Albert Tooze and Flora May Kingsbury

St John the Apostle's Church, Torquay, Devon
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Dixon - geograph.org.uk/p/1769697

Albert Tooze (b. 9 Mar 1880), the youngest son of Thomas Tooze and Caroline Cotterell, married Flora May Kingsbury (bap. 6 Jun 1880 in Sutton Waldron, Dorset), daughter of Henry John Kingsbury and Elizabeth Lancey, at St John's Church, Torquay, Devon, on 28 Mar 1903. Both Albert and Flora listed as 22 and gave their address as 14 Braddons Street, Torquay.

Albert and Flora had two children:

1. Albert Henry Tooze b. 25 Apr 1903 J Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT Vol 05B Page 117, bap. Whit Sunday, 31 May 1903 at St John's, Torquay.
2. Alice May Tooze b. 9 Jun 1906 S Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT Volume 05B Page 117, bap. 22 Jul 1906, at St John's Church, Torquay.

Upon marriage, Albert gave his rank as Stoker H.M.S. Albert Tooze had joined the Royal Navy on 2 Dec 1902. At that time, he was 5 ft 4 in with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion and signed up for 12 years. By 4 Dec 1914, he'd grown to 5 ft 6 in and gained some tattoos: on his right forearm was a woman's head and "FLORRIE" and on his left forearm, a figure playing a flute. Obviously, these were images of some importance to him.

Albert's date of birth on his naval record is 9 Mar 1881, but his birth was registered in the March quarter of 1880 and he was baptised on 16 May 1880. The one year difference could be a simple error, or there may have been some reason why he needed to be a year younger when he signed up. Either way, I think it safe to accept that 9 Mar 1880 was his actual birthday.

In 1911, Albert Tooze (31) Stoker Petty Officer from Holcombe Rogus, Devonshire, was living in Plymouth South East, along with wife, Flora May Tooze (30), Albert Henry Tooze (7) and Alice May Tooze (4).

On 29 Aug 1913, Albert was assigned to HMS Highflyer (1898). From August 1914, she was assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron in the Central Atlantic to intercept German commerce raiders and protect Allied shipping. Albert will have been with the ship when she sank the German armed merchant cruiser SMS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off the coast of Spanish Sahara.

Albert Tooze died on 13 Jul 1915 at San Vicente Hospital, Cape Verde, from shock following the amputation of a leg crushed between lighter and ship, coaling on 23 Jun. Chief Stoker Albert Tooze, HMS Highflyer, is buried at the Mindelo Municipal Cemetery, Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde.

Flora May Tooze (née Kingsbury) died, aged 71, in 1951 S Quarter in PLYMOUTH Volume 07A Page 596. She never remarried.

• Albert Henry Tooze (23) Electric Fitter at HM Dockyard, married Lilian Mabel Turner (21), in December 1926 at Emmanuel church, Compton Gifford, Plymouth. Lilian Mabel and two of their children returned from Singapore in 1946. Albert Henry Tooze died in 1987 and Lilian Mabel Tooze in 1992, both in Birkenhead, Cheshire.
• Alice May Tooze married William Henry James Barrett on 17 Aug 1936 at St Jude's Church, Plymouth. They had one son, Peter Barrett (1943-2020). William Henry James Barrett died on 11 Jan 1972 and Alice May Barrett, on 18 Sep 1980, both in Plymouth.

Henry John Kingsbury and Elizabeth Lancey

St Mary's church, Pilton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Searle - geograph.org.uk/p/3513540

Henry John Kingsbury (bap. 17 May 1849 in Sutton Waldron, Dorset) son of John Kingsbury and Matilda Lawrence, married Elizabeth Lancey (bap. 31 Aug 1845 in Pilton, Devon) daughter of James Lancey and Mary Scamp, at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Pilton on 26 Feb 1879. At the time of their marriage, both were Servants and Henry was resident at "Exbury, in the County of Southampton". (Exbury House on the Solent, was rented by Conservative MP for Barnstaple, Devon, Colonel Sir George Stucley, to pursue his pastime of yacht-sailing. Kingsbury was his Butler.) One of the witnesses to the marriage was Eliza Lancey, Elizabeth's sister. Both fathers, John Kingsbury and James Lancey were listed as being Gardeners.

Henry and Elizabeth had five children:

1. Flora May Kingsbury b. 1880 J Quarter in SHAFTESBURY Volume 05A Page 246, bap. 6 Jun 1880 in Sutton Waldron, Dorset.
2. Matilda Mary Kingsbury b. 1881 J Quarter in SHAFTESBURY Volume 05A Page 239, bap. 26 Jun 1881 in Sutton Waldron, Dorset.
3. Alice Mabel Kingsbury b. 1882 J Quarter in BIDEFORD Volume 05B Page 523. (No baptism found)
4. Elizabeth Kingsbury b. 1885 M Quarter in BIDEFORD Volume 05B Page 498, bap. 1 Mar 1885 at St Mary, Bideford
5. Henry John Kingsbury b. 1889 M Quarter in BIDEFORD Volume 05B Page 501, bap. 24 Feb 1889 in Bideford

In 1881, Henry John Kingsbury (32) was Butler to Sir George Stucley (68) at Moreton House, Bideford, Devon, where the then 'Deputy Lieutenant for the Counties of Devon & Cornwall, Baronet, Justice of the Peace', his wife and two youngest sons were waited upon by no less than thirteen servants. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Kingsbury (35) Butler's wife and Flora M Kingsbury (0) were living at Moreton Cottage, 4, Higher Meddon Street, Bideford, Devon.

In 1891, Henry John Kingsbury (42) was still Butler to Sir George Stucley (79) Magistrate, although the then three members of the family were having to 'make do' with the reduced circumstances of having merely 10 servants. Elizabeth Kingsbury (45) was living at 7 River View, Bideford with Matilda M Kingsbury (9), Alice M Kingsbury (8), Elizabeth Kingsbury (6), Henry J Kingsbury (2) and Charles F Lancey (17) Nephew, Apprentice Gardner. Eldest daughter, Flora (listed as Florence) (10) was at that time, a Visitor in the household of Mary E Sanders (65) Widow, in Regents Park, Heavitree, Exeter, in whose household also was Eliza Lansey (sic), who was her aunt.

In 1901, Henry J Kingsbury (52) Retired Butler - Sir George Stucley had died in 1900 and presumably left his 'Retainer' in a position to be able retire early - was living at Higher Gunstone, River View Terrace, Bideford with Elizabeth Kingsbury (55), Alice M Kingsbury (18), Elizabeth Kingsbury (16) and Henry J Kingsbury (12). F M Kingsbury [Flora May] (20) was a Schoolroom Maid in Holcombe Burnell, Devon. While Matilda Kingsbury (19) was a Lady's Maid in the household of Harriet Compton (57) Widow, in Andover, Hampshire. (Harriet Granville married Henry Compton, Esq. on 28 Dec 1870. She and Sir George Stucley's second wife, Louisa Granville, were daughters of Bernard Granville, Esq of Wellesbourne Hall, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.)

In 1911, Henry John Kingsbury (62) Retired Butler, Elizabeth Kingsbury (65), Alice Mabel Kingsbury (28) and Elizabeth Kingsbury (26) were still living in Bideford. Flora May had married in 1903 and Matilda in 1908. Henry John Kingsbury (22) from Bideford, Devon was described as a WHOLESALE MANCHESTER WAREHOUSEMAN in Southwark, at 95 Southwark St and a curious note: (MilitaryDisposition) MESSRS. COOK'S EMPLOYEES, one assumes Thomas Cook & Son, who had transported the British Army up the Nile in 1884, so conceivable they were still undertaking military contracts. 

In 1921, Henry John Kingsbury (72) and Elizabeth Kingsbury (75) were living at 4, Lansdowne [Terrace], Bideford, Devon with their daughter, Elizabeth Kingsbury (36) School Teacher for Devon County Council at Church Infants' School, Bideford and Eliza Lancy (77) Visitor (Elizabeth's sister).

Elizabeth Kingsbury died at 78 in 1923 in BIDEFORD Vol 05B Page 456. 

Henry John Kingsbury died, also aged 78, on 27 Oct 1927 D Quarter in BIDEFORD Volume 05B Page 520. He left his estate to Elizabeth Kingsbury, his daughter. Elizabeth never married and died, at 80, in Bideford, in 1965.

• Matilda Mary Kingsbury married Gerald Slayter on 20 Apr 1908. In 1911, Gerald Slayter (37) Butler and Mary Matilda Slayter (30) Cook-Housekeeper, were employed in the household of Francis Nicholas Blundell (30) Landowner and Farmer in Little Crosby, Lancashire. (Crosby Hall was the manorial home of the Blundell family, lords of the manor of Crosby since the Middle Ages.) Gerald Slayter died, at 48, in 1922, in Liverpool. Matilda Mary Slayter, Widow, married Charles Frederick Lancey, Widower, Gardner, who was her first cousin, at St Mary's Church, Grassendale, on 9 May 1927. Charles Frederick Lancey died, at 61, in 1935, in Liverpool South. Matilda Mary Lancey died in 1954, in Bideford, Devon.
• Alice Mabel Kingsbury married Clement Arthur Page (b. 29 Sep 1884) on 5 Aug 1912, in Bideford. They had one son, Ernest John Page, born in Frome, Somerset in 1913. In 1921, Clement A Page, Alice M Page and Ernest J Page were living in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Ernest John Page died, at 17, in Portsmouth, in 1931. Clement Arthur Page died, at 48, in Portsmouth, in 1933. Alice Mabel Page died, at 69, in 1951, in Bideford, Devon.