Maurice IVORY
Maurice’s parents and siblings
This rather stylish young man was born in the June quarter 1882, and registered in Hampstead. In 1906 his mother said he was the 4th child in a family of five, four of whom were still alive. However my research has found ten children, four of whom died in infancy. The 1911 census asked the very useful question, ‘How many children did you have born alive, and how many dead?’ According to Thomas Ivory they had had 12 children, six of whom had died, which adds to the confusion.
Maurice’s parents were Thomas Ivory, born 1854, and Annie Ivory née Duhig, born 1858. (Annie’s surname has a variety of spellings.
It is said to be an Irish name and is derived from the Gaelic word Dubh, meaning “black” or “swarthy”. They had married in the June quarter 1873, registered in Marylebone, no certificate found. This means that Annie was only 15 years old. In the 1870s the legal age for marriage was 14 years for a boy and 12 years for a girl, so this is not impossible. However, on all the later census returns she gives her age as the same as Thomas (born 1854), but I have found no other births for her registered at GRO. Later emigration papers confirm that Annie’s family came from Ireland.
The 1881 Census shows them living at 5, Winchester Mews, Hampstead, which means they were living above the stables and coach houses, behind the grander houses of the area. Accommodation would have been cramped. Thomas is a ‘milk carrier.’ He was aged 27 years old, born in Birmingham. Annie was 28(?) years old, born in Portland Town, Hampstead. (Portland Town was an urban area of St John’s Wood at this time.)
Thomas Jnr, born Sept quarter 1874, is 6 years old. John, born Dec quarter 1876, 4 years. Annie C born Dec quarter 1880, is just 6 months old. All were registered in Hampstead.
Another son, George, had been born in March quarter 1878 but died almost immediately.
Maurice James arrived in the June quarter 1882, unfortunately the family did not seem to baptise their children and so I have been unable to find an exact birth date for many of them. However, we know that his birth was again registered in Hampstead.
By 1884 the family appear to be living in the Brentford area and Eliza, born June quarter 1884, and Benjamin, born June quarter 1886, are both registered there. Then in March quarter 1890 another son, James arrives.
Apart from their birth registration, no other records can be found for Benjamin and James and so I have included their GRO entries as proof of their existence.
Their last surviving child was Arthur Henry, born 7 July 1891 in Islington.
Sadly their final child Mary Ann, born in June quarter 1893, only survived for one year, dying in 1894.
The 1891 Census shows that the family were living at 1, Wellington Place, Islington. These were terraced cottages built for the working classes.
Thomas, now 37 years old, is a “cabman/groom.” Annie is 38 years old, Annie C is 10 years old, Maurice 9 years old and Eliza 7 years old. No census has been found for 1901.
In the 1911 Census the family are living at 62 Canonbury Dwellings, Canonbury Ave, Islington. These were three roomed apartments built for the working and middle classes. Thomas is now 57 years old and a “cabman.” Annie is 57 years old, John is 35 years old and still single. He is a ‘horse keeper.’
Living with them is Williams Sanders, 30 years, a general labourer whose sister, Lillian, married Maurice Ivory in 1906 and who himself married Eliza Ivory in 1911. We now know that Arthur Henry had followed his sister Annie and emigrated to Canada in 1906. Thomas and Annie continued living at this address in Islington for many years.
On13 March 1919 Annie died in the Islington Infirmary. We can’t be sure but perhaps she was a victim of the Spanish Flu, rife in the county at that time. She was buried on 18 March in Islington Cemetery.
She left £231 9s 6d to her husband Thomas, who is said to be a postman.
On 22 June 1921 Thomas followed his son and emigrated to Canada, sailing on the SS H Bullen.
Thomas died in 1932 in Toronto, Ontario and is buried in the Prospect Cemetery, Winnipeg.
Maurice’s story
His father gave his birth date as 3 March 1882 (registered in June quarter) when he and his sister Annie were admitted to the Princess Rd School, now known as Primrose Hill Primary School. They were living at 4, Erskine Road, Camden at the time. They were removed on 4 May 1888. Erskine Road was a newly built development of brick built terrace houses, built for the artisan class.
We know from the census that he was living in Islington with the family in 1891 but with no 1901 Census found for Maurice, or his parents, our next sighting of him is his marriage to Lillian Sanders in 1906.
Maurice is 24 years old and his occupation is given as ‘Brewer’s Assistant.’ His sister Lizzie is a witness.
As shown on the certificate they are living in Northampton Street, Islington, a busy, multi occupancy street of traditional Victorian terraces occupied by small scale business and crafts people. As Lillian’s father was a trunk maker, it is likely they were living with her family
When Maurice’s mother gave his details when he was admitted to the Colony in 1912, she said that his fits began at about this time. She also said that he had three children, one of whom had died “of an abscess.”
Within three years Maurice had begun his decline and on 7 August 1909 his entire family was admitted to the workhouse where they remained until 14 September when they were discharged at “Own request.”
On 17 October 1909 we find him admitted to the St John’s Rd, Work House, Islington. His occupation is given as ‘Beer bottler’. Five days later, on 22 Oct he is sent to Claybury Asylum where he spent the next two years.
This is the previous address shown in the workhouse discharge book for five consecutive people. Thinking that this was possibly another part of the workhouse, I put it into Google and found this.
In 1909 Campbell Rd was inspected and the report said it “suffered extreme overcrowding with the three storey houses subdivided and routinely accommodating sixteen families, with many sharing one room.” Campbell Rd’s reputation remained extremely bad until it was eventually demolished in the 1950s.
The statement from Claybury Asylum that accompanied Maurice on his move to the Colony in 1912, paints an unhappy picture of Maurice’s state of mind. It gives his previous address as his parents’ home in Canonbury Avenue, Islington and his nearest relative as his mother rather than his wife. Can we assume that his wife has removed herself from the situation?
His mother Annie says that Maurice, “Threw furniture about, bit glasses and threw a kettle at his father.” PC 195 William Bailey states “The patient was violent and talking absurdly.”
Claybury reports that, “The patient is wet and dirty in his habits, threw things about, ran around the wards at night and has Epileptic fits. He is inclined to be violent.”
Admission to the Epileptic Colony
Maurice arrived at the Ewell Epileptic Colony on 28 February 1912. His mother, Annie, once again gave his brief details. Apparently he had no problems in childhood apart from Scarlet Fever. He had reached standard 5 at school at the age of 12 years. His fits began 6 years ago with no warning. He was only an occasional drinker of beer and spirits. He was not violent to others.
Cause ascribed to current illness – worry.
Annie said that her husband Thomas had, “alcoholic intemperance”, that her mother had a “mental breakdown, change of life, and died in Leavesden Asylum” Hertfordshire. There was no other history of Epilepsy in the family,
From the notes made on Maurice’s admission we learn that he was 5’6” with brown hair and blue eyes. His speech and sight were good, but his teeth were “defective.” All other tests were normal. Maurice said he was married with 1 child alive and 1 dead.
Mentally he was found to be fully conscious and appeared well orientated. He reacted fairly well to questions. He had left school at 13 years standard 5, and was able to perform easy mathematical calculations correctly. No sign of hallucinations or delusions. “He appears fairly happy and seems somewhat pleased with himself. Since admission he has been well behaved, shows no undue activity, has good attention and very easily maintained.” His fits average about one per month. **One could question why he was there?
Case notes
Just five days later or 5 Mar 1912. Diagnosis: Insanity with Epilepsy.
The patient is “Dull, feebleminded, lacking in reasoning power. He has had two fits since coming here, being violent and requiring restraint by holding after the first.
21 April “22 fits since admission. He works with the farm party and has not given any trouble, says he feels well.”
Unless anything of note occurs case notes are updated every three months, and until November of 1912 Maurice is averaging 23 fits per 3mth period. He continues to work well on the farm under supervision.
The notes then say that, “He takes little interest in his surrounding and is unsociable. He counts the number of hours he has been here. He occasionally ‘shapes up’ for a fight and on one occasion he struck Colonist Witchell without provocation.”
On 31 Dec 1912 Maurice told the doctor “He is not going to have anymore fits, as God Almighty came to him last night with X-rays and said he was going along all right now.”
23 Jan 1913. His fits begin to increase and his “Maniacal symptoms have been in evidence lately. He has been talkative, “pushful”, (he) felt a great change had come over him and has, “done” with the Epilepsy.”
Following an attack by Maurice on an attendant, which caused a general fight with other Colonists, he was transferred to hospital with minor injuries to his face. By July of the year he has suffered 40 fits in the quarter.
30 Sept 1913. SR to C in L (Superintendents report to the Commissioners in Lunacy)
“He is suffering from Mania and Epilepsy. He is boastful and talkative. He declares that a great change has come over him and that divine intervention has cured him of his fits. He states that he “Hears Gods voice at times.” He is liable to be exceedingly violent on very slight provocation. (He has) “Frequent Epileptic attacks and after these he is ‘automatic’ and prone to violence. In good health and condition.”
During the first half of 1914 Maurice continued to have high numbers of fits and in April it is noted that “He is dirty in habits, will eat any rubbish he can get hold of. He thinks he is improving in a “wonderful way” and is certain that “God has a special interest in him.”
Sadly at this point we see the dreaded words New Ledger, but unfortunately no such ledger has been found. However, there is a collection of loose notes which, despite being tattered and stained from storage, and with poor handwriting, grammar and punctuation, I have managed to find out a little more of Maurice’s story.
In Nov 1914 we hear that Maurice has been violent to Attendant Havers in Pine (villa) and was sent to hospital. “This is partly due to his whole mental attitude which is that he is, through the intervention of God, a perfect man, physically and mentally.” He believes he is capable of taking a prominent place in the world and continually expounds irrationally, both verbally and in his letters home.
(He is) “Actually an unstable imbecile, incapable of proper subsistence except under supervision.
He is now apparently visually hallucinating, and is developing irrational, inconsequent, grandiose delusions. He states that he is to be “The King of England tomorrow,” this is not apparently based on aural hallucinations. He states that he sees visions of his father and family and of his childhood days while in bed at night.”
21 Jan 1915. By this time Maurice is “Actively aurally and visually hallucinating. He states that he hears many things while in bed such as “What a perfect man he is, and how he will be King of England.”
In February Maurice is sent to the hospital with “Acute exalted hallucinating condition.” And again in March, when he was in a, “Very noisy, excited condition, shrieking for his wife at the top of his voice.”
By 17 March he has been returned to Pine, the Colony’s secure, care villa. Sadly although his fits do seem to lessen somewhat, his mental state remains unchanged.
21 Jan 1915 Maurice developed a high temperature and “Consolidation of lower lobe and right lung.”
But this seemed to clear up. Then, on 24 February he was sent to hospital in “Morbid decline,” and over the next ten days he displayed “Physical signs of Tuberculosis.” Maurice died on the morning of 6 March 1916. Cause of death was certified as “Pulmonary Tuberculosis.”
He was buried in the Horton Estate Cemetery on 10 March 1916 in grave 2026b.
His name does not appear in the Colony’s address book which lists contact names and addresses of visitors so we have no way of knowing if he ever received any visitors. At one point the case notes say he was writing letters home, but we cannot know if these letters were ever sent, or indeed, if his family were ever informed of his death.
Maurice’s wife and children
Maurices’s wife was, Lillian Miriam Sanders. They married on 17 June 1906 at St Matthews Church Islington, she was 22 years old and Maurice was 24 years old. They both give their address as 17, Northampton Road, Islington. (This was often done to evade paying two fees for reading the banns).
According to the details given on Maurice’s admission to the Colony, he and Lillian had “Three children, with one dead.” Their first, Maurice William was born in the Dec quarter 1906 registered in Islington, but sadly he died in the June quarter 1907. Another son, George, appears in the records of the St Johns Rd, Workhouse on 27 Aug 1909, just a few days before Maurice is himself admitted, before being sent on to Claybury Asylum, Woodford, Essex.
We can see that George is 16 months old meaning he was born in about May 1908 but I have been unable to find his birth registered at GRO at any time between 1904 -1910. Perhaps they did not have the money to register their child or possibly life was just too chaotic at the time.
On more than one occasion George is admitted to the M.A.B Hospital, Tottenham (Metropolitan Asylum Board,) from the workhouse. Over the years this organisation provided a wide range of hospital care for the poor, from fever hospitals to homes and hospitals for the mentally ill and,
“Subnormal” adults and children.” We don’t know the reason why young George was sent there.
The 1911 Census shows Lillian in back in St John’s Workhouse with George. When she discharges herself she is shown ‘having 1 ch (child) chargeable. 23 Westbury Rd, N. Finchley.’
This is the pattern of George’s early life, in and out of the workhouse and occasionally admitted to the M.A.B hospital. The final record found is for 25 Nov 1911, and then all trace of him disappears. He does not appear on the lunacy register.
No entry has been found for George or Lillian Ivory in the 1921 Census, or in the 1939 Register. No positive deaths have been identified.
Maurice’s siblings
Thomas Ivory Junior was born on 6 July 1874 in Portland Town, St John’s Wood, Middlesex.
There is a lot of confusion regarding this man as there was another Thomas Ivory, born in Bethnal Green in March quarter 1876 to a Thomas Ivory and Emma Francis and he married Mary Ann Torr.
On the 18 Oct 1886 Thomas and his brother John were admitted to the Saunders Rd, School in the Hammersmith and Fulham District. Their address is shown as 7, Tabernacle Terrace, Notting Hill/Kensington.
Old Bailey case.
This can mean that sentencing was delayed to take circumstances/arguments into consideration.
Thomas had been in trouble with the police before this, the first time he was discharged and on the second occasion he received 6 strokes of the birch. This time he had received 2 days and 12 strokes and was discharged after 2 days.
Thomas does not appear with the family on the 1891 Census. It is possible that, like John, he was in some kind of reform institution (see below) but no further positive record can be found for him.
John Ivory Born, according to his school admission register, on 8 Aug 1876. Reg in Marylebone.
The 1891 Census shows John, aged 14 years, as an inmate of St Saviour’s Boys Home, Southwark.
‘Victorian juvenile justice and charity networks purposely removed “delinquent” or “at risk” children from their local environment to reform them through isolation, discipline, and vocational training.’
On 3 March 1896 John, now 18 years old, is found in the Islington WH infirmary, discharge on 11 March. No reason shown.
I have found a possible marriage for John, in the Sept Q 1920, to an Ethel M Jones. They appear on the 1921 Census although John’s age is reduced, his place of birth is given as Kilburn, which was mentioned on the 1911 Census. Ethel has signed the census forms and may not have had the correct information.
The 1922 electoral roll shows John and Ethel Maud Ivory living at 67, Clement Street, Islington.
They appear to have had two children Ethel Mary born Sept Q 1925 and John Ernest born June Q 1930.
The most likely death found for John is 27 May 1940. He was buried in Islington Cemetery, East Finchley. No death has been found for Ethel. None of the family are recorded in the 1939 register.
Annie C Ivory born 17 October 1880 in Hampstead. Annie was last recorded in England in the 1901 Census when she was working as a cook for the Gray family at, 21, Highbury Grange, Islington. George Gray’s occupation is shown as a, “Heating Engineer, Employer”, indicative of the middle class professionals living in the area.
In 1903 Annie emigrated to Canada where, on 24 June 1903 she married Henry John Hogan in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Henry had preceded her, emigrating in 1901. They had two children, Annie Elizabeth born 1906 and Henry Albert born 1910.
Henry Senior was a locomotive engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railways which meant he was in total charge of maintaining and driving the enormous engine, working alongside his fireman.
In 1958, at the age of 78 years Annie and Henry returned to England for a two month visit.
They travelled first class to Liverpool on the Empress of France and their address, whilst in the country was given as, c/o CPR Trafalgar Square, London. (The Canadian Pacific Railway building.) They were ‘agents handling bookings for emigrant passages, luxury cruises on Empress Liners, and the Canadian Pacific Hotels chain, which managed luxury accommodations along transcontinental routes. It would seem that Henry and Annie had mad good in Canada.
Henry died on 27 December 1967 and Annie on 27 March 1972 and both were buried in the Brookside Cemetery
Eliza Ivory born in the June quarter of 1884 in Turnham Green Middlesex. In 1901 aged 18 years, Eliza is working as a kitchen servant for William Fraser, a Bank Manager, at 7, Pembridge Square, Kensington, a very wealthy area. She married on 14 October 1911 to, William Alexander Sanders (Maurice’s wife’s brother.)
William was 30 years old and Eliza 26 years. William is a labourer. His father, Daniel, is now shown on the certificate as a leather trunk maker, and Thomas Ivory as a Cabman. Together they had six children. William, born 1912, Arthur Ernest, born 1914, Walter, born 1922, May Elizabeth, born 1920, Leonard 1925–1929 and George born/died June quarter 1928
In the 1921 Census Eliza and William are living in Islington and have Arthur, William and May at home with them. William is a “marble sawyer.”
Eliza’s death is registered in London City in April 1928 with her burial on 4 April at Kensington and Chelsea cemetery. As noted above, I have found a birth for a George Sanders who was born and died in the June quarter 1928, possibly the two are connected.
William remarried on 10 May 1930 to, Alice Ada Paris, a 42 year old widow, and in the 1939 register they are living in Finchley. William is working as a ‘Department store china and glass packer,’ and Alice and May both work in a laundry. Walter is also working but is also shown as being in the “Cadet Regiment of the Royal Artillery.
William’s death is recorded in the Dec quarter 1948 and his burial on 9 December in Camden Cemetery.
Arthur Henry Ivory born 7 July 1891 in Islington. Arthur emigrated to Canada at an early age, and is found on the 1906 Manitoba census aged 15 years, living with his sister Annie and her husband Henry Hogan in Winnipeg. The later 1931 Census says he emigrated in1904.
On 1 March 1916 aged 24 years, Arthur enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and joined the 101st Battalion, (Winnipeg Light Infantry.) He sailed for England on 28 June 1916 on the SS Olympic, arriving on 6 July when he was transferred to the 17th Residential Battalion at East Sandling.
On 3 September Arthur left for France where he was ‘taken on strength,’ of the 43rd Canadian Battalion, (Cameron Highlanders of Canada) on the 5 September. Just over one month later on 8 October 1916 he was wounded at Courcelette, when high explosive shrapnel shattered his left forearm.
The Battle of Flers-Courcellette took place from 15 -22 September 1916 and saw the first use of tanks on the western front, casualties and losses numbered 29,376.
Initially treated in Boulogne, he was evacuated to England on 10 October 1916 where his left arm was amputated below the elbow at the 3rd Western Hospital, Newport. After a period of recovery at the ‘Granville Canadian Special Hospital in Ramsgate,’ he was eventually invalided back to Canada on 13 July 1917 and discharged as, ‘unfit for further service’ on 31 December 1917. He later became the Steward at the ‘War Amps Club’ for amputees in Toronto.
On 23 March 1918 Arthur married Mary Rose Irene MacIntosh, in York, Ontario. They had two sons, Robert Arthur born 1920, and Thomas Henry born 1924. Arthur’s occupation is consistently given in later census records as, ‘Amputation Clerk.’
Arthur died in 1964 and is also buried in the Prospect Cemetery.