s job getting help with the heavy cleaning, but home life was never the same for either me or her.

Death of Thomas Ivall (1837-1908)

The following item appeared in the Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette dated Saturday 21 March 1908.

DEATH OF MR. T. IVALL. By the death of Mr. Thomas Ivall, Chalvey has lost another of its oldest and most respected tradesmen. For over 30 years he carried on the business of a baker at Church Street, Chalvey. Eight years ago he had an apoplectic seizure, and acting on medical advice retired from business. Latterly he has been residing at 37 Chalvey Road. In his younger days Mr. Ivall was a well-known cricketer, and had played with a great many of the notable players of his time, while Mr. R. J. Ivall and Mr. C. O. lvall have rendered the Slough Football Club great assistance.

(Reginald John and Charles Oliver Ivall were sons of Thomas.)

There is an item https://ivall.blogspot.com/2012/05/thomas-ivall-1837-1908-baker-in-chalvey.html giving more information about Thomas's life on this blog.

Robert Thomas Ivall and Allegations of Fraud

Robert Thomas Ivall (1812-65) was a brother of my ancestor David Ivall (1816-67). There is an item https://ivall.blogspot.com/2012/05/robert-thomas-ivall-1812-65-coachmaker.html about his life on this blog. He was a coachmaker in High Wycombe who moved to Chalvey (now a district of Slough) after his business failed and he was declared bankrupt in 1847. He became secretary of his local branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters in 1848. This was a Friendly Society that began in 1834. Its members paid a few pence a week into a common fund from which sick pay and funeral grants could be drawn. Robert was secretary for 17 years, until he died in 1865.

I have recently found two contrasting newspaper items which relate to Robert as secretary. One was published in the Windsor and Eton Express on 23 July 1859. It reads

“The Chairman then rose and said it had been the wish of the members for some months past to pay some mark of respect to their worthy secretary of the district, Brother Ivall, for his unwearied labours, the honesty and the integrity with which had discharged his duties for a long period, and it was to him (Mr. Stringer) a source of great pleasure be present, and place in the hands of their worthy Brother a presentation that was both useful and ornamental. A highly finished libra lever watch, accompanied with massive gold chain, was then placed in the hands of Mr. R. T. Ivall, the watch bearing the following inscription “ Presented by the Brothers of the Bucks and Middlesex District of the Ancient Order of Foresters to Mr. R. T. Ivall, to mark their sense of the zeal and assiduity evinced by him in the discharge of his duties district secretary for period of 11 years; also for the valuable services rendered him to the Order in general. July 18, 1859.” We understand the Order was completed by Bennett of London, at cost of 11 guineas. Mr. Ivall rose amidst enthusiastic cheering, and in appropriate and grateful terms thanked the members for the mark of esteem they had bestowed upon him, which to the last days of his existence would be looked upon by him with much pleasure. Mr. Ivall, in a very able manner, referred to the origin of the Order, the opposition it had to contend with, the progress it had made, and the vast amount of good it was still doing.”

Robert died on 13 August 1865 aged 52. The letter below was published in the Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette on 28 October 1865 under the headline “THE FRAUDS BY A DISTRICT SECRETARY”. Defalcation is the taking or illegal use of money by someone who has responsibility for it.

“Mr. EDITOR. In the remarks in your valuable paper of the 24th inst., about the late Mr. R. T. Ivall, I beg leave respectfully to state you have been misinformed, and I shall feel obliged by your inserting in your next the following explanation. The first part of your article I much regret to state is true, respecting the numbers in the district, the amount of defalcation and the ultimate loss to the funds; but there needs some comment on the defalcation found out. At the meeting held at the North Star Tavern, on the 16th inst., it was quite clear to most of the brethren present, that a great portion of the deficiency in cash was sent to the late Mr. R. T. Ivall a few days previous to his death, and when asked for by the proper authorities after he died, the amount was not forthcoming; but I fully believe had Brother Ivall lived until the day of meeting, the money would have been paid in correctly, as the books were quite right and properly entered, therefore proving he did his work well as long as he was able. The second portion of the letter where you say "About five years ago several well-wishers of the Foresters disapproved of the manner in which the accounts were kept, and one member was fined £1 for speaking on the question at a district court meeting, by those who have now found out that frauds against the society have been carried on for years," is quite erroneous, for at the delegate meeting referred to, held at the North Star Tavern, Slough, on the 21st October, 1861, the books, accounts and vouchers had been examined by William Mercer, Esq., solicitor, of Uxbridge, and were found perfectly correct throughout. Since that period they have been regularly audited twice a year by the delegates. I certainly think it is a great insult to the whole of the district, numbering 1,833 members, that out of the 18 Courts, not one man can be found from each Court able to audit the accounts previous to the Meeting. You state charges had been brought against the district secretary by the well-wishers of Foresters, no doubt, but the delegate Meeting found these charges not proven, the books being returned correct. The above well-wishers appealed against even that decision of the gentlemen who examined to the High Court of Foresters, and that tribunal fully confirmed the decision of the delegates then present. In reference to the member whom you state was fined £1 for speaking on the question, this is incorrect. He was fined £1 1s for circulating mischievous documents in connection with the charge against the district secretary; and had he been justly dealt with, he should have been expelled the order without a fine. The last part of your paragraph which states, "It becomes apparent that a system of secretaryship, clear to the members of a benefit association, should be adopted, so that the particulars of receipts and expenditure may be known at short intervals, and an opportunity of continuous defalcation be prevented," I quite agree with; and this view was properly placed before the meeting on the 16th inst. by the audit committee, at the last sitting of the delegates. I likewise sincerely hope that the brethren who are sent to our future meetings at Slough will see that this is carried out.

I am, Sir, yours respectfully

A delegate at the meetings on October 21st 1861 and October 16th 1865.”

It is not clear to me what happened to the missing cash. As “the books were quite right and properly entered”, it seems unlikely Robert was attempting to steal the money. Perhaps Robert’s mental ability was affected by the illness that caused his death?

The Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer dated 26th October 1895 published a report on the Annual Meeting of the Ancient Order of Foresters (Bucks and Middlesex district). The speaker at the meeting detailed the history of the organization, saying that Robert Thomas Ivall was elected District Secretary in 1848 and held the post for the next 17 years. He kept the minute book “in as perfect a manner as anyone could possibly keep it.” There was no mention of funds going missing under his secretaryship, so perhaps the money was located after Robert’s death?