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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: philipsearching on Monday 27 August 18 01:05 BST (UK)
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Honestly, you would think that a name like Richard Cecil William SELBY-LOWNDES would be easy to track - but I've lost him!
WHAT I KNOW:
Born 7 Oct 1873, baptised 10 Nov 1873 St Saviour Claremont, Cape, South Africa
Father Richard William SELBY LOWNDES, colonial civil service
Mother Elizabeth Frances (nee HOWARD)
1881 Census - age 7 with mother on the Isle of Wight
1891 Census - age 17 with mother and 3 siblings on the Isle of Wight.
1898 mother died on Isle of Wight age 49.
1911-1913 Father on electoral rolls in "Elmers", Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
1914 father dies in Newport Pagnell Reg. Dist. (covers Bletchley) age 65
Medal Index Card - VM & BWM. Theatre: France; date of entry 7-5-17
1918 Lieut R C W SELBY-LOWNDES (Army Service Corps) dies in Wandsworth age 44.
I've tried searching SELBY-LOWNDES, LOWNDES and SELBY (with spelling variants) but I can't find him! I don't know where he was, or if he married, or what he did before he joined the Army.
A search of the London Gazette provided several relatives, but not my man. FindMyPest and FamilySearch haven't produced anything more on him.
Does anyone have any bright ideas, please?
Philip
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:)
Not sure if these are for your chap, but just in case... I have typed up a couple of extracts from newspaper cuttings... :)
:) Whilst out with the Whaddon Chase hounds yesterday afternoon Mr Wm. Selby Lowndes .... horse jumped into the bough .... he was taken in Lord Orkney's motor to the Bell Hotel, Winslow .... no bones broken, ... in the evening to his home at Whaddon. Western Daily Press March 16, 1910, p. 10.
:) :) Mr Richard M W Selby Lowndes has become joint master and huntsman of the North Bucks. Harriers with his father in law (Colonel Duncan of Shenley Park). As his three brothers are already masters of foxhounds, the Whaddon Chase, East Kent and Burstow packs – this forms a unique instance of four brothers being master of hounds at the same time. Nottingham Evening Post July 5, 1912, p. 8.
:) :) Lady French, who has followed the British commander to France .... is a sister of Mr Richard William Selby-Lowndes of Elmers.... Aberdeen Daily Journal August 22, 1914 p. 4.
Fingers crossed these are of help. Gale Newspapers are readily available to residents of Australia who have readers cards for the National Library of Australia, or for their various State Public Libraries. E-resources https://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/item/4314
JM
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Not sure if these are for your chap, but just in case... I have typed up a couple of extracts from newspaper cuttings... :)
Many thanks for your response. Unfortunately - these aren't my man.
This man is tricky - he is Richard Cecil William, his father was Richard William and his cousin is Richard M William! It looks like an interesting family to research - but at the moment I'm just trying to put together a brief biography of Richard Cecil William for the local War Memorial. It's those missing years between 1892-1917 that have me stumped. I'm wondering if he went abroad?
Philip
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Not exactly what you are looking for but does explain how the name Selby-Lownes started.
https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/lowndes-(afterwards-selby-lowndes-)-william-1767-1840
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He served in the 2nd Boer War, 1899 - 1902.
Mashonaland Squadron, Rhodesian Regiment.
Rank: Corporal, Service Number: 116
Given the address, might this be him
Northampton Mercury, 29 Dec 1899
THE BUCKS HUSSARS MORE SIGNATURES
Those who have signed the register may now expect at any moment notice calling on them to attend at the nearest squadron headquarters for medical examination and attestation. William Selby Lowndes, jun., Bletchley, … and H. Tennant and C. Leighton of Winslow are amongst the recent signatures.
http://www.winslow-history.org.uk/twentiethc-boerwar.shtm
Departed for England 4 June 1902 on the Roslin Castle. It appears he was an 'invalid'.
S A Irregular Mounted Forces – Lieutenant R C W Selby Lowndes
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mlt/
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Hi Philp...
We had fun with this family as well......Whaddon and Shenley.
I've played with the names and googled variations....... on geni web site they have a marriage to Jennie nee Martin. However I cannot follow her or find it. Most likely South Africa
His brother Geoffrey is listed as probate and states Richard of Strydfontein Kroomstad a lieutenant in Cape auxiliary horse transport.
Tazzie
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Having just said that...
Mrs J E Selby Lowndes arrived 4 September 1919 from Cape Town at Plymouth on board Cap Polonio.
Her birth date as 1877.
Tazzie
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Bucks Herald of 3 August 1918:
Lieut. Richard Cecil William Selby Lowndes, who has died at the age of 44 from septic poisoning contracted on active service, was the eldest son of the late Mr. Richard William Selby-Lowndes of Elmers, Bletchley. He served with the British South African Police in the Matabele revolt of 1896, for which he received the B.S.A Company's Rhodesian medal and in the Boer War with the Rhodesian Regiment Frontier Force and for the last year and a half of that war acted as galloper to Viscount French, receiving the Queen's and the King's medals with five clasps. In the present war he was appointed lieutenant in the A.S.C. (South African Auxiliary Horse Transport), serving in France from June, 1917.
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Could R.C.W. have been referred to as simply Cecil, or was there another sibling with the name Cecil or is the following from the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of 9 December 1922 just a co-incidence of names?
A marriage has been arranged, and will take place in January, between Captain W.D. Lidderdale, M.C., Dorset Imperial Yeomanry, of Pinford Farm, Sherborne, son of the late Right Hon. W. Lidderdale, and Jane, widow of Cecil Selby Lowndes, son of the late R.W. Selby Lowndes, of Elmers, Bletchley, Bucks, and daughter of the late David Martin of Leacain, Rostrevor, Co. Down.
Edited to add: There is also the following reference in the same publication on 13 November 1920:
A stained glass window has been placed in St. Mary's Church, Old Bletchley, in memory of the late Mr. Richard Selby Lowndes and his son, Lieutenant Cecil Selby Lowndes, who died during the war. The subject of the window is Our Lord offering the crown of victory to a kneeling figure, and on either side are angels.
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. on geni web site they have a marriage to Jennie nee Martin. However I cannot follow her or find it. Most likely South Africa
Banbury Guardian, 11 October 1906
The marriage of Mr Cecil Selby-Lowndes, son of Mr Richard Selby Lowndes of Elmers, Bletchley, Bucks, and Miss Jennie Martin, daughter of the late Mr David Martin of Rostrevor, Ireland, will take place at Johannesburg on Wednesday the 31st October.
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Following Gaffy's findings, there seem to be lots of references to him in the newspapers as Cecil Selby Lowndes.
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Yes, I think it's him, you just beat me to it with his marriage.
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for the last year and a half of that war acted as galloper to Viscount French,
A long article in the Croydon Weekly Standard, 16th August 1902,
General French's Return to North Bucks
.....General French, who was accompanied by Lady French, Mr R. Selby Lowndes and Mr Cecil Selby Lowndes........
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A Mr and Mrs C. S. Lowndes arrived at Southampton from Cape Town South Africa on 11 November 1913 on the 'Bamoral Castle', he was described as a 40 year old farmer, she as 36 years old.
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From the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of 20 May 1914:
The funeral of the late Richard Selby-Lowndes took place at the end of last week, interment being made in the ancient Church of St. Mary's, Bletchley ...
Among the mourners were the following Selby-Lowndes:
- Mrs. Selby-Lowndes (widow)
- Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Selby-Lowndes (son and daughter-in-law)
- Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Selby-Lowndes (son and daughter-in-law)
- Mr W. Selby-Lowndes
- Mr Meyrick Selby-Lowndes
- Mr H Selby-Lowndes
Other mourners included 'Lady French (sister)'
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A Mr and Mrs C. S. Lowndes arrived at Southampton from Cape Town South Africa on 11 November 1913 on the 'Bamoral Castle', he was described as a 40 year old farmer, she as 36 years old.
There are references to Cecil Selby Lowndes, C. Selby Lowndes and C.S Lowndes departing the UK for various parts of the globe between 1891 and 1901.
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A Mr and Mrs C. S. Lowndes arrived at Southampton from Cape Town South Africa on 11 November 1913 on the 'Bamoral Castle', he was described as a 40 year old farmer, she as 36 years old.
There are references to Cecil Selby Lowndes, C. Selby Lowndes and C.S Lowndes departing the UK for various parts of the globe between 1891 and 1901.
Saw those, then there's a gap, I'm thinking 1913 may have been their return after living for a while in South Africa (ie. after their marriage), can't yet see anything for him and her in the England or Wales (1911) census. His age in the 1913 manifest is promising.
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Hi guys.....
That's great ........only popped out to walk the dog and you've wrapped it up. :)
Tazzie
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Happy that it's the right person who returned home to England in 1902 from service in South Africa, happy it was he in Johannesburg in 1906 to marry Jennie Martin, happy it was he in 1914 to attend his father's funeral, but the periods in between, esp. 1906-14, remain a bit speculative.
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His marriage is on Family Search
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mly/
His occupation is 'Inspector of Government Lands'.
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Yay! :) :) :)
Thank you so much, everyone!
Maybe I should have searched Cecil rather than Richard?
I am trying to do single page biographies (with footnotes citing sources) for all the names on the local War Memorial. With all this wonderful information this chap will need two or three pages!
Philip
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His marriage is on Family Search
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mly/
His occupation is 'Inspector of Government Lands'.
Yay! :) :) :)
So it looks as if he followed his father into the colonial civil service. Back to the land of his birth.
Thank you so much!
Philip
Gaffy unlocked it all by finding that he was known as 'Cecil' :)
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Well found everyone :)
JM
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Other mourners included 'Lady French (sister)'
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Great find. So am I reading things correctly that Cecil was the galloper for his uncle (in the Boer War)?
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He served in the 2nd Boer War, 1899 - 1902.
Mashonaland Squadron, Rhodesian Regiment.
Rank: Corporal, Service Number: 116
JenB - could you give me the source for this? I can't see it (methinks I need another trip to Specsavers!)
Many thanks
Philip
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Great find. So am I reading things correctly that Cecil was the galloper for his uncle (in the Boer War)?
Your are correct.
There is a pub in Bletchley called the Eight Belles. These ladies were famous local beauties and were the sisters of Richard (Cecil)'s father. One of them, Eleanora Anna, married John French in 1880.
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The Sketch, 29th December 1915.
If you vary the search terms you'll find quite a lot about this family. For instance surname lowndes + keyword Elmers turns up quite a lot, including that article.
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The Sketch, 29th December 1915.
If you vary the search terms you'll find quite a lot about this family. For instance surname lowndes + keyword Elmers turns up quite a lot, including that article.
And again - many, many thanks.
Philip
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I'm going to mark this thread as completed.
The question "where was he from 1892 to 1917" has been brilliantly answered by wonderful Rootschatters. I now have his movements, his military activities and his marriage.
One day I'll do some more research on the "Eight Belles" just for the fun of it, but for now I'll head off to the 'unread posts' board and see if I can help someone else.
Gold stars all round! :) :) :)
Philip