Sproston -Langton-Prescott families of London & Australia

[Smokey807]

Im look for two things and would appreciate some help namely more information about the Sproston family ( especially A.J. Sproston and his wife) and what the connection is between the Sproston,Langton and Prescott families are.  My inquiry relates to the crash of a plane December 24,1924 shortly after it left the Croydon Aerodrone with eight people on board,all of whom were killed when the plane burned the occupants. This accident is widely reported on in the internet and I have all the details of the crash and the following public inquiry into the accident. Among the eight dead were "George Sproston,age 76, a retired wholesale fish salesman; Mr Archibald John Sproston,age 39, motor engineer; and his wife Mrs Maria Sproston,age 23".."Mr A.J. Sproston was the uncle of Mr. Arthur Langton, and it is from the will of A. J. Sproston that Mr Langton's claim to an annuity arises".  The article goes on to state that a suitcase of bones, believed to be those of the Sproston family were found on a bus in Londonin 1929 with other contents that led Scotland Yard to Mrs Prescott "who has been twice married.Her former name was Langton.Her eldest son is Mr Arthur Langton,aged about 23 of Buxton street North Adelaide,Australia.It is on her sons behalf that Mrs Prescott is in London"...." Mr Langton is a salesman at the British General Electric company in Adelaide,Australia. The articles state that the Sproston's were relatives of Mrs Prescott but I havnt figured out how she is connected to them.

Another account of the accident from "Flight" website states " the passengers were Mrs M.S. Sproston,Mr G. Sproston; Mr A,J, Sproston" and the rest are listed also. It continues " Mr A.J. Sproston was well-known in the motor industry and in motor racing circles". I checked some directories and A.J. Sproston is found in London.

I have the military records of A. J. Sproston who was a motor cycle rider in the Royal Engineers in WW I and the contents of the diary he Kept of the war is found on the internet which I have.

Also on the internet in Motorcycle publications are several references to A.J. Sproston being in motorcycle races in England in the early 1900's. I also have a UK patent of his dated May 16,1912 for a "stand for side car attachment to cycles. I also have from graces guide website a copy of an advertisement for "A.J. Sproston 18 St John's Road,Tunbridge Wells regarding the "A.J. side-car stand patent" so he must have been a resident of Tunbridge Wells then. This advert is dated September 1911 but I cannot find any census records for him in Tunbridge Wells. I found census records for his father George both in London in the early years and a 1901 census for George in Tunbridge Wells, age 53, born 1848 Stepney. He has two visitors with him and a niece Eva Sproston,age 20, born 1881 Yarmouth,Norfolk. George in that census is a fishmnonger. I have not been able to find out who George's wife is; when he was married; or any information about his son Archibald John Sproston except for probate records. Probate for him has him living at 25 Alexandra Mansions,Judd Street,Brunswick Square,Middlesex.  His wifes probate ( given only as Maria Sproston) is of the same address with same date of death. The probate for George Sproston gives same date of death as the other two but he was a resident of  80 London Road,Tunbridge Wells.

I have a marriage record for Archibald John Sproston to Maria L. Bird June qtr 1924 at St Pancras,London. Cant find any information for his wife other than the probate record.

Anything you can add to this would be greatly appreciated as what I have given above is about all I have.

[suzard]

wonder if this is Archibald John in 1901 census?

1901
Bethany House School Cranbrook Kent
Archibald Sproston resident pupil 13 Yarmouth Norfolk
RG13 776 49 7

Archibald John Sproston appears on 1923 & 1924 electoral roll at 25 Queen Alexandra Mansions - no other name listed with him

There is also a medal card
Archibald J Sproston M Cy S R E Cpl 28094

Suz

[suzard]

Wonder if this is Maria??
Birth reg
Maria Louisa Bird
Dec qtr 1899
N Brierly W Riding
9b 193
You need marriage cert for father's name

Suz

[suzard]

Im look for two things and would appreciate some help namely more information about the Sproston family ( especially A.J. Sproston and his wife) and what the connection is between the Sproston,Langton and Prescott families are.  My inquiry relates to the crash of a plane December 24,1924 shortly after it left the Croydon Aerodrone with eight people on board,all of whom were killed when the plane burned the occupants. This accident is widely reported on in the internet and I have all the details of the crash and the following public inquiry into the accident. Among the eight dead were "George Sproston,age 76, a retired wholesale fish salesman; Mr Archibald John Sproston,age 39, motor engineer; and his wife Mrs Maria Sproston,age 23".."Mr A.J. Sproston was the uncle of Mr. Arthur Langton, and it is from the will of A. J. Sproston that Mr Langton's claim to an annuity arises".  The article goes on to state that a suitcase of bones, believed to be those of the Sproston family were found on a bus in Londonin 1929 with other contents that led Scotland Yard to Mrs Prescott "who has been twice married.Her former name was Langton.Her eldest son is Mr Arthur Langton,aged about 23 of Buxton street North Adelaide,Australia.It is on her sons behalf that Mrs Prescott is in London"...." Mr Langton is a salesman at the British General Electric company in Adelaide,Australia. The articles state that the Sproston's were relatives of Mrs Prescott but I havnt figured out how she is connected to them.

Another account of the accident from "Flight" website states " the passengers were Mrs M.S. Sproston,Mr G. Sproston; Mr A,J, Sproston" and the rest are listed also. It continues " Mr A.J. Sproston was well-known in the motor industry and in motor racing circles". I checked some directories and A.J. Sproston is found in London.

I have the military records of A. J. Sproston who was a motor cycle rider in the Royal Engineers in WW I and the contents of the diary he Kept of the war is found on the internet which I have.
 I found census records for his father George both in London in the early years and a 1901 census for George in Tunbridge Wells, age 53, born 1848 Stepney. He has two visitors with him and a niece Eva Sproston,age 20, born 1881 Yarmouth,Norfolk. George in that census is a fishmnonger. I have not been able to find out who George's wife is; when he was married; or any information about his son Archibald John Sproston except for probate records.

 

Anything you can add to this would be greatly appreciated as what I have given above is about all I have.

there is a report in The Telegraph 23 Feb 1926 -heading "Crown and famous Motorist's Estate" "Remarkable Action in Probate Court"

A long report but basically deciding that Archibald's wife died before him as her injuries would have caused immediate death.
So because of this it reads " Mr Sproston left no widow . Mr Bird the defendant was the father of Mrs Sproston"

then it lists " Archibald John Sproston, his wife and his uncle, George Sproston.

then "Mr Archibald Sproston died intestate and was illegitimate"

So it appears George was his uncle -not his father

Suz

[JaneyCanuck]

suzard -- was the action between Arthur Langton and Mr. Bird (Maria Bird Sproston's father)?

It sounds as if it was deciding whether the estate would go to Archibald's heirs or Maria's heirs.
If Archibald predeceased Maria, his estate would have gone to her in the moments before her death, and then to her heirs.
If Maria predeceased Archibald, then her estate would have gone to him in the moments before his death - as the court seems to have decided - and then to his heirs.

Whichever one predeceased would have left no estate for his/her heirs, as presumably each left his/her estate to his/her spouse.

So it sounds like that was what was happening -- and Arthur was claiming through Archibald? For Archibald to be his uncle, either Archibald had a brother with the surname Langton, or he had a sister who married a Langton (or had a child with the surname Langton) ... Essentially, Mrs. Prescott would have to be Archibald's sister, or the wife/widow of his brother.


Smokey, it could help if we know the source of your query. You are related to somebody in this tale? Knowing who, and what else you know about them, could be useful info.

- edit - I'm just going to leave all this here, since it took me so long ...

The surname LANGTON doesn't seem to appear in any BMD event in South Australia:
http://www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-databases.html

If Arthur Langton was about 23 in 1929, he was born about 1906. There is a death notice shown in the Ryerson Index
http://ryersonindex.net/search.php
for LANGTON Arthur Morgan (Sharks) aged 50 in 1958. Arthur Morgan Langton was born in 1908 in Chipping Norton. He married Frances Lillian Powell in Auburn NSW in 1939.
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=marriages
I would think the likelihood of there being two Arthur Langtons about the same age in Australia around then was low. His parents were Arthur and Rose. The family travelled to Sydney in 1912. His 1958 death record shows his parents as Arthur Decimus and Rose Mary.
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=births
Father Arthur died in 1928. Mother Rose died in 1929 (just too early to be on available electoral rolls). Rose's death record gives her parents as Samuel and Harriet. These dates could all just fit -- except that mother Rose was still a Langton. Perhaps not officially remarried?

Arthur Decimus Langton and Rose Mary S Betteridge married in 1899. Rose was born in Chipping Norton in 1875. It would be nice to know what her "S" stood for. Her mother Harriet says she is a widow in 1871 and 1881 ... but in 1881 she has a couple more kids than in 1871. There's no obvious Samuel Betteridge to fit.

In 1930 there are two Arthur Langtons in Australia: the one discussed above in Reid NSW, and Arthur Langton in East Sydney NSW. In 1936, an Arthur Douglas Langton appears in Queensland. These are the only candidates. There is no Arthur or Rose Langton before 1930 -- which is perhaps a good indication that they were in South Australia before that: SA is not included in the electoral roll database at Anc'y; this would match perfectly with the newspaper report saying Arthur was in Adelaide in 1929 (but note that NSW is covered only from 1930 anyway).

This Arthur's sisters probably married:
Dorothy M to Lawrence Post, 1931 Auburn
Edith M to Harold P Blackett, 1922 Auburn (died 1961)

If I'm unlucky, Arthur Langton is the person you know all about. If not, this seems to be a good working theory as to his identity -- but so far no connection with Archibald John Sproston!!

And what was that "(Sharks)" in Arthur's name when he died?  -- Ah, just a nickname; many of the death notices show them (Dot for Dorothy, etc.)

just adding:

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16576072?searchTerm=%20%22rose%20mary%20langton%22&searchLimits=
ROSE MARY LANGTON, late of Auburn New South Wales Widow, died 31st May. 1929, Intestate Administration granted to the Public Trustee on 13th August 1929.
(edit - corrected - I had copied the machine transcription of the article which said she died 1919, when it was actually 1929 -- which is apparently too early for her to be the subject of the November 1929 newspaper article about the bones)


and now .........

This is the article about Arthur Langton's claim to AJ Sproston's estate quoted in the OP:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/53438293
(it really helps to have the sources)

It gives her name. MRS. EVA PRESCOTT.
Yup, the things one should do before setting out ... checking that all the available info is available ...

Which kind of matches up with EVA SPROSTON, unmarried niece of George Sproston in 1901.

Of course, there is no birth of an Eva Sproston (c1881), and still no marriage of a Langton to an Eva/Sproston or a Prescott to a Langton that fits ...

btw, this is Archibald in 1911:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWDG-K11
in Tunbridge Wells, place of birth stated as Hampstead -- mistranscribed there as Archibald S Morton, and elsewhere as Spwoston.

[JaneyCanuck]

Note that George Sproston is shown as single in 1901.

then it lists " Archibald John Sproston, his wife and his uncle, George Sproston.
then "Mr Archibald Sproston died intestate and was illegitimate"
So it appears George was his uncle -not his father

Actually, my suspicion might be that George was the father of both Eva and Archibald, but their births were registered under their mother's/mothers' surname(s) (since they don't seem to have been registered as Sproston!).

However, in 1891 he is rather oddly referred to as married, with no wife present, and unmarried older sisters Catherine and Mary Ellen in the household.

In 1851 and 1861 he is with his parents in Stepney. Would be nice to spot him in 1871 and 1881. Ah, in 1881, Anc'y has him as Sprooton, with mother and sisters in Islington. Nowhere near Yarmouth, where both Eva and Archibald seem to have been born. And his sisters are all a little old to have been having sprogs in 1881 let alone 1894. In 1861 they are all 17 or older, plus a couple of brothers aged 20.

[suzard]

In the newspaper report I posted no mention of Arthur Langton

I was wondering if Eva was illegit too

Think may have found the Langtons
26 July 1912
ship: Rangatira
left London
for Sydney Australia
Arthur Langton 37 Farmer
Mrs Langton 35 wife
Edith Langton 9
Arthur langton 4
Dorothy Langton 2
intended place of permanent residence: Australia

they appear on UK 1911 census -you can search the index free

Think this is the marriage of young Arthur's parents
Arthur Decimus Langton
Rose Mary S Betteridge (wonder if the S = Sproston???)
Sept qtr 1899
Chipping Norton
3a 1949

Suz

[JaneyCanuck]

That is the family I already posted reams of information about -- which does not seem to be the right family, since Arthur's mother is called Eva in the newspaper report about the bones ... and Rose Mary Langton died several months before the date of that article.

I noted above:
This is the article about Arthur Langton's claim to AJ Sproston's estate quoted in the OP:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/53438293
It gives her name. MRS. EVA PRESCOTT (and describes her husband as a St. Peter's College master).

The coincidences between the two -- Arthur with parents Rose and Arthur, and the Arthur in the newspaper article -- are indeed striking. But Eva?


This is another family I had a look at and hadn't posted yet while still mulling ...

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XW6Q-66L
Arthur Langton, aged 1, in Birchington, Kent (too young, really)

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XW6Q-662
Eva Langton, aged 27, in Birchington, Kent

You need to check the full household details at another site, which I can't give here (except to say, note that the transcriptions of marital status and birthplaces are completely wrong where I'm looking, and there's an interesting spare child in the household whose surname might not be what it says).

The marriage is Laurence Victor Langton + Eva Ellen Vatcher, 1903 Christchurch.
She was born in Christchurch in 1881. Not a good fit for anything except the age of Eva Sproston in 1901, and the names of child Arthur with mother Eva ... and that couple is together in the 1911 census with the same child, so maybe there was double enumeration.

Lawrence L V Langton who died in Wandsworth aged 36 in 1919 would be a match for that Laurence, and for an 1882 Laurence Langton birth in Pancras in 1882.

[Smokey807]

Thank you all for the time you have spent researching and replying to my inquiry. After reviewing your feedback , checking my own initial research, and taking what you have given and doing some more digging I have come up with the following hypothesis.Although there are still some loose ends and a few facts to determine I bring the following information to your attention as it may be useful to you.

Firsty thanks for the 1911 census record that puts Archibald J (John) Sproston (given as you noted as SPWOSTON)in Tunbridge Wells. He is a visitor at the Bridge Hotel,age20,single with no occupation shown but given as born 1891 Hampstead,Middlesex. So it is now known that he was a resident of Tunbridge Wells from at least 1911 to 1918 (1918 advert for his motorcycle patent with him at 18 St Johns Rd T. Wells).

As pointed out by you and from my prior research Archibald does not appear in any census record with his supposed father being George which in itself is very strange. Also census records for George show him variousy as single and married but at no point in time does he appear with his wife or any children and no marriage record has been found for him. Despite the newspaper accounts relating to the 1924 air disaster where George is reported to he Archibalds father this claim has not been supported by our collective research which led to the preliminary conclusion that perhaps George was not his father and that Archibald was the son of one of George's brothers. So I rechecked my file and found from the 1851 census taken at 32 Princess St. in Stepney,Middlesex William Spronston born 1894 Warwickshire with wife Catherine Elizabeth and their 9 children. Of the nine there are four brothers all born in Stepney namely George 1848; James 1841; John 1841; and William 1838. From baptism records I found James 1843; John 1843 and with this I researched each of them to see if I could find any with a son Arthur and possible a daughter Eva (who was given as the niece of George in the 1901 Tunbridge Wells census where she is given as age 20,single, born Yarmouth,Norfolk).

From this I looked for Yarmouth,Norfolk on Ancestry and found only Yarmouth, Hampshire  (Hampshire is where A.J.Sproston) said he was born in the 1911 census so this led me to believe that Eva was Archibalds sister with Eva born abt 1881 and Archibald (based on the crash article) born 1885  (1924-age 39).

George's brother John married Mary Ann Nelson 1886 at Hackney St John.I find John and his wife only in the 1871 census at Hackney; in the 1881 census without children at Hackeney and then a death record for John Sproston in 1886.His probate refers to his brother George as one of the executors.A family tree notes that John and his wife only had a daughter Mary Ann in 1872 so I ruled him out as being the father of Archibald and Eva.

Next I looked at Georges Brother James,who I think might be a possibility because I find him in the 1871 census, at Yarmouth,Nelson,Norfolk age 30,single,lodger a fish merchant (note reference to Eva born 1881 Yarmouth,Norfolk I  gave above). Did not find any mention of Archibald however and for some unknown reason could not find any more records for James after the 1871 census. Perhaps you could take a look and find out what happened to him and if he had any family.

Last was George's older brother William who started out very promising as he had a daughter Eva but no son Archibald and Eva was born in 1876 Cleethorpes,Lincolnshire. So I had to rule this family unit out. He did have a son Arthur born 1886,same place as Eva, but not Archibald, however what interested me about his son Arthur is that in the 1901 census at Lincolnshire, Arthur is a mechanical engineer, something a motor engineer (that Archibald was) might be.

I checked to see if Eva Sproston ever married a Langton but like you found no record but I have a feeling that she is the same woman as Eva Prescott mother of eldest son Arthur Langton. I have sent an email to the St Peters College in Adelaide to look for Eva Prescott's husband in their records as school master in 1929 era. If and when I get a reply I will post what they tell me. I did find a passenger record for a Arthur Wellesley Langton born 1910 departing London June 9,1929 destined for Adelaide Australia but his occupation was given as farming.He might not be  the right Arthur Langton for as you saw he was a salesman for the British Electric Company in Adelaide in 1929 and I did find an advertisement in 'The Advertiser' Adelaide Sept 27,1928 for the British Electric Company which shows then selling home appliances and so Albert was an appliance salesman.

I will leave off her now and see what your reply is.