Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Elizabeth Sells

1883 –1939

Lost her first husband during WWI

• Melanie Hilton

Unmarked grave Elizabeth Sells (née Dealey, late Davey) (1883-1939)

Elizabeth was born in 1883 in Berkhamsted to Michael and Sarah Ann (née Noah) Dealey. She was baptised 13 May that year. They lived in Red Lion Yard and her father was a labourer.

Son Stanley was born in 1904 in Tring and daughter Ethel in 1908 in Hemel Hempstead. Their father is unknown.

In 1909 in Tring Elizabeth married William Davey, a private in the Bedfordshire regiment, giving her date of birth as 1887, possibly because she was, in fact two years older than him.

In 1911 they were living at 3, Alma Pace, Frogmore Street, Tring. William was a labourer a the sewage works and Elizabeth was employed at the “marine stores”, presumably supplying canal boats. Living at home were Stanley and Ethel Dealey, with a note in pencil against them saying “before marriage” and Alice Davey (born 1910, Northchurch). Stanley is described as “son” and the two girls as “daughter”, so it is possible that William was the father of all three children.

Ellen Davey was born in 1914.

William returned to the Bedfordshire Regiment in the First World war and was killed in action. He is named on Tring War Memorial.

Elizabeth Married Walter Sells, a labourer, in the second quarter of 1917.

On August 4 1917 Elizabeth Sells of the Wilderness was summoned under the Education Act for the non-attendance of her son at school but did not appear before the magistrates. The Attendance Officer said the boy (not named, but presumably Stanley Dealey) had attended only 9 times out of a possible 60 days. “The father was in the Army. The defendant had been fined previously.” She was fined £1 (£60 in 2025) and had been fined 7s 6d in June that year.

Walter jnr. was born in 1918.

In 1921 the family were living at 8, The Wilderness. Walter was home safe and was employed as a labourer by the Urban District Council. At home were his step-daughters Ethel Dealey, Alice and Ellen Davey and sons Walter jnr and Arthur Sells who was six months old.

Walter died in December 1929.

Elizabeth was living in Woodland Avenue when she died in Hempstead House, Hemel Hempstead, in April 1939 aged 55.