Leonard Fordham Ivall (1912-91), Architectural Consultant

Leonard was my second cousin, once removed. He was, like me, descended from David Ivall (1816-67), a journeyman coachmaker.

Leonard Fordham Ivall was born on August 14^th 1912 in Hampstead. He was the third of four children (2 girls and 2 boys) of William Charles Ivall (1883-1968), an accountant, and his wife Florence Bessie nee Endean (1885-1960). Fordham was the maiden name of Leonard’s paternal grandmother Matilda (1858-1921).

The 1911 census shows Leonard’s parents at 87 Constantine Road, Hampstead. Electoral registers from 1918 to 1925 list their address as “Newlyn”, Hampton Road, Buckhurst Hill, which is in NE London, near Chingford. In 1926 the family moved to "Hampton House", Hampton Road. In 1930 and 1931, their address is given as 71 Hampton Road, Chingford.

Leonard’s mother came from a Cornish family and so he often visited Cornwall for holidays. In 1937 Leonard married Ivy Dorothy Scott in Truro. He was aged 25, she was 21, born in Plymouth. They had a son in 1938. The 1939 national register shows Leonard, an architect and land surveyor, and Ivy living at 15 Trevellance Way, Watford. Leonard practiced as an architect but he never qualified; it would perhaps be more correct to describe him as an architectural consultant. One of his first commissions was for a bungalow in St Agnes, Cornwall, for his parents - they moved to it after his father’s retirement.

The following info about Leonard's war service comes from a nephew of his
"He joined up in November 1939 and served in the North Somerset Yeomanry.  Surprisingly, that was still a cavalry unit at that time:  they sailed to Palestine in Feb. 1940 and served mounted in the Syrian campaign during 1941, losing ten men at the battle of Maza Ridge (information from the Light Infantry office at Taunton).  However there was an acute shortage of signal personnel in the Middle East theatre and the whole of the N.S.Y. was amalgamated with a Royal Signals unit in July 1942.  They must have served with the Eighth Army in the North Africa campaign, as Len was awarded the Africa Star with Eighth Army emblem.  He appears to have returned to the UK in August 1943, as there is disembarkation leave recorded in his paybook, and his unit was apparently moved to Europe in November 1944 (after embarkation leave), as he was also awarded the France and Germany Star. I have his medals (as above, plus 1939-45 Star, Defence medal and Victory Medal) and his paybook."

Leonard's medal card gives his rank as Sergeant.

 Leonard during World War 2.

Leonard’s marriage ended in divorce soon after the war ended and he moved to the Moray District in NE Scotland. He married Jemima Paterson nee Green (born 1912), known as “Mina”, in 1948 in Elgin. She was a widow with three young children. 

Telephone directories show Leonard running a business supplying materials to artists at 23 South Street, Elgin in 1949. He is shown as an architect at 23 Grant Street, Cullen from 1955 to 1960, an architectural consultant at 4 Seafield Street, Cullen from 1961 to 1963 and at 8 Batchen Street, Elgin from 1964 to 1972. His residence from 1955 to 1972 was "Culoran" in Stotfield, Lossiemouth. 

Leonard (on left) with a brother of his wife Mina outside Leonard's house "Culoran"

In 1970, Leonard started a trout farm at the Old Mill, Spynie, near Elgin. The following item was published in a national newspaper in 1978.

In 1984, Leonard had “Carousel”, a book of poems, illustrated by his brother Dennis, published.

The poems are mostly humourous. An example of a short one from the book is:

My neighbour’s grass is always green,

With not a daisy to be seen,

No clover patch, no chicken weed,

No dandelion, gone to seed.

It’s neat and trim and nicely mown,

With no bare patches to be sown,

In fact, it’s what a lawn should be

For sitting on and taking tea.

My garden lawn, I must confess,

Is not like that, it’s just a mess.

Leonard died on 21 August 1991 in Elgin aged 79. The following item was published in the Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express dated 23 Aug 1991.

Leonard's wife Mina died in 2002. They are buried together in Elgin Cemetery.

Leonard's grave

Hilda Annie Ivall (1910-99): Artist

Hilda Annie Ivall was a granddaughter of William Ivall (1859-1940), who was a brother of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). She was born on August 1st 1910 in Hampstead, North London, the second of four children born to William Charles Ivall (1883-1968) and his wife Florence Bessie nee Endean (1885-1960). Doris’s siblings were Doris Rose (1908-2007), Leonard Fordham (1912-91) and Dennis Endean (1921-2006). Hilda’s father worked his way up from being a clerk to an accountant with Nobel’s explosives. He ended his career as joint managing director of an ICI subsidiary.

The 1911 census shows William Charles Ivall (aged 27, a book-keeper), his wife Florence Bessie (25) and daughters Doris Rose (2) and Hilda Annie (8 months) living at 87 Constantine Rd, Hampstead. There were also 2 boarders at the address. The family were still living in Hampstead in 1912 but had moved to Chingford (also in North London) by 1921. Hilda’s mother came from a Cornish family and they often visited Cornwall for holidays.

Hilda with her parents and siblings.

From left : Leonard, Doris, William, Florence, Dennis and Hilda Ivall

I was sent this info on Hilda her by her nephew (a son of Hilda’s brother Dennis).

“My aunt, Hilda Ivall, worked for ICI before and during the war.  Later she ran the Seagull Cafe on the cliffs above St.Agnes in Cornwall (which my grandparents took over from her) and held other jobs (I remember visiting her at an old people's home in Tiverton, where she was matron, c1959). After my grandmother died in 1960 she cared for my grandfather, at his bungalow in Barnstaple initially and from c1963 at her bungalow, The Croggan, Polberro, St.Agnes, which we used to visit for holidays.  Sometime after my grandfather's death in 1968, she moved into St.Agnes itself and late in life inherited a larger bungalow there from her friend (of ICI days) Wyn Dearman.

She painted for many years, mainly abstracts based on the colours and forms of Cornish minerals, working with oils and palette knife on large canvases, although in later years she specialised in watercolours of flowers.  She often exhibited locally and was at one time Chairman of Perranporth Art Society. Other interests, at various times, included pottery, poetry and playing the piano, flute and organ.”

The 1939 national register shows Hilda, an index clerk, living at 73 Baylis Road, Slough in the household of a family called Allen. Winifred M Dearman, born 7.2.1908, a shorthand typist, is shown at the same address.

The item below is from the archives of Tate Britain. Fletching is a village in Sussex.

The following item was in The Evening Standard dated 11 January 1961.

Tate Britain also have the catalogue for an exhibition of Hilda’s work held at 16 Woodstock St, Mayfair in 1962. I have a photocopy of an abstract painting by Hilda that was submitted to the Biennale in Italy, a prestigious exhibition.

"Bouquet" a watercolour painting by Hilda Ivall 

(photo kindly supplied by Peter Prest)

Electoral registers show that in 1947 Hilda was living at a house called Llangibby in Tennyson Road, Hendon, London.

Telephone directories have the following addresses for Hilda

1948-57	Pol Major, St Agnes
1970-71	The Croggan, Polberro, St Agnes
1972-75	6b Churchtown, St Agnes
1976-87	51 Goonown, St Agnes
1992	1 Wheal Quoit Ave, St Agnes

Probate records say that Hilda died on November 3^rd 1999 and that her address was Tre-Wyn, 1 Wheal Quoit Ave, St Agnes, Cornwall. A local newspaper published the following item :

Miss H A Ivall, St Agnes

THE funeral took place at St Agnes Church of Hilda Ann Ivall, of Wheal Quoit Avenue, St Agnes, who died at Trevaunance Manor Rest Home, aged 89. The Rev Winford Phillips officiated, and interment followed at St Agnes cemetery. 

Miss Ivall had family ties with Cornwall dating back several centuries (with Endeans of Cornelly and Evans's of Trevellas). She was a member of St Agnes Old Cornwall Society and a bard of the Cornish Gorsedd since 1971 for proficiency in Cornish.

She was an accomplished musician, a one-time church organist and trainer and conductor of local choirs. She was also a talented painter, exhibiting in Cornwall and internationally. 

Family mourners: Dennis Endean Ivall (brother), Irene Constance Ivall (sister-in-law), David Endean Ivall (nephew). Her elder sister Doris Rose Salter, who lives in Florida was unable to attend, as was nephew Gerard Alexander Ivall.

Kathleen Edith Keenan nee Ivall (1916-99)

Kathleen was born on 17^th April 1916 at 8 Mapledene Road, Dalston in North London, the elder daughter of Albert David Ivall (1889-1960) and his wife Florence Edith Ivall nee Armitage (1887-1945). My mother was Kathleen’s cousin twice over - my mother’s parents, George William Ivall (1880-1934) and Emma Ivall nee Armitage (1883-1970) were both siblings of Kathleen’s parents.

Albert and Florence had a second daughter, Marjorie Joan Ivall, in 1921. Kathleen attended Queen’s Road School and then Dalston County Secondary School where she obtained Matriculation. After she left school, Kathleen worked for an insurance company near London Bridge. In 1937, she moved with her parents to 75 Osidge Lane, Southgate, North London.

Albert, Kathleen, Marjorie and Florence Ivall on holiday in 1933

Kathleen met Charles Bernard Keenan in the mid 1930’s and they married on 17 September 1938 at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, New Southgate. He was aged 27, a director of a building firm, she was 22. 

Kathleen’s marriage in 1938. From left : Peter Keenan (father of Charles), Grace Ivall (my mother), Hilda Keenan (sister of Charles), Marjorie Ivall, Charles Keenan, Kathleen, Peter Keenan (brother of Charles), Florence Ivall, Stella Keenan (sister of Charles) and Albert Ivall.

The 1939 Register shows them living at 7 Bexley Lane in Sidcup. Charles's occupation is given as "Housing manager and buyer, public works contractor."  They later had two sons and a daughter. The house at 7 Bexley Lane was severely damaged by a doodlebug in 1944 during the Second World War and so Kathleen and her family had to move out. They lived in Derby, Bexleyheath then 240 Bexley Lane and moved back into 7 Bexley Lane (by then rebuilt) in 1950. One of Kathleen’s son’s describes her as a loving wife and mother, also as neat, tidy and organised.

Sadly, Charles died in 1968, aged 57. Kathleen moved into a smaller house in nearby Charles Close and became a Registrar of Births and Marriages based in Sidcup, by then part of the London Borough of Bexley. However, she found it hard to cope with life without her husband. Kathleen’s family did their best to help. My parents often invited her to our house and maintained her garden. I have memories of a holiday on the Isle of Wight with Kathleen, my parents and myself in about 1970. I remember her as a kind, pleasant lady, easy to talk to, always smartly dressed.

 From left : Grace (my mother), Kathleen, Eric (my father) and Marjorie in my parents garden on Kathleen’s 72^nd birthday (in 1988).

In 1988 Kathleen moved to a warden controlled flat in The Cloisters, King’s Langley, Hertfordshire, which was close to where her daughter lived. In 1996 Kathleen had the first of a succession of falls, breaking bones. She then went into various care homes until the end of 1998 when she suffered early signs of heart failure and was taken into hospital where she died on 7th January 1999 aged 82. Her funeral was held at St Lawrence’s Roman Catholic Church, Sidcup and she was buried in Chislehurst Cemetery, in the same grave as her husband.

The grave of Charles and Kathleen Keenan.

Rose Lily Kebbell nee Ivall (1885-1965) and her children

Rose was a sister of my grandfather George William Ivall. She was born on 14^th September 1885 in Somers Town, an area of London west of St Pancras Station. Her parents were George Ivall and his wife Alice. They had five children, Rose was their fourth. She was born the year after their third child (called Rosa) had died aged 5 months.

The 1891 census shows George Ivall (aged 38, a cabinet maker), Alice (36), Alice (13), George (10), Rose (5) and Albert (2) living at 51 Freeling Street, Islington. Charles Booth did a poverty survey of London in 1891. He classified the inhabitants of Freeling Street as being in the category “Poor. 18s. to 21s. a week for a moderate family.”

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). The inhabitants of Holly St are classified in the 1898-9 Booth poverty survey as being “Fairly comfortable. Good ordinary earnings.”

The 1911 census shows Rose (25, a restaurant waitress) living at 76 Princess May Rd, Stoke Newington with her father George (57, a general cabinet maker), mother Alice (55) and brother Albert (22, a general cabinet maker). Later that year, Rose married Walter Edwin Kebbell in Edmonton. He was aged 27, a brewer’s clerk, born in Hackney, a son of Edward Rhodes Kebbell (1834-1915), a carpenter and joiner. She was 26.

Rose and Walter moved to Newport, Isle of Wight, where they had two daughters, Joyce (known as Joy) Lillian Kebbell, born on 18^th January 1914 and Winifred (known as Wynne) Rose Kebbell, born on 6^th May 1915.

 Rose, Wynne, Joy and Walter in 1918

The 1921 census shows the family living at 9 Medina Avenue, Newport. Google Street View shows this to be one of a terrace of Edwardian houses. Walter (aged 37), Rose (35), Joyce (7) and Winifred (6) are listed at the address. Walter's occupation is recorded as "Brewer's manager, bottling dept" working for Whitbread Co Ltd at the Wighthall Brewery, Quay St, Newport. This is about half a mile from 9 Medina Avenue. Also listed are Rose's parents George (aged 67, a retired cabinet maker) and Alice (65). The census was taken in June 1921, so presumably they were visiting their daughter for a summer holiday. 

Clockwise from bottom left : Rose, Charles Alexander Luxford (Rose’s nephew), George Ivall (Rose’s father), Walter, Alice Eliza Ivall (Rose’s mother) and Wynne, c 1929.

Rose’s daughter Joy went to university, which was quite unusual for women at this time. During World War Two, she was a children’s welfare officer, her role being to place evacuees into homes. Phyllis Luxford, the wife of her cousin Charles Luxford, and their two young children were evacuated to live with her in Yeovil.  

Joy in 1933

 Walter and Rose, c 1940

Wynne (aged 30) married Frederick Charles Edwards (aged 34) in February 1946 at St Andrew’s Church, Hove. I have a copy of an item in the Sussex Daily News about the wedding. It says that Fred was recently demobilised from the RAF after nearly four years’ service in the Middle East. Wynne was a school meals organiser for the Brighton Education Committee. The attendants were Wynne’s sister Joy and Gillian Luxford (aged 7), her cousin. The best man was Albert C Gunn, Fred’s brother-in-law. The reception was held at Hove Town Hall and the honeymoon was in Torquay. The article gives Rose and Walter’s address as 46 Langdale Road, Hove and says

“The bride, whose family formerly resided at the Isle of Wight before taking her appointment as school meals organiser for Brighton, established the Yeovil school canteens so satisfactorily that her work drew Ministerial commendation.”

Fred and Wynne on their wedding day

Fred was a wine merchant. Phone books show that he had a shop at 47 Reginald Road, Bexhill-on-Sea in 1950 and 1952. By 1959, his business was located at 6 Collington Mansions, Bexhill-on-Sea.

Rose and Walter had moved to 62 East Street, Brighton by 1950, where they lived until 1962. They then moved to 3 Thornbank, Collington Avenue, Bexhill-on-Sea. I have a vague memory of visiting them there with my parents and noticing that there were several grandfather clocks in the house. Walter died on 19^th January 1964 at St Helena Hospital, Hastings aged 79. Rose died on 15^th February 1965 at Bexhill Hospital, also aged 79. Probate on Rose’s estate (£1,748) was granted to Wynne.

Joy, Fred and Wynne in 1984

My parents kept in touch with Wynne and Fred. They had no children and lived above the off-licence that Fred ran in Bexhill-on-Sea. I remember being told off by Wynne for climbing on their sofa during a visit to them, when I was a young child ! In 1966 they moved to Heather Bank, Winchelsea Bank, Guestling, northeast of Hastings. The house had a largish garden on different levels, which they found difficult to maintain as they got older. Fred died in 1991 aged 80, Wynne on 29^th April 1997 aged 81.

Joy never married. I don’t know much about her life but am told that she was rather a serious person, difficult to relax with. My father commented that Joy was a misnomer for her ! Phone books and/or electoral registers show her living at 128 Wightman Road, South Hornsey, London in 1953. By 1961 she was living at 3 Heathville Road, Islington and by 1966 her address was 48 Barrington Court, Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill. By 1975 she had moved to Bexhill-on-Sea and was living at Lamberley Court, Barnhorn Road. When she died on 21^st February 1998 aged 84, her address was Ledsham Court, 314 The Ridge, Hastings.

Alice Elizabeth Luxford nee Ivall (1877-1939)

Alice Elizabeth Ivall was the elder sister of my grandfather, George William Ivall. She was born on October 6th 1887 in Somers Town, an area of North London between Euston and St Pancras Stations. Her parents were George (1853-1932, a cabinet maker) and Alice Eliza Ivall (1856-1935, maiden name Newman). They married in 1875 and had five children: Alice Elizabeth (1877-1939), George William (1880-1934), Rosa (1884-1884), Rose Lily (1885-1965) and Albert David (1889-1960). Alice was baptised on 28^th October 1877 at Christ Church, Somerstown.

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 21^st 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 21^st 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).

 Grace Ivall at Collingwood in 1932

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 28^th 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 23^rd 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.

Charles Alexander Luxford (1903-59), Royal Navy and nuclear scientist

Charles Alexander Luxford was the only child of Alice Elizabeth Luxford nee Ivall (b1877), the elder sister of my grandfather George William Ivall (1880-1934). I have updated this profile with some information from his daughter, who saw the item on her father on my blog and contacted me.

Charles was born on 21st July 1903 in Kingsland, Hackney. His parents were Charles James (a builder) and Alice Elizabeth Luxford, who had married in 1901. The 1911 census shows the family living at 109 Hertford Rd, Kingsland, Hackney (the address of their building and house decorating business). Charles senior was aged 30, born in Stoke Newington. He is listed as an employer. Alice was aged 31, born in Somerstown, St Pancras. Charles was aged 7 and at school. Electoral registers show that from 1920 to 1926, the family were living at 204 Selwyn Avenue, Higham Park, London E4 (near Chingford).

The 1921 census shows Charles, aged 17 with his parents Charles (42, a house decorator etc, employer at 109 Hertford Road, N1) and Alice (43) at 204 Selwyn Avenue. His occupation is given as steel turner (I think), his employer was Associated Equipment Co Ltd, Engineers and his place of work was Black Horse Lane, Walthamstow. 

Charles senior was quite well off. In about 1927, he and his wife moved to Collingwood House, St Margaret’s at Cliffe on the Kent coast near Dover. My Aunt Marjorie remembers visiting Alice and Charles there and watching ships through a large telescope. My mother also told me how, when she was a child, she enjoyed going for holidays with Alice and Charles at St Margaret’s. 

Clockwise from top left Charles Alexander Luxford, George Ivall (his grandfather), Walter Edwin Kebbell (his uncle), Alice Eliza Ivall nee Newman (his grandmother), Winifred Rose Kebbell (his cousin), Rose Lily Kebbell nee Ivall (his aunt). Photo c 1929.

Charles junior was clever and went to university (then quite uncommon) to study science - he was awarded a BSc. The Imperial Calendar (an annual list of salaried Civil Servants) shows that he was a Scientific Officer in the Scientific Research and Experiment Department of the Admiralty in 1935. In the 1930s Charles worked as an assistant to A B Wood, one of the leading British naval scientists, on the development of the magnetostriction echo depth recorder, a device that measured the depth of water below a ship. It was later fitted not only to Navy ships but also to most sizable ships throughout the world.

In 1935, Charles married Phyllis Mary Newber at St Alban’s Church, Teddington. He was aged 31 and she was 22, born in Lambeth. Phone directories for 1935 to 1948 show Charles living at Abbots Dene, Greenways, Hinchley Wood, Esher (in SW London). Charles and Phyllis had a daughter (b1938) and a son (b1942). The family lived at 9 Carlisle Rd, Hampton (also in SW London) from 1949 to 1960.

Charles Alexander Luxford

Charles was promoted to Senior Scientific Officer in 1943. There seems to have been a re-organisation in 1949 when he is listed as Principal Scientific Officer in the Royal Navy Scientific Service. He was promoted again in 1954 when he became a Senior Principal Scientific Officer, for which the salary range was £1,500 to £1,750 (roughly equivalent to £85,000 to £100,000 now). In 1959 there were about 750 salaried staff in the Royal Naval Scientific Service – 21 at higher grades than Charles, about 90 on his grade and about 640 on lower grades. 

Following the American atomic weapon test in 1946 at Bikini Atoll, the Royal Navy decided that experiments should be carried out to determine what degree of protection a ship offered to its crew from ionizing radiation, a new hazard in future naval warfare if ever atomic weapons were used at sea. The preparation for and conduct of such experiments was the first task for a new group - initially just Charles Luxford and one other scientist. National publicity resulted from the knowledge that a naval ship, the cruiser HMS Arethusa, was to be irradiated with gamma rays. A picture of the cruiser in position in Southampton Water off the Isle of Wight appeared on the front page of The Daily Telegraph.

Charles’s daughter tells me that he was one of the UK’s top nuclear scientists and went to Monte Bello, Australia in 1952 for the first British atomic bomb tests, as the senior scientist working for Sir William Penney (who led Britain’s nuclear weapons programme). Charles worked at the Admiralty Research Laboratory in Teddington in the 1950s and used to cycle there each day from where he lived in Hampton.

Alice Luxford (Charles's mother) died in 1939 aged 62. Her husband, re-married in 1941 to Ada Constance Gay. He was aged 62, she was 40. He died in 1949 aged 70.

Charles died on January 11th 1959 aged 55 at Ashford Hospital, Stanwell, Middlesex. It seems likely that exposure to nuclear radiation contributed to his premature death.

Work at the Admiralty Research Laboratory site in Teddington ceased in 1992 and there is now a housing development there.

 Phyllis Luxford died in 2004 aged 91.

Doris Rose Salter nee Ivall (1908-2007), missionary

Doris Rose Ivall was a granddaughter of William Ivall (1859-1940), who was a brother of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). This profile contains information from David Ivall, her nephew.

She was born on 27 September 1908 in Hampstead, North London, the eldest of four children born to William Charles Ivall (1883-1968) and his wife Florence Bessie nee Endean (1885-1960). Doris’s siblings were Hilda Annie (1910-99), Leonard Fordham (1912-91) and Dennis Endean (1921-2006). Doris’s father worked his way up from being a clerk to an accountant with Nobel’s explosives. He ended his career as joint managing director of an ICI subsidiary.

The 1911 census shows William Charles Ivall (aged 27, a book-keeper), his wife Florence Bessie (25) and daughters Doris Rose (2) and Hilda Annie (8 months) living at 87 Constantine Rd, Hampstead. There were also 2 boarders at the address.

Doris’s family were still living in Hampstead in 1912 but had moved to Chingford (also in North London) by 1921. Doris’s mother came from a Cornish family and they often visited Cornwall for holidays.

Doris with her parents and siblings.

From left : Leonard, Doris, William, Florence, Dennis and Hilda Ivall

Doris met Arthur Hubert Salter, a church minister who lived in North London and they became engaged. Arthur was the same age as Doris – he was born on 12 March 1908 (in Gibraltar).

Passenger lists show that Doris Rose Ivall arrived in New York on 6 May 1939 on board the President Harding from Southampton. She was aged 30 and her occupation was given as a student. Doris married Arthur Salter on September 29th 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. They had no children. By 1941 they were living in Toronto Canada.

The records of border crossings from Canada to the USA show Doris and Arthur Salter making journeys to the European Christian Mission in Brooklyn, New York on 3 January and 27 October 1941. The record of the latter gives Doris’s occupation as “Missionary”. Her height was 5 feet 3 inches, hair brown and eyes hazel. Doris and Arthur made a further crossing on 26 January 1945 at Port Angeles, Washington, USA with the stated purpose of resuming residence in the USA.

Arthur and Doris Salter in 1950

Arthur and Doris were both naturalised as US citizens on 3 August 1948 at the US District Court in Brooklyn, New York. Their address was 944 East 31^st Street, Brooklyn. Arthur made visits to Europe in 1950 and 1957 when his home address was given as 1101 East 35^th Street, Brooklyn.

Doris and Arthur visited relatives in England when they arrived at Southampton on 6 April 1954 on board the Queen Mary from Halifax (Nova Scotia). Their occupations are given as “Minister” (Arthur) and “H Teacher” (Doris). Doris’s mother died in 1960 aged 75 and her father in 1968 aged 85.

Arthur and Doris moved from Brooklyn to Lebanon, Pennsylvania in the 1960s when the headquarters of the Bible Christian Mission transferred there. After Doris and Arthur retired they moved to Michigan but found it too cold and so moved to Florida.

 Doris and Arthur c 1994

Arthur died on 17 June 1996 in Manatee County, Florida aged 88. Doris was living in a retirement home in Bradenton, Florida when she celebrated her 97^th birthday in 2005. She died on 5 May 2007 at Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida aged 98.

Samuel Oram MD, FRCP (1913-1991) : eminent cardiologist

Samuel Oram was a grandson of Emily Dennis nee Ivall (1845-1911), a sister of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). He was a second cousin of my mother, Grace Evelyn Taylor nee Ivall (1922-2006). This profile contains information from Who’s Who (he is listed from 1958 to 1991) and from an obituary in the British Medical Journal.

Samuel was born 11^th July 1913 in Camberwell (SE London). He came from quite a humble background. His parents were Samuel Henry Nathan Oram (1880-1953, a labourer at Sydenham gas works) and his wife Ada Oram nee Dennis (1886-1973). 

The 1921 census shows Samuel (aged 7) living at 5 Geldart Road, Camberwell with his parents Samuel (40, a boiler hand working for South Metropolitan Gas at 709 Old Kent Road) and Ada (35).

Samuel attended Peckham Central School then became a laboratory technician and had several papers published, including "Macroscopic method of demonstrating dorsal pores of lumbricus" in the School Science Review (1934). Lumbricus is a genus containing common earthworms in Europe. In 1934 he registered to study medicine at King’s College Hospital, London and qualified in 1939. His paper "Pick's disease of the pericardium" was published in the King's College Hospital Gazette that year. Samuel is listed as a registered medical practioner living at Horton Hospital, Epsom in the national register compiled in September 1939. He was awarded a gold medal by London University for his doctoral thesis in 1941. His paper "Pneumococcal septicaemia with recovery" was published in the British Medical Journal that year.

In 1940, Samuel married Ivy Rose Amato in Camberwell. They were both aged 26 and later had two daughters. His address, as given in the 1940 Medical Directory, was 38 Hooks Road, Peckham, London SE15.

Samuel served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Second World War, becoming a Lieutenant Colonel. After the war he became a consultant at King’s College Hospital and later the Senior Physician and Director of the Cardiac Department there. He introduced the technique of synchronised electrical defibrillation of the heart to the UK and with surgical colleagues, helped to establish open heart surgery at King’s. In 1960, with Mary Holt, he identified Holt-Oram syndrome, a rare condition combining upper limb abnormalities and congenital heart diseases. He wrote a textbook Clinical Heart Disease, a substantial work of 920 pages that was published in 1971, with a second edition in 1981. He was also an author of many scientific papers on cardiology. There is a ward named after him at King’s College Hospital.

His obituary (1) says that Samuel was a superb teacher, having the gift of making difficult problems clear to all. His skill as a poker player served him well in questioning students, and as a raconteur he was much in demand at medical dinners. Seventeen of his staff became consultant cardiologists, including three professors and one became a professor in the care of the elderly. Despite his busy life, Samuel served many professional organisations. He championed the cause of cardiac technicians and was delighted when asked to be the president of their society.

Samuel had some high profile patients

From Aberdeen Evening Express 17 January 1951

Telephone directories give the following addresses for Samuel Oram MB FRCP

1942-46	2 Thorndon Gardens, Ewell, Epsom
1948-50	212 Denmark Hill, London, SE5
1948-55	2 Harley St, London, W1
1952-64	123 Alleyn Park, West Dulwich, London, SE21
1956-83	73 Harley St, London, W1
1958-83	Stubb Hill Cottage, Iping, Midhurst, West Sussex
1965-83	120 Court Lane, Dulwich, London, SE21

Samuel was devoted to his family and with his wife Ivy, enjoyed the theatre. His entry in Who’s Who says another recreation was golf (execrable) ! He achieved an A Level in French when in his 60s.

After he retired, Samuel and his wife moved to 133 Cedar Drive, Chichester. Ivy died in June 1991 and Samuel on 8 November 1991 aged 78. He was survived by his two daughters and three grandchildren.

Reference 

1. British Medical Journal, Vol 304, No 6825 (Feb. 22, 1992), p.500.

Louisa Crouch nee Ivall (1855-1898)

Louisa Ivall was a younger sister of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). This profile of her life contains information from John Mottram, who is her great grandson.

Louisa was born on December 29^th 1855 at 6 Pontypool Place, Southwark. She was the eighth of nine children (five boys and four girls) born to David Ivall and his wife Elizabeth. In 1861, David Ivall’s family were living at 19 Nursery Row, Walworth (South London) and consisted of David (aged 44, a coach maker), Elizabeth (43), Georgina (17), Elizabeth (10), George (7), Louisa (5) and William (2). Nursery Row no longer exists, there is a park where the road used to be. Louisa was christened on 31 July 1867 at St John’s, Walworth. Louisa was nearly 14 by then - such a late christening is unusual. Her father David died later that year.

Louisa was a witness to her brother George’s wedding on 17th May 1875. On 6 February 1876, she married George William Crouch, at St John’s, Walworth. The marriage certificate gives his occupation as “Japanner” which means someone who applied Japanese style black hard varnish called “Japanning”. They were both aged 20 and went on to have 7 children who were born between 1876 and 1888.

The 1881 census shows George and Louisa living at 73 Bingfield St, Islington with their two eldest children George (aged 4) and Louisa (1). The occupation of Louisa’s husband is given as “Deal Furniture Maker (Cabinet Maker)”. It seems that George and his brother Alfred worked in a cabinet making business founded by their father George John Crouch. G J Crouch and Sons, Cabinet Makers, is listed in the Business Directory of London 1884 with premises at Alpha Place, Caledonian Road and York Road, Kings Cross. The York Road establishment is close to Bingfield Street, where George and Louisa lived. By 1891, the family’s address was 97 Pembroke St, Islington and consisted of George (aged 34, now a Cab Driver Groom) and Louisa (34) and their children George (14, a bradawl maker), Louisa (11), Florence (9), Charles (7), William (6), Alfred (5) and David (3).

Louisa died on 25 April 1898 aged 42 in Islington Infirmary of phthisis pulmonalis (another name for tuberculosis). She was buried at Islington Cemetery, East Finchley in an (unmarked) common grave.

The family moved to Edmonton soon after Louisa’s death, where two of her sons were accidentally drowned. The inquest was reported in the Edmonton and Tottenham Weekly Guardian, Friday 4 August 1899 :

TWO BOYS DROWNED IN A BROOK – INQUEST

On Friday afternoon last (28 July 1899), Mr Langham, deputy coroner, held a lengthy inquiry at Cemetery House, Edmonton, respecting the deaths of two lads named David Crouch, aged 10 and William Crouch, aged 14, the sons of George William Crouch, a cabman who had only resided about a week at Wimborne Road on the Church Fields Estate, Lower Edmonton and who were drowned on the previous Wednesday evening (26 July 1899) while bathing in “Salmons” brook in a hole between six and seven feet deep.

 George William Crouch, the father, said that he only moved to the present address on Monday. He never knew the boys to go into the water before. He left home to go to work about 8.10 on Wednesday evening, both boys were then at home, but must have gone out soon after.

Victor Cann, aged 8, of 4 Wimborne Rd said he met the boys across the fields and they asked him if he was going to bathe, he told them no, but he accompanied them to the brook. William went into the water first and David followed afterwards. They seemed to slip and he saw no more of them. He called out to them, but as they did not come to the surface, he ran home and told his mother and a sister of the boys.

Louisa Crouch said that she gave her brothers permission to go out. They did not say they were going bathing. Shortly afterwards the lad Cann came and told her that they were in the water and could not get out. She sent her brother and another boy to the brook and afterwards followed herself but was not allowed to see the bodies of the deceased.

Alfred Mills said he undressed and dived into the water but could not find the bodies. Some rods were obtained and soon after the bodies were recovered. The witness had seen boys bathing at that spot before.

John Newby of Ponders End, who was in charge of the Fire Station the day the council had their outing to Yarmouth, said that he heard of the occurrence and proceeded to the brook with a hitcher and pulled out both the boys. There was a hole six feet deep in the bed of the brook at this spot.

Richard Fletcher of 12 Church Lane said that he helped recover the bodies.

PC Driscoll 372N said that he and Dr Morrow attempted to restore life by artificial respiration but unfortunately failed.

The jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death adding a rider to the effect that the proper authorities should be communicated with a view to having the hole filled up.

Police Constable Driscoll drew an excellent plan of the place where the accident happened for the guidance of the jury.

George Crouch died in 1907 aged 51.

Dennis Endean Ivall (1921-2006), artist and art teacher

Dennis was a grandson of William Ivall (1859-1940), who was a brother of George Ivall (1853-1932), my great grandfather. Dennis’s parents were William Charles Ivall (1883-1968) and his wife Florence Bessie Ivall nee Endean (1885-1960). I made contact with Dennis in 2004, soon after I started my research into the Ivall family. We never met, although we spoke by phone. He kindly supplied me with a copy of the excellent research on Ivall family history he had done between 1955 and 1986. This was enormously helpful.

Dennis Ivall

Dennis’s son David sent me a copy of the tribute below.

Tribute to Dennis Endean Ivall, who passed away on 6th February 2006, aged 84 years, read at his funeral at St. Piran’s Church, Perranarworthal

Dennis Endean Ivall was born in Essex in 1921, the youngest of four children.  His father was then an accountant with ICI and his mother was a member of the Endean family of St. Agnes, so he visited Cornwall for holidays from an early age.  He attended the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Chingford, and then joined ICI.  In the Second World War he enlisted in the Ordnance Corps, seeing active service in the retreat from Burma, and later in Ceylon and the Cocos Islands, where he reached the rank of Warrant Officer, First Class.

After the war he trained as an artist and art teacher, and it was at this period that he became engaged to Irene Lloyd-Jones, the sister of his best friend from school.  Although she went out to Australia for a year, he was waiting on her return, and they married in 1952.  Working at first as a freelance artist, he later became an art teacher in Barnstaple, North Devon – the nearest to Cornwall that he could get at the time.  It was while living at Barnstaple that their two sons were born – David and Gerard.
 

In 1973, Dennis took early retirement and moved to Cornwall, living at first at Ponsanooth and then for thirty years at Perranwell.  He worked as a designer, a record agent and principally as a heraldic artist and designer, only retiring from this work when suffering from illness in the last three years of his life.

Heraldic art was his great passion, and he carried out the design and painting of coats of arms for many clients across the world.  He was the author of the book Cornish Heraldry and Symbolism and, among the work he carried out in Cornwall, was the painting of the organ panels at Cuby church, the repainting of the coat of arms at St.Dennis after the fire and the design and painting of a banner for St.Agnes and, of course, the banner of St. Piran in this church.

Heraldry and his military service gave rise to an interest in army insignia and badges and, with Professor Charles Thomas, he was the author and illustrator of Military Insignia of Cornwall.  He was a founder member of the Cornwall Militaria Group, and a long serving member of the Perranarworthal branch of the British Legion.
 

His enthusiasm for heraldry led Dennis to join the Order of St.Lazarus, an international charitable order founded in the Holy Land.  He was a member of the Commandery of Avalon in the West Country, and became Judge of Arms of the Commandery, of the Bailiwick of England and then of the whole order worldwide, attaining the rank of Knight Grand Cross.   
   

His other great interest was family history, and in his researches over the years he succeeded in tracing his Ivall ancestors back to the seventeenth century in Hampshire, and his Endean ancestors in Cornwall back to the fifteenth century.  He was a founder member of the Cornwall Family History Society, a committee member for a number of years and, among his projects for the Society, he and Irene recorded and plotted all the memorial inscriptions in Perranarworthal churchyard.  He also studied the Cornish language, becoming a bard of the Cornish Gorseth, and served on the Gorseth Council. 

Although he was such a talented artist, with a worldwide clientele, he was always ready to lend his talents to local activities, whether painting scenery for Carnon Downs Drama Group, drawing posters for the Women’s Institute or touching up the lettering on the war memorial. 

Dennis is survived by Irene, his wife for over fifty years, his two sons and his elder sister in America.  He will be remembered by them as a loving, gentle man, always supportive, never criticising.  He will be remembered by everyone else as someone always cheerful, always with a friendly word or a joke (even if not a very good one), always ready to help.  We shall miss him.