William John Lyons, b1880, biography

1880 Born 27/7/1880 at 1, Swan Mead, Bermondsey, Leathermarket. Parents Timothy Lyons and Elizabeth (nee Tobin) Lyons, father hide sorter. Swan Mead is apparently a former leather tannery, which has become by 2007 a home and gallery belonging to artist Kitty North. Birth Certificate.B7. -text. William John Lyons was the 2nd son of Timothy & Elizabeth Lyons, but his elder brother Stephen,1878, ( named after their grandfather) died in 1883.

Whimsical that he should be registered in The Leather Market sub-district as he grows up to work with furs and leather

The family is continually moving 1878 -1901.
1881 He appears in census with his parents, 2 year old brother Stephen & uncle David,14, his mother's orphaned younger brother.

1881 Census at 1, Swan Mead, Bermondsey
Timothy Lyons 28 married, clerk, born St.Johns
Elizabeth 26 wife born St.Johns
Stephen 2 born Bermondsey
William John 9 mths born Bermondsey
Patrick Pheien 32
David Tobin 14 brother of Elizabeth born St.Johns
In the same household is John Allen with son John,3, who is most likely the John Allen who later marries William's sister, Elizabeth,1892.

1883.Brother Stephen ,5, & sister, Margaret,1, die of scarlet fever on 2 consecutive days in October. Family living at 57, Pepler Road, Old Kent Road. Have d.cs. D6 & D5.

1891. Appears in census with his parents and sisters Ellen (6) & Mary J. (3), living 34 Kinross Street..
1891 Census
Timothy Lyons 39 married Leather Warehouseman born Bermondsey
Elizabeth 37 born Bermondsey
William 10 scholar b. Bermondsey
Ellen 6 scholar b.Southwark
Mary J. 3 b.Peckham
Living at 34, Kinross St. St.Mary Magdalen, St. Olave

1901 Appears in census with parents and sisters Helen (15), Josephine (12) & Elizabeth (9). Working as a general carman.

1901 Census
Timothy S. Lyons 48 married Dock Labourer
Elizabeth 45
William J. 19 General carman
Helen 15
Josephine 12
Elizabeth 9
David Tobin 30 Dock labourer
(David Tobin given as Brother in law)
Living at 9 Wilds Rents Bermondsey

1909 14/02/1909 Aged 28, married Jessie Sullivan , aged 25, in St. Philips Church, [Jessie was protestant], Bethnal Green. Marriage Certificate M5. Witnesses were Clara and William Alfred Lawrence Hayter. He is given as salesman, she as stationer.His father, Timothy, is given as Warehouseman, hers, John Sullivan,deceased, as Builder. A joint address is given of School House, Mount Street [Bethnal Green]..

Maybe the School House, the address given on the m.c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The interior of St.Philips Church

Jessie Sullivan was a protestant and they got married in St. Philips Church (C of E).( This church was demolished in 1961. School House was alongside it, so probably the photo shown above. ). And their daughter Hilda said that her mother turned to believing in the Catholic Church later in life.

Nothing is known of School House, Mount St., where they were residing at the time of their wedding. I feel that Jessie must have been working there. And William, being catholic, would not have known any protestant church in Bermondsey. I wonder if his Catholic parents attended the ceremony! Have investigated the Hayters: they were brother & sister, station mail porter & sewing machinist tailoring, living with their parents in Victoria Grove, Stoke Newington, Hackney, aged 30 & 27 in 1911C. They were not living in Bethnal Green in 1901C either, so nothing to link them to Bethnal Green. Mount Street was renamed Swanfield Street.

From research in LMA: 1908-9 No Lyons or Hayters in 6 - 48 Mount Street
Rev.W J Ferrar in St. Philips Vicarage but no mention of School House , but
In West Ward 2, Division 2 a Henry Withrington in St. Philips School House, Mount Street, and also a small lodger list for those entitled to vote, but no Lyons/Hayter/Sullivan, and could not find them anywhere in W2.
I also looked for info. or records on St.Philips Church / school , but nothing
In 1911C, at St.Philips School, Mount Street, B.G. N2 in 4 rooms... Henry Withrington 49 school caretaker LCC Educational b.B.G.
Eliza Jane wife 41 mar. 22 yrs, 1 child, 1 alive b.Maidstone
Henry James Edgar son 20 b.Walthamstow
Florence Louisa Ede 20 Bag Machinist boarder . . . I searched for info. on St.Philips Church/School, but nothing other than 2 of the above photos. Could there be a relationship between 'Bag machinist' and the 'paper packer' that was Jessie's job in 1901, and that Florence Ede has replaced Jessie at 'this' work.

1910. First child, Jessie Hilda Josephine, born 6/02/1910, at 11?, Portsmouth Buildings.

1911C.William John, 30, leather Salesman,, Leather Warehouse Worker, b. Bermondsey, Jessie,27, married 2 yrs, 1 child, 1 alive, b. Walworth, & Jessie Hilda Josephine, 1, b. Bermondsey. . They are still living at 21, Portsmouth Building, Tower Bridge Rd., Bermondsey in 2 rooms.

All their children were baptised at the Church of the English Martyrs, Walworth. I have copies of their baptism certificates.. SCAN or Link - where are they?? May 2010

1910. Jessie Hilda Josephine (6/02/1910) Baptised 27/02/1910.Godparents Compton & Elizabeth Amos: great uncle & aunt [Timothy’s sister] . Living at 11 Portsmouth Bldgs, Tower Bridge Road from baptism cert..

1912. Evelyn Ellen (1/09/1912). Baptised 6/10/1912. Godparent Ellen [aunt Nellie?] Lyons. Living at 10 Darwin St.

1915 Francis William (10/01/1915). Baptised 7/02/1915. Godparent Maria O’Neill. Living at 10 Darwin St.

1917 John Leonard (19/11/1917).Baptised 9/12/1917. Godparent Elizabeth Allen:W.J.'s sister. No address given.

1920 William (13/11/1920).Baptised19/12/1920. Godparent Henrietta Molloy[a nun]. Living at 21 Darwin St.

1923 Jessie Maude (23/05/1923). Baptised 10/06/1923. Living at 21 Darwin St. No godparents given

1925. Dennis Compton (9/06/1925).Baptised 2/08/1925. Living at 21 Darwin St. No godparents given[ Not after Dennis Compton,cricketer,only born 1918, but after Compton Amos [died 1918] who had married his great-aunt Elizabeth on 10/04/1898 in a protestant church! I have m.c. M10.]

10 Darwin Street, Southwark and a view of 21 Darwin Street and the whole street

I possess these baptism records. Hilda said, in 2008, that the baptism was always the baby’s first outing from the house after its birth.

From searching the Electoral Roll books in Southwark Local History Library, William John’s family first appear in 10 Darwin Street 1912-1913 [not there in 1911-1912]. They had 2 rooms on the first floor, unfurnished, and paid rent to George White.[ An Edward Evans had 2 rooms on the second floor and E.A.Winson a furnished first floor room. At this time W.G.Winson lived in 21 Darwin Street.] William John is also in the 1913-1914 book living there, but not in the 1914-1915 book, & then no books exist for the War years,1915-1917. He then moved from 10 to 21 Darwin St.[ these 2 houses being exactly opposite each other] between1915 & 1918: it is thought it was 1915-1917. And in the 1918 book he is given at 21, Darwin Street with his married sister, Elizabeth & husband, John, Allen. Here they stay through to 1931-1932[the Allens moving out after Spring 1924 and appearing at 3, Marcia Road in Autumn,1924].[ Jessie’s half sister, Maud White, leaves 10, Darwin St. by 1931. This is probably what prompted William John & Jessie to move out in 1932.]. . . .

There was a pub quite close by, the Globe, at 20 Darwin Street:- up to 1915 at least, and no. 21 itself was a pub in 1881C.. . .. . . . . .. . http://deadpubs.co.uk/LondonPubs/SouthwarkStGeorgeMartyr/index.shtml - for these details .

Jessie's children said that she was always working, from the moment she got up until she went to bed. Her mother, Hannah, lived with them until her death in 1922.[her death might also be recorded in the Church of the English Martyrs, but unlikely as she was not a catholic]

In their later lives, only daughter Jessie Maude(until her tragic death in 1944) & son Len (over in South Africa) adhered strongly to the Catholic faith. The other 5 seem to have lapsed when they got married. But Bill baptised his son ,John, a catholic?

According to Eva’s daughter, Audrey,(who is the only grandchild old enough to remember her granddad, her beloved ”Nannie” and her Aunt Jessie), William used to say: No wonder I have no luck, as my children don’t go to church.

William John Lyons went into the Army during the World War I.[Maybe the 1916 photos of his wife and the 3 children were taken for him to have with him in the army] .He joined up on 14/9/1915 and his army number is known (DM2/118592: from a medal Adam has. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) and ,from this have found:

William J. Lyons' Medal Roll card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example of enlistment form he would have signed , in 1915.

The above are his first discharge papers of 30/6/1919 [the original, now in a delicate state, passed down to son Bill 1920. and thence to his son John in 1978]. Below is a 'translation' of parts of it. I think he must then have reenlisted on 1/7/1919, as shown on the Collins docs. below. The above shows that he joined up in Sept.1915, that is, before conscription.

Also September 2007, the firm J Collins Medals Ltd did a search from the medal Roll: this records his rank as, conflictingly, A/CPL and A/Sergeant?, and states that he re enlisted [as did many others on the same date] into the RASC on 1/7/1919 at the end of the hostilities and was discharged 12 November 1919, surplus to Military requirements. Some 60% records were destroyed in the Blitz in 1940, and his must have been amongst these.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .His number belongs to the Army Service Corps. DM2 means he was a Driver[ have seen that DM2 = Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport Learners, discontinued 11/1916, but we think this is wrong]. He was an acting Sergeant in this, and probably received 1s.2d per day in training according to the above photo of a form[ of an unconnected David Bennett who enlisted as a potential driver]..The Transport training centre was at Greenwich Workhouse in Grove Park, Greater London
A = Army Service Corps Old Army Special Reserve : think this means he was trained as a reservist prior to the outbreak of war, and then transferred to be a driver. . . This was a form of part-time soldiering, in some ways similar to the Territorial Force (see below). Men would enlist into the Special Reserve for 6 years and had to accept the possibility of being called up in the event of a general mobilisation and otherwise undertake all the same conditions as men of the Army Reserve. Their period as a Special Reservist started with six months full-time training (paid the same as a regular) and they had 3-4 weeks training per year thereafter. A man who had not served as a regular could extend his SR service by up to four years but could not serve beyond the age of 40. A former regular soldier who had completed his Army Reserve term could also re-enlist as a Special Reservist and serve up to the age of 42.

All regiments had a unit (or more) dedicated to the administration and training of the Special Reservists. For example in most infantry regiments it was the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. In all there were 101 reserve battalions in existence in August 1914. Their job was to provide reinforcement drafts for the active service battalions. Staffed by regular soldiers, each SR Battalion had a complement of 8 officers, 1 RSM, 38 NCOs, 10 Drummers and 40 Privates of the regular army, and the official establishment when all reservists were on duty was a little over 600 (ie smaller than a full-scale serving battalion).

The SR men were mobilised in early August 1914. Between them and the Army Reservists they represented a large proportion of the original Divisions of the BEF that went to France that month. I do not think W.J. went, as he did not receive a 'star' medal, nor does he have a date of entry /theatre of war shown. *Special Reserve* consists of two Sections, which were divided into three categories: .

Section A is limited to 4000men. Those who elected to serve in it are liable to be called out on service in any part of the world. Section A men are not liable for more than 12 months service unless some portion of the *Special Reserve* is put on permanent service IAW the Reserve Forces Act 1882.

Category (a) consists of men enlisted in the S Irish Horse, KEH, RFA, RGA, RE etc. Term of service is 6 years except S Irish Horse which is 4 years.

Category ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif <http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif>) men are men in the Territorial Force who also agree to accept the liability of the *Special Reserve*.

/*Category © men are those who enlist as Mechanical Transport Drivers ASC, Horse Transport Drivers ASC and RFC (M.W.) Personnel for 1 year at a time and are only allowed to re-engage a year at a time. They receive no pay unless called up and service limit age is 50 years. They cannot transfer to any other branch of the special Reserve during their term of serv*ice./

The above is a quick synopsis of the Reserve forces in *1914*. I hope I elaborated the salient points. Note that there was no Section C.

So your Section A and B men were sent immediately to the Regular Battalions as these men had recently (with-in past 5 years) served with the colours. The Section D men were sent to the *Special Reserve* Battalion.

He appears in the Electoral Roll Book for 1918 at 21 Darwin Street, even though not finally discharged till November 1919. He did bring a German clock home, which was, probably, rescued from Kenton after the 1944 bombing and had pride of place in son’s, Frank’s, home until Joan’s death in 2006 and now it is in the possession of Frank’s eldest grandchild, Giles Richardson. He also brought back presents from the war for at least the 3 eldest children..
The above card shows he received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, now in the possession of Adam Richardson..

The British War Medal 1914-1920, authorised in 1919, was awarded to eligible service personnel and civilians. Qualification for the award varied slightly according to service. The basic requirement for army personnel and civilians was that they either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. Service in Russia in 1919 and 1920 also qualified for the award.
Victory MedalVictory Medal

The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was also authorised in 1919 and was awarded to all eligible personnel who served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre.

The children went to the Paragon School in Searles Road in their early years and then on to different secondary schools. Hilda to the Mina Road Central School.

He obviously believed in education as he enabled Francis to make full use of his scholarship, to gain entrance to the Mercers school (even though Latin had to be mastered by the 11 year old in 6 months)

Len to
Bill to ......and,probably, to Priestmead School in Kenton

It will probably not be possible to ascertain where Jessie attended secondary school. Dennis went to Priestmead School in Kenton.

According to Hilda, each child had their own chore to do in the household. Hilda ‘s job was the stairs , whilst Len’s was scrubbing the kitchen table. They had to change out of their uniforms on their return from school. Washing occupied all day on Mondays. (As it seemed to do a generation later in the 1950s in my childhood in Wanstead Park & Woodford, albeit for a much smaller family unit). Mother Jessie made all the children’s clothes using McCalls patterns and material from the market. (These patterns were still in existence up to the 1980s at least & certainly Joan & Eva also made their children’s clothes.) A photo of William’s eldest 3 children, aged ~ 6,4 & 1, shows most elaborate clothes – no doubt for very special occasions. With each new birth, the first outing for the baby was to church to be baptised.

1922 Mother-in-law Hannah Sullivan[Andrews] dies10/02/1922 at 21,Darwin Street,[Southwark], aged 71. d.c.. DS1 .

1923 6/12/1923. Father, Timothy ,dies, aged 71.Death Certificate .D3. Buried in Leytonstone Cemetery, 13/12/1923. Have English Martyrs’ record.

1924. 5/03/1924. Mother, Elizabeth,dies, aged 69..Death Certificate .D4 . Buried in Leytonstone Cemetery, 10 /03/1924. Have English Martyrs’ record.

1932. Moved to 9,Kenton Gardens, Harrow. The purchasing of 9, Kenton Gardens must have been a very big step for William & family. Had a telephone here by 1933,[Wordsworth 1218] unusual for those times, but perhaps William could justify it for his work. They used to go to Belgium & France for their holidays; by boat to Ostend, and then by land along the coast to Blankenberghe & Heist. I suspect the photo of them at the start of this page was taken on such a holiday. Hilda & Eva accompanied them on these holidays. A new passport was obtained in 1937, but this was never used.

. .William on the boat to Blankenberghe ~ 1936 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .Blankenberghe Belgium

.Jessie & William Blankenberghe ~1936 . . . . . . .. . .Jessie, William , Jessie & Joan White c. 1943, south coast?

Occupation. From being a salesman in 1920 he worked tremendously hard and became a successful Fur and Skin Trader. I cannot find him listed in any Trade Directories as such and JL has confirmation that he was never a member of the Leathersellers Guild.. He appears to have worked by himself and used to say that his diary was his office. He worked in the Fur industry, his passport stating that he was a fur and skin broker. This included buying furs from the Hudson Bay Company, whose auctions were held at Garlick Hill, EC4. Family lore, from son William 1920 through to his son John 1946, says that he used to socialize at the pub with a cousin Stephen, who had son[s] working for this company. I now think that this would have been Stephen Patrick 1882, who indeed had 3 sons. Some of these sons are thought to have emigrated to Canada. I have failed to find any Canada immigration for any of these 3 through to 1935.[ these records being on Ancestry] .Dec2009. I contacted the HBC in Canada, and they replied they had no such Lyons records ,Jan 2010.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neighbour, Mr Myers of 5 Kenton Gardens.

1939. Appears on the Electoral Roll at 9 Kenton Gardens, with wife Jessie and son, Francis William. Children Bill 1920, Jessie 1923 & Dennis 1925 too young to appear, but also no mention of Len 1917. Neighbours the same as in 1944 when the fateful V1 struck.

During the war, they rented a cottage at Loudwater, near High Wycombe, to escape from the bombs. It is thought this cottage/bungalow belonged to a friend. But they had returned to Harrow from there by summer 1944, thinking that the danger from attacks had died down. Jessie had indeed tried to persuade her sister, Maud, to stay with them at Kenton, feeling this was a safer place than Brockley.

Once war broke out in Sept. 1939, he soon decided to make a will, and this ,dated 6/10/1940, states he was a temporary Government clerk, and he left everything to Jessie, his wife. His children, Eva & Frank, were the administrators of this. I have a copy of this. Eva and husband, Harry, were the witnesses for the will.
As far as we know William was still working [ almost certainly still as a government clerk] in 1944 when a doodlebug(German V1) flattened 9, Kenton Gardens soon after 8a.m.on 28 June – Jessie’s 61st birthday. Daughter Jessie had returned from Cheltenham, where she was seconded to the American Air Force, the previous night to be with her mother on her birthday. William was taken to Stanmore Orthopaedic Hospital but was declared dead before any of his relatives arrived there.The two Jessies were killed outright, Eva’s husband, Harry, having to identify young Jessie who was unrecognisable. Son Bill,1920, was informed by War Office telegram whilst serving with the RAF in Japan.

Died 28/06/44 Killed by a doodlebug at 9 Kenton Gardens.
Possess probate document, record of deaths in Civilian War Dead, [giving the 3 Lyons , Ann Littleton, 9, at no.11 and Emma Mason, 57, at no. 13 on the same page] ,newspaper article from 1985 on Kenton Garden fly bomb,- do I need to scan this??- and an eyewitness account of the bomb and its aftermath from Newton Myers,aged 12 at the time, who lived two houses away in 5 Kenton Gardens. CWGC site also lists 9 of the dead.

5 Kenton Gardens. Myers, father( mother had died at start of 1944), Barbara daughter aged about 22, died c.2003, (married in 1942 to Lou) & Newton (12).
7 Kenton Gardens. Delport( Suzanne & Vincent, in publishing).
9 Kenton Gardens. Lyons( William, Jessie, Jessie(21) & Dennis(19, & not in house that morning).
11 Kenton Gardens. Littleton( Mr & Mrs G.S., & 3 children, only 1 of whom, Ann, aged 9 ,seems to have died).Also Brian Fosbrook Purdy, aged 8, and his mother Ivy Ellen Purdy, aged 38, of 11 Kenton Gardens, died.[ Father & husband was Harold Fosbrook Purdy, RAF]. Were the Littletons & Purdys related? : the Purdys were not on the 1939 Electoral Roll
13 Kenton Gardens. Mason , Emma, 57, died. Husband was William Louis.

15 Kenton Gardens . Amelia Alice Emily Rohrs, 58, died. She was wife of Herman John Fletcher Rohrs.

3 Kenton Lane[ this is at the bottom of the gardens of the above Kenton Gardens houses] . Alan John Michaelis, aged 7 hours, was injured here and died at Harrow & Wealdstone Hospital

A total of 13[ of who only the 9 mentioned above found on CWGC site] people were killed by this V1. All 3 Lyonses are recorded on the CWGC site[ no extra details]; another 6 of the dead from this doodlebug also listed .

Probate was granted on 14/12/44 .William left £5,366.7.4.gross and £3,462.7.6.net.

Only one of their 8 grandchildren can remember them and they never knew of the existence of the last four of them. They were buried in Wealdstone cemetery ; I have never seen their grave but hope to see it within the next year.

. The church that they probably attended, St.Mary the Virgen, has no record of their funeral: maybe the Chapel that then existed in Wealdstone cemetery was used. It is thought a wake might have taken place at the Rest Hotel, which still stands.

Places he lived. Photos of houses 1880-1932 on Timothy Lyons page.

1880-1. 1 Swan Mead
1883 57, Pepler Road
1885 41 Stamford Street
1888 11 Goldsmith Terrace Peckham
1891. 34, Kinross Street
1891 . . 10 Block D, Peabody Buildings, Bermondsey
1898-1908. 9, Wilds Rents
1909 Mount Street, Bethnal Green.
1910-11. 21, Portsmouth Building, Tower Bridge Rd., Bermondsey.
1912-1932 Darwin Street ,first at no.10 until 1915, then at no.21.
1933-1944 9, Kenton Gardens

Children of William John Lyons: Hilda. . Eva. . Len. . . Bill. Jessie. . Dennis

William John Lyons, 1880 -1944