Leyton Crowley (1897 - 1986)

Born 13 Nov 1897 in Leytonstone, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Emily Louisa Edith (Soper) Crowley — married 12 Nov 1930 in Ecchinswell, Hampshire, England

Descendants

Died 25 Dec 1986 at age 89 in Holsworthy Hospital, Devon

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Valerie Crowley [send private message]

Biography

Leyton, son of Job Crowley and Edith Kate Gage, was born at Leytonstone in 1897 ^{[1] [2]} In 1901 he is with his parents and two brothers at 418, Roc Street, Walthamstow. ^[3] The family moved to Reading to 126, Whitley Street and sister May had been born, and Harringdon had a job as porter at a local hotel. ^[4] He ran his first shop when he was about 13, a general second hand/antique shop in Union Street Reading (which he later sold to Tesco's which was their first shop). He joined the Royal Navy Seamens Services (later became the Fleet Air Arm). ^{[5] [6] [7]}
After the war he continued wheeling and dealing in antiques and was becoming very inspired by painting, going off to places like Appledore, Devon with his fellow artist friend, George Washbrook for painting holidays, until his marriage in 1930 to Emily Soper at Ecchinswell, near Kingsclere ^[8]
They moved into their first home Sundial (with two puppies given to them as wedding presents!) After the birth of their first son, Michael, they moved to Kingston and Ley branched out into pie making which he sold to Marks and Spencers. ^{[9] [10]} Second son, David was born in 1938 and Ley bought Bishops Farm in Oakley Green near Windsor where they went for weekends. It was here that Emily insisted that the family went to one night, despite having little petrol, only to find next day that their house in Kingston had been bombed! So they moved to Bishops Farm, Oakley Green, Nr Windsor, meanwhile Ley had rented an art studio/flat in Teddington ^[11] and worked as a buyer and valuer for Oestmans furniture store. Son David contracted polio in 1941.
After the war they sold Bishop's Farm and bought Highcliff Castle, which he later sold and bought Burgh Island which he and the family turned into self-catering flats. Having sold Burgh Island he moved to Ridgeway, Egham, then Maidenhead, Chagfords, Maidenhead, Burnham and finally he and Edie moved to Devon to live with their son David and family Ley died on Christmas morning 1986 at Holsworthy Hospital, Devon. ^[12] Probate on his Will was granted in 1987 ^[13] and he and his wife were buried at Bulkworthy churchyard, Devon.

Sources

1. ↑ . Eng & W Civil Registration of Birth - West Ham
2. ↑ FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
3. ↑ Class: RG13; Piece: 1627; Folio: 68; Page: 21
4. ↑ Class: RG14; Piece: 6585; Schedule Number: 285
5. ↑ The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England; Kew, Surrey, England; Air Ministry: Air Member for Personnel and Predecessors: Airmen's Records; Series Number: AIR 79
6. ↑ The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 630
7. ↑ UK Naval Medal and Award Rolls - Class: ADM 171; Piece: 99
8. ↑ Eng & W Civil Registration of Marriage - Ecchinswell General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 2c; Page: 655
9. ↑ 1,London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London City Directories
10. ↑ 1,London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London City Directories
11. ↑ Electoral Registers. London, England: London Metropolitan Archives.
12. ↑ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 21; Page: 1214
13. ↑ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Eng & W Civil Registration of Birth - West Ham FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Eng & W Civil Registration of Marriage - Ecchinswell General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 2c; Page: 655 Eng & W Civil Registration of Death - Holsworthy General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 21; Page: 1214

Eng & W National Probate Calendar of Wills. - Will proven:- Oxford 16.4.1987 Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

UK Royal Navy Air Services (pieces 580. 646)-The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 630 UK Naval Medal and Award Rolls - Class: ADM 171; Piece: 99 UK Royal Air Force Airmans Records 1917- The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England; Kew, Surrey, England; Air Ministry: Air Member for Personnel and Predecessors: Airmen's Records; Series Number: AIR 79

Census - 1901 Walthamstowe, 1911 - Reading Class: RG14; Piece: 6585; Schedule Number: 285 Class: RG13; Piece: 1627; Folio: 68; Page: 21

Art studio Ancestry.com. London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Electoral Registers. London, England: London Metropolitan Archives. cooked meat 1,London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London City Directories 2.London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London City Directories