William Castle Cleary (1886 - 1971)

Born 14 Mar 1886 in East Shefford, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Rosalind Clara Gwendoline (Crosbie) Cleary — married 1914 in Lindfield, Sussex, England, United Kingdom

Died 19 Jan 1971 at age 84 in Richmond, London, England, United Kingdom

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Sir William Castle Cleary KBE CB (14 March 1886 – 19 January 1971) was a senior British civil servant.^[1]

Biography

William Castle Cleary was born on 14 Mar 1886 in East Shefford, near Newbury, Berkshire, England to Augustus Castle Cleary and Kate (Wyon) Cleary. His birth was registered in Hungerford, Berkshire in the second quarter of the year, with mother's maiden name Wyon.^[2]

In 1891 William C Cleary (age 5) lived at Tower Road in Skirbeck, Lincolnshire with his mother Kate (35, Living On Own Means), sister Margaret C (3), and servant Ann Clarke (31, General Servant Domestic).^[3] William's father Augustus C Cleary (53, Clerk In Holy Orders) was a visitor at Fair Mill Vicarage, Birdcage Lane in Ottery St Mary, Devon.

William's father passed away in 1895:

• "CLEARY the reverend Augustus Castle of Sandown isle of Wight clerk died 20 October 1895 Probate London 22 January [1896] to Henry Thomas Clutten Salt Ledsam chartered accountant Robert Gerard Fox esquire and Eleanor Louisa Cleary spinster Effects £5113 3s. 5d."^[4]

In 1901 William C Cleary (age 15) lived at Mayville, Burnaby Road in East Bedford St Peter, Bedfordshire with his mother Kate (45), brother Edmund C (16), sister Margaret C (13), and servant Kate Walton (22, Cook).^[5]

William was educated at Bedford School and at Trinity College, Cambridge.^[6]

In 1911 William Castle Cleary (age 25, Civil Service Jun Insp of Elem Sch) lived at 19 Thornton Avenue in Streatham, Wandsworth, London with his mother Kate (55, Private Means), brother Edmund Castle (26, Civil Service Admiralty Clerk 1st Div Sec Dept), and two servants: Florence Annie Patrick (33, Cook General) and Edith May Ashford (17, Housemaid).^[7]

William C Cleary married Rosalind C G Crosbie in 1914. The marriage was registered in Cuckfield, Sussex in the first quarter of the year.^[8]

William and Rosalind had two children:

1. Monica Castle Cleary (1919-1994)
2. William Robert Castle Cleary (1922-1994)

William was Principal Private Secretary to Hastings Lees-Smith, Sir Donald Maclean and Lord Halifax, as Presidents of the Board of Education, between 1931 and 1935.^[9]

In 1939 William C Cleary (born in 1886) lived at 6 Cambalt Road in Putney, Wandsworth - also in the household were his wife Rosaline C G Cleary (1891) and [relationship unknown] Annie Webber (1875).^[10]

William was Principal Assistant Secretary for Elementary Education between 1940 and 1945, and Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Education between 1945 and 1950.^[11]

William was one of the Executors of his mother-in-law's estate in 1943:

• "CROSBIE Ellen Arabella of 32 Redcliffe-square Earls Court London widow died 12 May 1943 Probate Llandudno 2 September to Agnes Hilda Crosbie spinster and William Castle Cleary civil servant. Effects £8210 6s. 3d."^[12]

William's wife passed away in 1965:

• "CLEARY lady Rosalind Clara Gwendoline Castle of 29 Denbigh Gardens Richmond Surrey died 18 September 1965 at The Royal Hospital Richmond Probate London 14 December to Monica Castle Cleary spinster and Alexander John Patrick Sellar solicitor. £12859."^[13]

William Castle Cleary, born 14 Mar 1886, passed away on 19 Jan 1971 - his death was registered in Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey in the first quarter of the year.^[14]

"CLEARY sir William Castle of 29 Denbigh Gdns Richmond Sy died 19 January 1971 Probate London 4 March. £23499."^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ His Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Castle_Cleary
2. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XP6-LWM : 1 October 2014), William Castle Cleary, 1886; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Hungerford, Berkshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England. [mother's maiden name included on the GRO Index (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp)]
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WRTT-L2M : 1 March 2021), William C Cleary in household of Kate Cleary, Skirbeck, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lincolnshire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. [additional details from the same record on findmypast (paid account needed): https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBC/1891/0017630841]
4. ↑ "UK Wills & Probate, 1858-1996" (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) Cleary, 1896.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS3Z-96L : 20 May 2019), William C Cleary in household of Kate Cleary, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Bedford And Kempston subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. [additional details from the same record on findmypast (paid account needed): https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBC/1901/0009463909]
6. ↑ Education details from his Wikipedia entry.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW5V-P37 : 9 May 2019), William Castle Cleary in household of Kate Cleary, Wandsworth, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. [additional details from the same record on findmypast (paid account needed): https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBC/1911/RG14/02325/0369/3]
8. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:268M-H4F : 13 December 2014), William C Cleary and null, 1914; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1914, quarter 1, vol. 2B, p. 245, Cuckfield, Sussex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
9. ↑ Employment details from his Wikipedia entry.
10. ↑ "1939 UK Register" on findmypast (https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1939-register) Entry for William C Cleary: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript/preview?id=TNA/R39/0617/0617H/012/13 [change the last number from 13 to 14 for his wife, and to 15 for the other household member]
11. ↑ Employment details from his Wikipedia entry.
12. ↑ "UK Wills & Probate, 1858-1996" (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) Crosbie, 1943.
13. ↑ "UK Wills & Probate, 1858-1996" (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) Cleary, 1965.
14. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCY-N7GQ : 4 September 2014), William Castle Cleary, 1971; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
15. ↑ "UK Wills & Probate, 1858-1996" (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) Cleary, 1971.