Stanley Family (+Stone Family)

Mother

Paternal:

As England’s second city from medieval days through to the Industrial Revolution, Norwich has always been enormously prosperous and culturally active. Norman invaders built the imposing castle and the spired Anglican cathedral. As the city grew, so did its towered defensive wall and still intact medieval street pattern – the largest in Europe.

The Stanley family business was stone masonry and can be traced back to John Stanley in the mid 18th century. The business, located in Norwich, was built up over several generations and reached its peak by the 1850’s. At the top of St Stephens Street, Norwich there is a plaque commemorating the ancient city gate made by one of the Stanley stonemasons.

Susan visits the ancient gate 2015

Little more is known about John Stanley except that he was married to Mary Dann and they had a son Joseph born in 1808. The last record of John and Mary is from the 1851 Census which records that the elderly couple are inmates of Doughty’s Hospital, St Saviours in Calvert Street, Norwich.

Several Alms houses were set up in Norwich to care for older citizens, including Doughty‘s. The intention was simply to care for needy pensioners. Many of the inmates did have a trade of some kind eg baker, butcher, teacher however it seems they were unable to care for themselves in old age. Doughty’s still offers housing to people in need.

Joseph Stanley inherits the stone mason business, he marries Celia and they have 2 children, Thomas and Celia, however his wife Celia dies in1832. Joseph remarries in 1836 to Maria Wade, 5 more children are born, Amelia, Joseph, Adeliza, Maria and William Wade in 1839. Joseph builds a successful business; by 1851 he is employing 10 men, 10 years later he is employing 30 men. The family live in St Stephens Square, Norwich and have one servant.

Stonework by Joseph Stanley

Joseph’s skill as a stonemason is written up in 1860 in The Builder, it describes a drinking fountain he was responsible for. The fountain – which is now blocked off by a wire fence restricting access – stands on the corner of St George’s Colegate churchyard at the intersection of Colegate with Muspole Street, Norwich.The square bowl rests on a column – with a square metal spout and under a domed canopy supported by brackets and crowned with a cross, it is 9 feet high and 5 feet wide.

Drinking Fountain by Joseph Stanley circa 1860

This fountain is executed in Portland Stone, except the basin, which is in veined marble, supported on an octagon pedestal, and lying in a cluster of water lilies. The octagonal canopy over the basin, with battlements and finial, has waterlilies carved on its pendants, and the water issues from the centre of a lily. On each side of the octagon pedestal are arched troughs for dogs. Above the marble basin and under the canopy, the following lines are engraved in old English characters on a marble slab.

“Wayfaring man for thee this faucet was given/A channel to impart the boon of heaven/ Drink and thank God! and in this water trace /An earnest of His love and emblem of His Grace”

Susan and Joel at the Drinking Fountain, Norwich in 2015

When Maria dies in 1879 aged 72 Joseph is cared for by his unmarried daughter Amelia. Well into his 80’s Joseph still calls himself a stonemason; Joseph dies in 1893 aged 86. His will also describes him as a stone and marble mason. He leaves 1151 pound to Amelia, a substantial amount at that time. Joseph had previously carved a beautiful angel headstone for his first wife Celia. Joseph, Maria and 2 of his sons, Thomas and Joseph, are also buried in the same plot. The headstone is described as:

The angel headstone for Joseph Stanley and his 2 wives and 2 sons.

“A Stepped and inscribed base rises up to triangular pediments on all sides. Further shallow steps provide a platform for the splendidly realised angel, striding forward, her robes flowing to suggest her movement. She gazes up to the heavens with a small bunch of flowers held out in both her hands”.

Their burial site is in The Rosary, it was the first non-denominational cemetery in England, opened in 1819. It was inspired by the refusal of Anglican clergymen to bury non-conformists unless they followed the Anglican service and the growing pressure on the city’s burial space. These were closed from 1856 following the establishment of the Earlham road municipal cemetery. The poor state of many of the graves in the Rosary testifies to the struggles to maintain it even though ownership passed to Norwich City Council in 1954.

William Wade Stanley also goes into the family business of stonemasonry and for the rest of his life he describes himself as slate merchant, brick and tile maker, surveyor, lime burner. William lives with his parents until 1867 when he marries Susannah Rebecca Stockings. With a good education, comfortable family life and a growing successful business William must have felt optimistic, life was good. By 1881 the couple had 8 children – Maud, Cyril born 1869, Beatrice, May, Donald, Stella, Stanley and Elsie. They are living at 1 Chantry Theatre Street, Norwich and have one servant. However life changes forever when in 1888 William is convicted of rape. He spends 5 years in Portland Convict Prison. Whatever the truth of the crime it must have had a disastrous impact on the family. Not to mention the embarrassment in a town where they would have been well known. Fortunately for Susannah her 4 eldest children were working with 3 still at school.

After he was released from prison it seems from the 1901 census William and Susannah are not living together. He is staying with his daughter Stella. Susannah is staying with her daughter Beatrice and family in Kent. By 1911 they are living together again in Norwich with Stella. William dies aged 74 in 1913. Susannah dies 3 years later, she leaves 432 pound to her 2 unmarried daughters, Maud and Stella.

Maud Stanley

A bit more about Susannah – her parents were Mark and Rebecca (nee Day) Stockings. she was born in 1843 in Norwich.  Her father was a butcher. She had at least 5 brothers and possibly a sister. Their mother Rebecca died in 1849, aged 38, Susannah was only 6. Perhaps this is why at age 8 she is boarding with Mr and Mrs Gapp in Blofield. Mrs Gapp is a school mistress and Susannah is listed as a scholar.  Mr Gapp is an overseer for the parish. When she is 17 she is living back at home with her father and brother George.

She is 24 when she marries William Wade Stanley. Like her mother she had many children, at least 8.

When her husband is serving time in goal she must look after the other children, it must have been very difficult. She eventually returns to live with her husband. She outlives him by 3 years and leaves 432 pound to her two spinster daughters Maud and Stella.

Cyril Wade Stanley born in 1869 grew up in a successful, middle class family, at least until he was 19 when his father goes to goal. At that age it must have been embarrassing and hurtful. He would have been too young to take over the business. At 21 he is a brick merchant, but 10 years later is a brick merchant’s clerk. In another 10 years he is a warehouseman in a Penny Bazaar.

Cyril Wade Stanley

He marries Mildred Agnes Stone in 1894. The couple have 5 children – Olive born 1894; Gerald born 1896; Stella Maud born 1901; Sidney William born 1903 and Mary Susannah born 1905. Another child Leonard dies aged 1.

Stella Stanley

Mary Stanley

Olive Stanley

My mother Olive grew up hearing stories about her father’s sisters, although she never met them. She was named after Gerald’s eldest sister Olive. Both Gerald and Sidney immigrate to Australia. Gerald in 1913 and Sidney some years later. I think Cyril had a sad life, in photos he always looks very forlorn. He does visit Australia in February 1927; he stays for about 9 months. He was 58 and retired. It is strange that his wife Mildred does not go with him.

While he is in Australia his daughter Stella marries Ernest Bagshaw. There is a lovely family photo of the wedding group. Is Mildred there? Although we know some of the people Mildred cannot be identified.

Wedding of Stella Stanley and Ernest Bagshaw with family members.

Perhaps the sadness in his face indicates his choice of death.  Cyril commits suicide on 12 July 1928. His death certificate states “suicide by inhaling coal gas whilst in an unsound state of mind”. He was living at 54 Newmarket Street, Norwich.

His daughter Olive and sister Maud were the executors of his will. In his will he leaves just 5 pound to his wife Mildred. The rest of his money 421 pound is divided between his 5 children. All silver plate to be shared. Household furniture divided between the unmarried daughters at the discretion of the executors. Two paintings (The Exterior of St Peter Mancroft Church by David Hodgson and The View by A.G. Stannard to be sold and the proceeds added to his estate. The Masonic medallion which belonged to his father went to his daughter Olive. His will was written on 8 December 1927 shortly after his return from Australia. Why did he leave only 5 pound to his wife?

Mary marries Ralph Masdin in 1934. Olive never marries. She works in a naval school as the matron. When she dies she leaves 922 pound to her sister Stella. It is interesting to note that all of Cyril’s children die in their early 60’s.

Cyril’s wife Mildred Agnes Stone was born either in Kings Lynn or Mutford, Suffolk in 1864. Her father, Sidney was an engine driver, so the family possibly moved around quite often. Mildred is another ancestor who loses her mother at a young age. She is only 10 when her mother, Elizabeth (nee Warman) dies in 1874. Mildred has 2 sisters, Ellen and Laura to keep her company. An Aunt Elizabeth comes to live with the family and care for the young girls. At 16 Mildred is an apprentice dressmaker but by 25 she is a barmaid at the Grapes Hotel in Heigham, Norwich. Cyril lives in Heigham so perhaps the hotel is where the couple meet. Like her husband Mildred seems to have been a sad person, one child dies, her two sons move far away to Australia and Sidney dies in 1942 in the Second World War She dies not long after in 1943 aged 79.

Were Cyril and Mildred separated? Whatever happened in their married life they are both buried in the same cemetery plot with the words “reunited” indicating there  may have been a marriage breakdown.When a friend Adam went to the cemetery he found their headstone hidden away behind grass and weeds.

Headstone for Cyril and Mildred hidden in grass

The couple’s name and ages are given and after Mildred’s names it says “Re-united”; after Cyril’s name “Waiting until the daybreak” is written.

Headstone of Cyril and Mildred Stanley

Their youngest son Sidney William Stanley follows his older brother Gerald to Australia in 1922, he is 18. Olive remembered him quite well. She said he was a generous and kind uncle’ he always gave her one pound at Christmas. He lived with Gerald and Pat in Woolhara and worked in the kitchen at the Royal Sydney Golf Club. Both the electoral roll and Olive said he was a butcher.

Sidney Stanley

During the Second World War starts he enlists at Paddington in June 1940. As his father has died he gives his next of kin as his mother, Agnes Mildred Stone on Norwich England. I wonder why he did not give his brother Gerald’s name? He is in various battalions and finally based in the 2/1 Australian Battalion Reinforcements. His service number was NX32976. Sidney is also beset by the Stanley propensity for tragedy. His service record shows he is often sick and in hospital. He is posted overseas in April, 1941 and arrives in the Middle East 4 weeks later. Over the next 6 months he is in and out of hospital with dysentery and even syphilis, although this was later questioned back in Australia. He is eventually diagnosed as medically unfit and is returned to Australia on a hospital ship. He is sent to the 103 Auxiliary General Hospital in Baulkham Hills.. He never recovers and dies aged 37 on 2 November, 1942. His medical form states he died of nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys. He is listed on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. (Panel 29) He is buried at Rookwood Cemetery, Anglican section, Block 2 Row AB, Grave 6. Although when we went looking for his grave we could not find it. It is a sad ending to his life. When I asked my mother about his death she had no memory of his time in the army or his death. However he did bring back some souvenirs from his time in the Middle East – there were 2 black wooden elephants, a leather handbag and I do remember a picture in my grandparent’s lounge room. It was of an Arab riding a camel in the dessert.

My grandfather Gerald Sidney Cyril Stanley was the second child born to Cyril and Mildred on 26 June 1896. They lived at 25 Cardiff Road Heigham, Norwich. What future was there for Gerald in Norwich? There was no family business to go into anymore; employment in England was not promising. What finally decided him to immigrate to Australia? Perhaps there were advertisements to “try your luck in Australia – wide open spaces, plenty of work”. Before he left his grandmother Susannah Stanley gave him a bible, inscribed “With love from grandmother, 24 November 1913”.

Whatever it was he found himself on board the ship Marathon heading for Australia in late 1913. Along with many other young men and women, labourers, domestic servants, butchers, gardeners etc. The passenger list describes him as a shop assistant. Most of the passengers leave the boat in Melbourne on 15 January 1914, they all give their address as GPO Melbourne. He ends up in the Bourke area of NSW working as a jackaroo. There is a photo of him sitting astride a stock horse, looking very capable. Little else is known about his early years in Australia. A photo of Gerald taken at Nada Studios in George St. Sydney is dated April 1916, he would be 20 and possible living in Sydney.

Gerald, aged 20. 1916

While he is in Sydney he meets “Pat “, this must be sometime between 1919 and 1920 because Olive is born on 31 March, 1921. When had Pat left her first husband Alfred and her 3 children? Pat and Alfred are divorced in 1930 but Gerry and Pat actually do not marry until 1936.

His father comes to visit in 1927, it was a long visit, plenty of time for Cyril to catch up with his 2 sons and 6 year old granddaughter Olive. There is a photo of Olive and her grandfather.

Olive with her grandfather, Cyril and unknown man.

Cyril with his 2 sons, Gerald and Sidney

For some years Pat, Gerry and Olive live at 141 Queen Street Woolhara. By 1930 Sid is also boarding with them. Gerry mainly works as a driver with a horse and cart. Olive remembers going with him to feed the horse. They eventually move to the outer western suburb of Canley Vale. Their first home is in Ferngrove Road, Canley Heights. Gerry must have seen the advantage of growing your own food. They have a cow, hens and vegetable garden. They move to Arbutus Street Canley Vale and later to 116 Torrens Street Canley Heights. His brother Sidney had enlisted and gone to fight in the Middle East; it must have been heartbreaking for Gerry when Sid dies in 1942. His mother dies one year later.

Stanley home Canley Heights

Gerry works as a linesman for the Fairfield County Council; he still grows vegetables and has a large poultry farm. I remember him as a kind, lovely, sensitive, gentle man – never irritable or complaining. He had heart problems and often had to rest. They bought a TV in about 1959, I remember watching Lassie with him and he’d cry if Lassie was ever hurt. Resting in bed once on the front verandah we listened to Pick A Box with Bob Dyer on the wireless, we were all excited as someone picked the box with the money – he was so happy for the person. He helped me learn to ride my 2 wheeler bike, offering to build up the pedals because my feet couldn’t reach them. He owned an Austin A40 car and then a Humber Hawke, all good English cars. I remember the poultry farm, it was quite big. I often watched him mix up the feed in huge tubs, then feeding the chooks, walking around with him gathering eggs, and then rolling up the eggs in newspaper in a special way so they wouldn’t break. Eventually the land was sold off and they had a smaller chook shed at the back. Paddy, an Irishman boarded with them and he had a prolific vegetable garden (potatoes, beans, carrots).

Gerald enjoyed his grandchildren, family and friends. He died in 1958 in Fairfield Hospital, he was 62.