RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Surrey => Topic started by: ChrisWd on Saturday 28 May 16 14:06 BST (UK)
-
Hi,
I'm trying to trace the identity of an S.B. Peck of Surrey who bought two Bentley cars from Jack Barclay, Mayfair at the end of 1920, early 1930's. Both cars were sold by Peck in 1934 and I believe he/she then bought and raced Lagonda cars. Obviously a wealthy person, but I can't find anything in BMD indexes to suggest who they may have been.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Chris
-
Might that be Sydney (or Sidney) Britton Peek ?
-
There are a couple of google references to S B Peck with exactly the information you mention.
The only information I could find was a outgoing 1937 Passenger list fo Mr S B Peck, Mrs Peck and 1 yr old Master Peck going to South Africa from Norfolk Lodge, The Warren, Kingswood. Looking at the image the surname could be Peek
Based on Shaun's post there is a good chance my find is the same man as his and then there are lots of entries on passenger lists and the electoral registors as Peek
-
Wealthy could be considered an understatement.
He died in 1962, leaving an estate valued at £513,596 3s
-
Might that be Sydney (or Sidney) Britton Peek ?
YES.
Spent hours (quite happily) this morning and came to the same conclusion.
ShaunJ-just to know-did you end up at Box Hill Road/Headley at some point. :) ;)
Best,
Maureen :)
-
Hi,
That's great information.....many thanks for everyone's help. Sidney Britton Peek seems to be the proper name for this chap. I'm surprised my other sources had his wrong surname but it's likely a transcription error that crept in over the years. Sidney Britton Peek certainly fits the profile for a Bentley owner of the 1920/30's era.
I've just seen a reference to Sidney Britton Peek on a posting in another forum which talks about a motor launch called "Dashaway," built by Powles in Wroxham in 1934 and sold to "Sydney Britton Peek, gentleman" in Kingswood, Surrey.
I've also seen two expensive limited edition volumes of "British Sports and Sportsmen", dated 1908, advertised by a rare book dealer which have the ex libris stamp of Sydney Britton Peek gilt to front boards.
One of the passenger list records gives Sidney Peek's date of birth as 28th August 1893.
I've seen his probate calendar record which gives his address as the Manor Lodge, Manor Avenue, Deal in Kent. I've also found a Freemason's membership record which shows he was initiated into the St Martin's lodge on Guernsey on 19th October 1920.
He's mentioned on a death notice in the London Gazette. His father, George Gervase Horace Peek died 14th September 1947 in Weybridge, Surrey leaving an estate worth £355,273. The executors were noted as Anne Peek (widow), Sidney Britton Peek and William John Peek (Sidney's sibling?).
George Peek married an Annie Schlosser in 1930 in Paddington, but I assume this was his 2nd marriage.
From what I've been able to gather, George Peek may have been the son of Francis Charles Raymond Peek. Francis Peek was born in 1859 in Guernsey, died 4th December 1908 in Ramsgate, Kent, and was the son of John Hannaford Peek and Martha Maria Spurr. Francis Peek was also a member of the Freemasons and had been initiated into the Balfour Cockburn Lodge on 27th November 1900 at age 41 years. The membership record shows his occupation as a retired seaman. There is some evidence that the Guernsey Peeks may have been ship owners and this could have been the source of Sidney Britton Peek's wealth.....not yet had time to unravel this.
Regards,
Chris
-
ShaunJ-just to know-did you end up at Box Hill Road/Headley at some point
Not physically (but it is only a few miles from my home). I think it was newspaper references that connected "Mr & Mrs S B Peck" with Headley; then I checked the 1930 phone book and found Sydney Britton Peek listed at Fraser Heath, Box Hill Road, Headley.
-
ShaunJ-just to know-did you end up at Box Hill Road/Headley at some point
Not physically (but it is only a few miles from my home). I think it was newspaper references that connected "Mr & Mrs S B Peck" with Headley; then I checked the 1930 phone book and found Sydney Britton Peek listed at Fraser Heath, Box Hill Road, Headley.
;D ;D ;D
.....
Chap also seems to have had a few racehorses.
Maureen
-
I jumped the gun a bit by stating that George Gervase Horace Peek was Sidney Britton Peek's father. It's correct that George Peek was the son of Francis Charles Raymond Peek but he wasn't born until 1899, birth registered in Elham, Kent. Sidney Britton Peek was born 1893.
Francis and Alice Peek only appear to have had two children: George Gervase, and Patrick Charles who had been born 1898 in Brighton. Patrick Charles died in Cape Town in 1944, although his place of residence at the time was Branksome Park in Dorset. He left an estate worth £329,092.
The London Gazette carried a death notice on 23rd September 1947 for George Gervase Peek and the people listed as his personal representatives were his widow Annie Peek as well as Sidney Britton Peek and William John Peek. It's therefore not clear to me yet what the family connection was of Sidney to George Gervase or William John.
There's also another Peek family member on the same probate calendar page as Patrick Charles Peek. Gervase Footit Peek died 1943 on Guernsey.
http://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Gervase_Foottit_Peek
Chris
-
The Kent & Sussex Courier of 22 August 1930 reports the death of Mrs Alice Peek at "The Rosary", Hadlow, aged 61. Widow of Capt C R Peek who had died about 20 years previously. She had 5 sons: Sidney Britton Peek, William John Peek, Francis Edward Peek, Patrick Charles Peek, and George Jervis Horace Peek.
-
Sidney (born Putney 1893/4), William (Brighton 1895/6) and Francis ( Brighton 1896/7) are all at a school in Greenwich in the 1901 census.
-
That's a good find.....answers my question perfectly.
Patrick Charles was born 1898 in Brighton, George Gervase was born 1899 in Folkstone.
According to the 1939 electoral rolls, Sidney was living with his wife Mary Elizabeth Alice at Norfolk Lodge, Reigate in Surrey.
Chris
-
Sidney Britton Peek married Mary Elizabeth Alice Westage in 1933 in Yarmouth, Norfolk. They had one son.
Mary re-married the year following Sidney's death to Ronald Charles Crofton Hayward. Mary died 1987 in Norwich.
Chris
-
Sidney's previous wife Helen died on 23 July 1932 aged just 22, per newspaper reports and death announcement.
-
Sidney B Peek married Helen Hulme in Bournemouth in 1931.
Do the reports indicate the reason for the death?
There was a Peek birth registered in Marylebone in the March quarter 1932, mother's maiden name Hulme. I'm wondering if that was their child.
Chris
-
Do the reports indicate the reason for the death?
There was a Peek birth registered in Marylebone in the March quarter 1932, mother's maiden name Hulme. I'm wondering if that was their child.
There's an inquest report. Helen Peek was taken ill in the bathroom one evening, and called out for her husband. The door was locked and by the time entry was gained ( he helped the housekeeper to get in through the window), she was dead. The medical report revealed a very enlarged thymus gland which could have caused sudden death at any time.
There was one child of the marriage, aged 7 months.
She was buried in her parents' grave at Tunstall in Staffordshire (Newchapel churchyard).
-
That's a sad story.
Checking through the electoral rolls Sidney Peek was living at Fraser Heath House, Boxhill Road from about 1924 until 1935. He then moved to Norfolk Lodge, Kingswood, Reigate in 1936.
He was living alone in Fraser Heath House from 1924 to 1926 but from 1927 until 1930 he was living with Mabel Peek who I assume was his first wife. Helen Peek appeared in 1931 and 1932 only, then in 1934 his third wife Mary Elizabeth appeared.
Chris
-
Mabel Peek was indeed the wife of Sydney B Peek. She died in November 1930 and was buried in Guernsey (per the Surrey Mirror, 28 November 1930). Her father and brothers are mentioned, surname Stephens.
-
Mabel died on 16 November 1930. Beloved wife of Sydney Britton Peek and youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs F H Stephens of Guernsey. (Surrey Mirror 21 November 1930)
-
So, I'm guessing he must have married Mabel sometime late 1926/early 1927 in Guernsey.
He certainly didn't hang around marrying Helen Hulme following Mabel's death as his second marriage was held in the first quarter 1931.
Chris
-
Hello! I searched for info on Helen Peek years ago, without success. I don't know what prompted me to search again this evening. Helen Peek was my aunt - my mother being her younger sister Agnes Hulme. Many of the details mentioned in this thread I remember being mentioned by mother and other aunts Ada and (Ma)Ria. About the sister who married a millionaire and then died, about her daughter - the cousin I have never met, Sid Peek living in Deal at the time my aunt Ada kept a hotel there.
I have a picture of Helen Peek in an oval frame on my wall. And I have a number of family photographs: Helen and Sid (I presume) standing beside a classy car, my mother holding baby Gwen outside Fraser Heath (Boxhill), the four sisters outside Fraser Heath (for the funeral?) and several others. I will try uploading one!
-
Excellent photos, especially the one of the couple next to the car. PL817 is a 6.5 litre Speed Six Bentley which was delivered to Sidney in June 1930. A lovely car, fitted with a Weymann saloon body.
In April 1931 he took delivery of another Bentley, reg no. PL7419, which was an 8 litre model finished with a black Vanden Plas saloon body. I'm guessing he may have traded in PL817 when he bought this. Given Sidney and Helen were married sometime during the first quarter of 1931 this photo may have been taken just before PL7419 was delivered in April. Sidney is wearing a black armband in the photo. Do you know the significance of this? It may help us date the photo more precisely.
In December the same year (1931) he bought a very special Bentley, reg. no.GK8443, which was one of the 50 limited edition supercharged 'Blower' Bentleys. It was fitted with a beautiful boat-tail body produced by Gurney Nutting coachworks and closely resembled the car specially built for the Bentley Motor Company chairman and owner, Woolf Barnato. Sidney apparently only used the Blower sparingly and factory records show it had only covered 5,600 miles by January 1934. In mid-1934 Sidney sold both the 8 litre and the Blower Bentley and moved on to Lagonda cars. He raced a Lagonda Rapide in 1935. His old Blower Bentley survives today and is a very famous car, worth many millions. It was given the nickname 'The Green Hornet' by one of it's later owners.
Thank you for sharing the photos.....very much a bonus!
Regards,
Chris
-
I did not notice that the other car picture I have has a different number: PL7412 (attached). You mentioned PL7419 - is that a typo?
Cliff
-
Hi Cliff,
No, it's not a typo. PL7412 looks like a Morris Oxford 6 saloon car to me. It probably predates his Bentleys by a year or two.
There's a very good website called www.vintagebentleys.org which allows you to search for specific vintage Bentley registration numbers. I haven't done an exhaustive search but Sidney Peek owned at least three Bentleys.
Regards,
Chris
-
Hi, I have just read the posts naming Helen Peek. Would love to connect with Clifford Ford. Helen Peek was my grandmother. Baby Gwen was my mother....
Fanny Snaith.
-
Hi - all these posts are fascinating as they are mentioning my grandfather and grandmother who I never knew - Sydney Britton Peek and Helen Peek (Ellen Hulme). My mother was Gwendonline Helen Freda Peek - known as Wendy. She was born 26th November 1931 and died 9th November 2005. She had 3 children from 2 husbands. She was married and divorced 3 times - similar to her father, Sydney Britton Peek who was actually married 4 times. His fourth wife was called Margaret, whom I believe was his nurse. they married shortly before he died. I am looking to connect with Clifford Ford as he is a relative.... so ...
Master Peek was called Alan
-
Hi Fanny,
I'm pleased I opened up a thread that's attracted some interest from the family. I hope you can make some good contacts here.
If you have any photos of Sydney's cars I would love to see them.
Best regards,
Chris
-
I am looking to connect with Clifford Ford as he is a relative.... so ...
I am alive! You can contact me via my family history web site
(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.
-
That is SO exciting! I have emailed you Cliff
-
That is SO exciting! I have emailed you Cliff
Nothing received. I posted a Personal Message with an alternative address. Did you get it?