I too have a copy of that photo, Charles Sclater was my Grandfathers brother, Like most other members of the family he was a nurseryman in Exeter. Here are a few notes about him written down by cousin Lilian just before she died in Australia. I've also attached a couple of pictures of Great Uncle Charles.
Hope this is of some help
regards Gerald
Written notes from Granny Stewart (Lillian Sclater) born 1893
“Great Uncle Harry held the Alaxandra Nurseries, in the select part of town & I always saw him dressed in a frock coat & Top Hat carrying gloves & or an umbrella – Grandfather Edward MD Sclater lived as a farmer and wore a black suit & a round broad brimmed hat – like a clergymans. I think they called them Jim Crow hats. & held the South devon nurseries in the suburbs (I loved that house & dream of it now. I’ll try to describe it later on) When they [I presume granny means Charlotte and Edward- Merilyn] the sons took over the Exeter nurseries (Grandy & his brother, that was) [that is Charles William and Harry] in partnership. But the family seemed ill-fated. G Uncle Harry Died childless. The South African war broke up the other 2. The old house was burned down one night, my Grandfather [Edward - Merilyn] dropped dead of a heart attack & so Grandmother Charlotte sold the land for building sites and took a smaller place with her 2 sons (the third son was a no-hoper & married & 2 or 3 young daughters (the eldest was married already). The youngest was a playmate of mine. Lorna she died of consumption (now tuberculosis) at the age of 16 Damn old memories I’ve had enough for one session & more anon, Perhaps.”
“The Sclaters were the foremost nurserymen of Exeter (a Devon City) There were a couple of Jewish sounding surnames names brought into the family by marriage for I remember a cousin Charlie Isaac and an aunt or a great aunt Elizabeth Abrahams – but they were not close to us exactly. (see NB.)
When my Dad and Mam quarrelled she would say that Dad’s mother Margaret drank herself to death. The story seems to have been started by an old gossiping family nurse and a jealous 2nd wife. I do not believe it on the evidence it looks as tho grandmother Margaret must have suffered some prolonged illness as she died young about 36 or 37 and was in bed ill for a long time before she died. (Her sister Charlotte nursed her) and later married Grandfather.”
Other info:
Charles William was in Africa during the Boer war. He was a sergeant, I think, and possibly stayed on afterwards.
Charlotte is said to have been pregnant before her marriage to Edward MD, possibly even before Margaret died. The children of Margaret and Charles are said to have smashed up things in the house on the day of their wedding, but things must have eased as per living arrangements on the census sheets.
Ada Yelland was pregnant before her marriage to Charles William – he refused to marry her until quite late in the pregnancy. The baby died prem.
Addresses:
I have many addresses for the Sclaters. I always thought they stayed put in St Thomas, maybe they went on vacation a bit, or maybe it was Lillian and Donald working on farms, I don’t know. I guess if Charles was away they may move to relatives homes…?? Lillian seems young considering her cards start from Wembdon cover 1906-1908, 1910. It is not necessary for you to investigate this, I just thought it might confirm some other info you found.
Church Cottage, Beaconsfield (Lillian, 1905)
Wembdon (Lillian 1906-1908)
Derry Ormond Llangybi, Cardiganshire 1907, 1908 (Donald)
C/O Mrs Edmonds, Hillgrove Villa, Newtown, Bridgwater (1907)
The Old Vicarage, Hockworthy, N Wellington, Somerset (1909)
Queen St Exeter
Henbury Hill House, Henbury, Near Bristol
Westbury (Donald)
Highgrove Pinner, Middlesex (Donald)
Wood Head Farm Branscombe – Lillian, 1914, 1915 (Lillian was in the Land Army)
Ottery St Mary & Huish Champflower Somerset (Lillian 1916)
C/o Mr Riccards Offices, Number 4 North Street South Moulton (1912, 13 postcards)
Weston Super Mare (Lillian 1919)
I also found out today:
Donald Sclater was working for the Inglis-Jones Family at Derry Ormond Estate Llangybi, in Cardiganshire at the time when Phyllis Joan Sclater (6 March 1911?) was conceived. (Wilmot Inglis-Jones at the time, I believe) There is a postcard from there dated 1908 Family understanding is that someone wealthy was involved (could it be Wilmot Inglis-Jones – family or staff?) and because ‘they’ had plenty of money they could hush it up. They didn’t want the bad publicity. If family suspicions are correct, Donald brought the child home to Devon where she was adopted by the Sclater family at the age of four. There is a web site for Derry Ormond papers.
Donald Sclater came out to Australia on the SS Osterley in 1910. His aunt Nellie saw him off would it have been from ‘Gravend’ ? He posted a letter from Shepherds Bush just before he boarded. He came ahead of other family members. I don’t know what ship his parents (Charles and Ada) or Lillian came out on, or when. Lillian married here in Australia 25 Feb 1922, she wrote a card in England dated 1919 so it must be around 1919-1921 or so.
The story is that with so many things going wrong in Devon, and Don urging them to come to Australia, they were tempted. Then two storms sent one glasshouse down, and a tree crashed into their best one.
