Cyril Hood

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Cyril Hood was born 12 September 1908 in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales ^[1] and was baptised on 3 November 1908 in Newport St John Evangelist, Monmouthshire, Wales. ^[2] He is the son of John Angus Hood and Sadie (Thomas) Hood.

Anecdotally his parents did not want to favour or offend either of their families and so Cyril was named after a street around the corner from 162 Corporation Road, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales where they were living at the time. Another naming convention adopted by the family was that none of their children would be given middle names and this convention was carried through to Cyril’s own children in later years.

By the time of the Census on 2 April 1911, the family had moved and was living at 21 Crescent Road, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. ^[3] His father (aged 41) was self-employed as a Commercial Traveller for Medical Remedies and apparently born in Marylebone, London although it is known he was actually born in Dublin, Ireland in 1866 and was therefore aged 45.

Cyril was born and raised in Newport by his parents and after a few years, his two sisters Rene and Gwen were born in Newport and Pontypridd respectively. The family moved to 12 Pergwm Road, Trealow, Glamorgan, Wales and in the 1921 Census, John and Sadie Hood were still living there (see the attached image) with their three children Cyril (12), Rene (6) and Gwen (3), and a visitor Beatrice Parker who may have been looking after the children.

After leaving school at 14, Cyril was employed as a Tailor's Assistant employed by Oliver Howell in his new shop at 51 Hannah Street, Porth.

On 3 January 1924 at the age of 16 years and 4 months, Cyril volunteered for the Royal Navy and on 12 September 1928 (aged 18 years) he commenced his 12 years’ service on 2 February 1929 aboard HMS Pembroke I. ^{[4] [5]}

Cyril travelled extensively overseas with the Royal Navy and on 10 December 1934, he was awarded a Hurt Certificate in Bermuda for his military service with the Royal Navy, and in 1936 he was stationed in South America.

Cyril Hood married Sadie (Sarah May) Mitchell on 20 September 1936 in Holy Trinity, Woodford, Essex, England. ^[6] Witnesses at the wedding were Sadie’s father Archie Mitchell and Cyril’s mother, Sadie Hood, as his father had passed away in April 1936. According to the marriage certificate, Archie Mitchell was a Dance Hall Proprietor and John Hood (Cyril’s deceased father) had been a Commercial Traveller. Before the wedding, Cyril was living at 59 Maybank Road, Woodford and Sadie was living with her parents at Bromleigh, 235 Rhys Street, Trealaw, Glamorganshire.

After their marriage, Cyril and Sadie were living with Sadie’s parents (Archie and Margaret Mitchell) who had moved from Wales to 64 Brook Drive, Harrow, although Cyril was stationed on HMS Hussar in Sheerness. In December 1937, their son Derek Hood was born in Redhill County Hospital in Edgeware, Hendon.

Cyril returned to service with the Royal Navy throughout 1942-1945 and on 22 June 1945 (the birth day of his first daughter) he was awarded the British Empire Medal (Military) for Exemplary conduct and devotion to duty whilst on special service. At the time he was Acting Leading Seaman. ^[7]

He remained in the Navy until October 1945 when he was discharged from the Royal Fleet Reserve as physically unfit for Naval Service.

After the war, Cyril moved to 3 Lynne Villas, Capel Avenue, Peacehaven, Sussex with his family and in June 1945, a daughter, Marilyn Hood, was born.

Within the next twelve to eighteen months the family moved again, this time to 11 Angus Drive, Ruislip, Middlesex where their third child, Cherryl Hood, was born in February 1949. Cyril’s occupation on the birth certificate was Electrical Engineer (HMSO) so he must have studied either in the Royal Navy or soon after leaving.

Some time later, the family moved yet again when Cyril purchased Dorwick House at 12 Wellington Crescent, East Cliff, Ramsgate, Kent in partnership with his step-brother Jack Hood and offered "bed and breakfast or board residence, with moderate terms". Dorwick House faced the sea on the promenade and was opposite the band stand. Jack’s surname was actually Webb, however he had adopted the Hood surname by this time, along with many other members of the Webb family.

Initially Dorwick House was run by Cyril and Sadie along with his step-siblings Kit and Jack, however the business venture was not very successful and it became quite a burden. Eventually Cyril was offered a position with the BOAC airline company at London Airport and the family moved to 148 Berkeley Avenue, Cranford. It took a while to sell Dorwick House so for the next year or two, Sadie worked the bed and breakfast during the summer presumably with assistance from Kit and Jack.

The family stayed in Cranford until about 1970, when Cyril and Sadie retired to Churchill Way, Faversham, Kent. They bought a new house and lived happily there until 1980 when they moved for the last time, to Crawford Close, Swindon, Wiltshire to be near their daughter Marilyn and her family.

In 1984 Cyril finally attended a Memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral in connection with his British Empire Medal (Military) which had been awarded to him in 1945 whilst on special service in the South Eastern Zone Mine and Bomb Disposal Unit.

On 18 April 1991, Cyril's wife Sadie passed away after 54 years of marriage, while living in Crawford Close, Swindon, Wiltshire. Soon afterwards, Cyril moved into Laurels Nursing Home, Badbury, Chiseldon where he passed away aged 84 on 25 February 1993 ^[8] and his estate passed probate on 18 May 1993 in Oxford. ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 3 Jul 2019), database entry for HOOD, CYRIL (Mother's maiden surname: THOMAS). GRO Reference: 1908 December Quarter in NEWPORT MON Volume 11A Page 231.
2. ↑ Baptism: "Monmouthshire, Wales, Anglican Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1551-1994"
   Archives Wales; Wales; Monmouthshire Baptisms, Marriages and Burials; Page number: 65
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62107 #449227 (accessed 8 October 2023)
   Cyril Hood baptism on 3 Nov 1908 (born 1908), child of John Angus Hood & Sadie Hood, in Newport St John Evangelist, Monmouthshire, Wales.
3. ↑ 1911 Census: "1911 Wales Census"
   Class: RG14; Piece: 31987; Schedule Number: 252
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2353 #1248524 (accessed 13 March 2022)
   Cyril Hood (2) son in household of John Hood (41) at 21 Crescent Rd Newport Mon in Newport registration district. Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales.
4. ↑ Military: "UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939"
   The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, London; Admiralty: Royal Navy Seamen's Services Continuous Record (CR) Cards; Class: ADM 363; Piece: 425
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60522 #914864 (accessed 13 March 2022)
   Name: Cyril Hood; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 12 Sep 1908; Birth Place: Newport, Monmouthshire; First Service Date: 2 Feb 1929; First Ship Served On: Pembroke I; Last Service Date: 21 Feb 1941; Last Ship Served On: Forward; Service Number: J. 109295.
5. ↑ Evidenced by his autobiography about his early years and his Naval record, held by his daughter Cherryl Schmidt
6. ↑ Marriage: "England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005"
   General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 4a; Page: 1165
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8753 #59110304 (accessed 13 March 2022)
   Cyril Hood marriage to Sarah M Mitchell Jul-Aug-Sep 1936 in Essex South Western volume 4a page 1165.
7. ↑ Military: "UK, Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972"
   Class: ADM 171; Piece: 164
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1687 #1238585 (accessed 13 March 2022)
   Name: C Hood; Medal or Award: British Empire Medal; Service Year: 1942-1945; Campaign or Service: World War II.
8. ↑ Death: England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Death (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 3 July 2019), database entry for HOOD, CYRIL. (Age at death: 84). GRO Reference: DOR Q1/1993 in Swindon (7961C) Reg C39B Entry Number 284.
9. ↑ Probate: "England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1904 #23414566 (accessed 13 March 2022)
   Cyril Hood probate on 18 May 1993 in Oxford. Died 25 Feb 1993 in Freshbrook Swindon Wilts.