Adolphe Jacques Froissant & Emma Jane Rundle Trevail

St George's Church, Hanover Square, London W1
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1533353

Adolphe Jacques Froissant (b. 8 Feb 1844 in Binas, Loir-et-Cher, France), Bachelor, Cook of Belgrave Square, London, son of Pierre Jacques Alexandre Froissant and Victoire Honorine Langer, married Emma Jane Rundle Trevail (bap. 25 Feb 1843 in Luxulyan, Cornwall), daughter of Joseph Trevail and Jane Rundle, at St George's, Hanover Square on 4 Apr 1867.

The couple had one daughter:

1. Florence Emma Froissant b. 29 Nov 1871 (Registered 1872 M Quarter in ST GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE Volume 01A Page 346), bap. 21 Jul 1875 at Christ Church, Down Street, Mayfair.

In 1881, Adolphe Froissant (37) Cook (Unemployed) from France was living at 9, Worcester Street, London with Emma J Froissant (38) Wife, Lodging House Keeper from Cornwall, England; Florence E Froissant (9) Daughter born in Pimlico; Harry Keam (17) Joiner from Cornwall; Eliza Stevens (17) General servant; Henry Griffin (24) and William E Beckett (20) Lodgers.

Adolphe Jacques Froissant of 9 Worcester Street, Pimlico died, aged 47, on 26 Dec 1890 (1890 D Quarter in WINDSOR Volume 02C Page 288). Probate was granted to Emma Froissant, to whom he left an estate valued at £426.

In 1891, still at 9, Worcester Street, St George Hanover Square, London, were Emma J Froissant (48) Widow, Landlady; Florence E Froissant (19), Harry Keam (27) Joiner, Cousin; and Sarah A Day (19) Servant.

The Herts Advertiser of 22 Oct 1892 reported on, "... the temporary transfer of the licence of the Royal Oak, Windsor Street [Luton] to Mrs Emma Froissant of London. The references proving satisfactory, the application was granted." And on 8 July 1893, the Luton Reporter listed the Royal Oak transferring from Emma Froissant to Henry Mellins Ollivant.

In 1901, listed as Emily Froissant (57) Widow from Luxulyan, Cornwall, she was living at 14, Balfern Grove, Chiswick with Florence Froissant (27) Daughter and Harry Keam (37) Carpenter and Joiner. (At that same time, Emma's sister, Dahlia Orton, was living next door at 16 Balfern Grove.)

As 'Emily' Froissant, Emma Jane Rundle Froissant died, at 66, on 16 Feb 1909 (1909 J Quarter in BRENTFORD Vol 03A Page 54). Probate was granted to her brother, Charles Trevail & brother-in-law, Charles Archer.

In 1911, Florence Froissant (claiming to be 29) Actress from Belgravia, London was Boarding at 7 William St, Leamington, Warwickshire.

In the 2nd quarter of 1911, Florence E Froissant married a Henry E Wright, in Grantham, Lincolnshire. There are no clues to Henry Wright's origins.

In 1921, there was a Florence Emma Wright (52) Widowed, from Kensington, London at a Boarding House in Great Clacton, Essex, which could relate.

There was a picture of Florence Froissant on a page of "Stage Gossip" in the Leicester Chronicle of 4 Jul 1925, which carried the following item:

Chef to a King

A passion for Paris is confessed to by Miss Florence Froissant, of the "Chuckles" company. Her father was French, and was chef to King Edward VII, after holding similar high positions in Paris, where Miss Froissant was herself trained originally as a modiste. She had the nasty experience when playing once at the Coliseum, Portsmouth, of falling down eight flights of stairs, but just managed to go on and give her act. Florence tells me that among other things she has been pianist to R. G. Knowles.

Her father was certainly French and a cook/chef. Living in Belgravia and dying in Windsor, I already felt sure he must have worked for the Royal Family or closely within their circle. However, Adolphe Froissant couldn't have worked for a king who ascended the throne in 1901, when he'd already died in 1890, but I suppose it possible he did so while Edward was still Prince of Wales. 

There are newspaper reports that confirm Florence worked with R. G. Knowles at least in 1911 and was appearing at the Empire (later Coliseum), Portsmouth in 1912. As to the rest, it's impossible to confirm or deny.

Florence Froissant, using her maiden (and professional) name, appears at theatres around the UK and Ireland through until the end of the 1920s. She appears in comedy, music hall, musical theatre, vaudeville and panto. She was appearing on South Parade Pier, Southsea, in "a lavish production in seven scenes" of Cinderella, which opened on Boxing Day 1927 and featured, a snow ballet and the parade of an "electrically illuminated crystal coach drawn by midget ponies". Florence Froissant, who played the Fairy Godmother, according to Keith Prowse featured the song Charmaine (written in 1926 and published in 1927, later made popular by The Bachelors in 1963). 

It hasn't [yet] been possible to discover what happened to her next, but I suppose her death would be registered under Florence Emma Wright, of whom there have been many, so without knowing where and what age she may have been claiming to be, impossible to isolate the relevant record.

Karl Kritzer and Lilian Emily Jones

Cathedral Road, Cardiff
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Drayton - geograph.org.uk/p/1496808

Karl Kritzer (b. 3 Nov 1875), son of Wilhelm Kritzer and Flora Gleichauf, in 1901, was butler to John P Ingledew, Solicitor, at 9 Cathederal Road, St John, Cardiff. There, in the 1st quarter of 1905, an Anglicized, Charles Kritzer married Lilian Emily Jones, daughter of Samuel and Fanny Theresa Jones. 

Karl and Lilian's daughter, Flora Theresa Lillian Kritzer was born at the end of 1905 and, in 1911, was living with her grandparents in Gloucester, while her father was employed as butler to Henry Webb (Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Webb, 1st Baronet), Liberal MP for the Forest of Dean, at 2 Seymour Street, St Marylebone, London, while her mother, Lady's Maid to Lady Webb, was at the Webb's country house at Llwynarthan, Castleton, Monmouthshire.

When I saw who Karl was working for in the run up to WWI, I knew there was going to be a story. By accident of his birth and the position of his employer, Karl found himself under scrutiny. Hardly surprising, but quite shocking. 

The Great Spy Peril: Enemy Aliens in Great Britain

For context, it's important also to understand that Sunday newspaper, John Bull, was at that time a platform for Horatio Bottomley's "trenchant populist views" (read gammon: clearly reactionary and given to melodrama by the style of his writing), but it had estimated sales by August 1914 in excess of three quarters of a million copies a week. Bottomley was described as an English financier, journalist, editor, newspaper proprietor, swindler, and Member of Parliament. (When exposed, he was convicted, imprisoned and expelled from parliament.) Evidently, he judged others based on his own standards. 

Secondly, as to the actual level of threat from Espionage in 1914, it was shown to be predominantly paranoia and put down to Journalistic fantasy:

"An unprecedented 'spy mania' gripped Britain. Although 21 real German spies were arrested on 4 August, thousands of imaginary acts of espionage were reported to credulous police and military authorities." 

In an article published in John Bull on October 24th, 1914, Bottomley starts off by referring to German people as "Teutons", a word that has been used - and it feels this is the intent - as a derogatory term. Mentioning Karl Kritzer by name, Bottomley tries to make something out of the observations - of him merely going about his duties - and imaginings of a cook, the so-called Mrs Stacey (having researched, I find she is single and strongly suspect that 'elevating' her status to that of a married woman was an attempt to make her seem a more reliable witness), who opines that "Kritzer was always an objectionable person." (Probably nowhere near as objectionable to someone less bigoted.) Bottomley calls her "loyal and patriotic", while referring to Karl Kritzer as "a traitor to her King and country" and "one of the Kaiser's blood". He offers no evidence for these accusations (there won't be any). 

It's not every day one's relatives are mentioned in the same breath as then Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith; Home Secretary, Reginald McKenna, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Wilhelm II, German Emperor and the House of Hohenzollern, though for all the wrong reasons. 

They have no evidence, of course, but also attempt to make an issue of Karl returning to Germany shortly before the war. The records show that Karl's father was born in 1844, which would make him 70 in 1914. An entirely plausible age then for the man to be ill or dying. It's a particularly low blow.

Another article in The Strathearn Herald, published on the very same date, October 24, 1914 - which frankly reads like Bottomley wrote it himself - praises the John Bull and Bottomley for doing "a national service in calling attention to the spy peril in our midst" and goes further, saying "Karl Kritzer, in the employment of Mr Webb, a member of His Majesty's Government, may not be a spy; neither may the humblest German barber: but there is just this - they are both alien enemies, and as such a danger to the country ..." Evidence?

We learn quite a bit about Karl Kritzer from an article in the Western Mail, on Friday October 30, 1914, where Harry Webb, MP, is given the opportunity of responding. Karl had been in his employ since 1908 and it confirms many of the details that I have also been able to research, such as Karl's naturalisation, Certificate A21115 issued 18 October 1911, which was signed by then Home Secretary, W. S. Churchill (I have a copy). Webb's manner of defending Karl Kritizer, does indeed seem to me to be the behaviour that a "decent, honourable man ought to pursue towards his servant."

Despite all this, we know Karl kept his job long after the end of the hostilities, because the following appeared in the Western Mail of 8 January 1921:

LLWYNARTHAN STAFF DANCE

After a lapse of six years, occasioned by the war, the annual staff dance at Llwynarthan, Castleton, Cardiff, the residence of Col. Sir Henry and Lady Webb, was revived on Thursday evening. The ball-room and smoke-rooms, originally a part of the old farmhouse, were converted into hospital wards during the war, and since being vacated by the patients, several alterations have been carried out. A happy party, numbering between 60 and 70, were entertained. Sir Henry and Lady Webb, and the members of the house party, did everything in their power to ensure the success of the function. Supper was laid in the dining-room, and after mutual expressions of esteem and goodwill, Sir Henry and Lady Webb left the staff and their friends at about midnight to their own devices. Thanks to the very admirable arrangements made by Mrs. Wynn and Mr. Charles Kritzer, a thoroughly happy and enjoyable time was spent.

Now who's the loyal servant, eh?  

In 1921, Charles Kritzer (36) Butler, still in the employ of Sir Henry Webb, was at Llwynarthan, St Mellons, Monmouthshire, Wales, while Lilian Kritzer (35) Lady's Maid was a boarder at the Beaufort Hotel, Monmouth, with Sir Henry Webb himself and other servants and the second Lady Webb, formerly Helena Kate de Paula. Their daughter, Flora Kritzer (15), was an Inmate at St Edwards Residential College, Totteridge, Middlesex (St Edward's School for Roman Catholic Girls), along with her cousin, Molly Kritzer (15).

Flora T L Kritzer married a William B Connors, in Cardiff, in 1929. It appears they had one child, in 1939. Karl Kritzer had died in 1933, in Faversham, Kent, aged 57 and on 6 Feb 1935, Lillian Emily Kritzer departed Southampton for New York, aboard the RMS Berengaria (formerly SS Imperator) The first Cunard "Queen". The trip appears just to have been a holiday / visit. Lillian, then employed as a barmaid, was living at 20 Effingham Street, Belgravia in 1939. Retired, Lilian Emily Kritzer of 2 Cross Roads, Holywell, Wales, died, aged 75, and was buried on 13 Mar 1962 in Bagillt, Flintshire, Wales.