Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

William Rivers Keen Saville (279)

1867 –03/09/1937

Educated at Berkhamsted School, became an insurance agent and vice chairman of Berkhamsted UDC

Relatives

Clement Harry Nelson Saville (x1) — father

Maria Louisa Saville — mother

Beatrice Caroline Saville — wife

• Karen Evans

Plot 279

“pink headstone – William Rivers Keen Saville died 3rd September 1937

aged 70. Beatrice Caroline, his beloved wife, died 25th June 1941 aged

70.”

When an individual has such a long set of middle names in recognition of worthy past ancestors, it is always interesting to discover who those ancestors were, that resulted in a child receiving his or her name. William was the son of Clement Nelson Harry Saville and Maria Louisa Bliss who were married on 27^th September 1864 at St Pancras. The parish register states that Clement was a commercial traveller, and both Maria Louisa’s father, William Bliss, and Clement’s father, Joseph Saville, were described as gentlemen. William’s maternal grandfather, the gentlemanly William Bliss was a farmer and landowner who married Maria Keen in 1829. The Keen family were wealthy maltsters and ironmongers, as well as barge owners from Lambeth. Maria Keen’s brother was one William Rivers Keen, a freeman of the City of London, and member of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. William Rivers Keen never married, and as such appears to have opened-up his home to his extended family including William’s grandmother and mother. On his death William’s mother, Maria Louisa, and her siblings received a considerable inheritance.

Maria Louisa Saville (nee Bliss) appears to have been pregnant at the time of her marriage because her first daughter, Louisa Maria was born at the end of 1864 in St Pancras. She was followed by William Rivers Keen Saville was born in Berkhamsted in 1867. The last child in the family was Laura Ada Mary Saville, born in Berkhamsted but baptised on 21^st July 1871 at Great Missenden.

In 1871 and 1881 the Saville family was living in Gravel Path, on the Northchurch side. In 1871 William’s father, Clement, was a Timber Merchant’s Clerk and in 1881 he was described as a traveller in the timber trade. Despite this humble sounding occupation Clement was able to send his only son to Berkhamsted School.

In 1881 William’s mother Maria Louisa was living with his grandmother, Maria, Aunt Ann and sister Louisa, in the village of Chiddingfold in Surrey. William’s grandmother, Maria Bliss, died at Chiddingfold on 17^th September 1888 and her will was proved by William’s aunt, Ann Keen Bliss on 27^th December 1888.

By 1891 the family had moved across Berkhamsted High Street and were living in Elm Grove. William was recorded in the census as being a mechanical engineer, whilst his father gave no occupation, just stating that he was “living on his own means”.

William’s father, Clement Harry Nelson Saville, passed away quite suddenly on the evening of Thursday 17^th December 1896. Due to the sudden nature of his death, an inquest was held, with the verdict of the jury being death by natural causes, “probably failure of the action of the heart”. The inquest was reported upon in The Bucks Herald on Saturday 26^th December 1896. The coroner, Mr Walter Grover “asked Dr Bonter to convey to Mrs Saville their vote of condolence, with which he very heartily agreed. He had known Mr Saville, he believed, as long or longer than any of them, and was intimately acquainted with him at Hemel Hempstead before he came to Mr Keys at Berkhamstead. He had always found him most pleasant and cheerful; he entertained for him the highest respect, and deeply regretted his untimely death”.

Clement Harry Nelson Saville was living at 1 Montague Road, at the time of his death. His personal estate was valued at £862 11s 2d. William’s mother, Maria Louisa, survived her husband by less than three years, and appear to have left no will, although death duties were paid by her son, William Rivers Keen Saville. All four of her children remained living in the family home at 1 Montague Road. Sadly Maria Louisa never got to see her children happily married. The first to marry was William Rivers Keen Saville of Great Berkhamsted, who married Beatrice Caroline Rumsey of Forest Gate in August 1901 at Forest Gate. The banns to their marriage were read at St Peter’s Berkhamsted on 21^st July, 28^th July and 4^th August 1901. The marriage was reported upon at quite some length by the Watford Observer of 24^th August 1901:

“Wedding – At All Saint’s Church, Forest Gate, on Monday, August 12, a marriage was solemnised between Mr William R.K. Saville, of Montague House, Berkhamsted, and Miss Beatrice C Rumsey, eldest daughter of Mr Charles Rumsey of Forest Gate, Essex. The bride was given away by her father, and Miss Lillian Rumsey, sister of the bride, and Miss Rosie Saville, sister of the bridegroom, were bridesmaids. Mr Charles E Rumsey assisted as best man. After the ceremony a large number of guests attended the breakfast held at the residence of Mr and Mrs Rumsey. The presents were costly and numerous. Mr and Mrs Saville left during the afternoon for Eastbourne, where the honeymoon is being spent”.

Within a year, William and Beatrice’s first child, William Harry Charles Saville was born on 3^rd June 1902. He was followed by a sister, Barbara Beatrice, born on 23^rd December 1903. William and  Beatrice only had two children, who were raised at 1 Montague Road, the house William took over from his parents. The electoral rolls indicate that the family lived at 1 Montague Road in Berkhamsted from at least 1901 to 1930.

On 2^nd April 1911 Beatrice and her daughter, Barbara Beatrice, were visiting her parents who were now living at 20 Birchdale Road, Forest Gate, whilst William and his son, William junior, remained in Berkhamsted. Beatrice and young Barbara would have had to make sure they were home before the end of the month, as three weeks later there was a big family wedding held at St Anne’s Church, Salusbury Road, Brondesbury. The occasion was the marriage of William’s sister Rosa, to John Barker of Kilburn. Rosa had been a bridesmaid at Beatrice and William’s wedding, and the honour was returned with William giving his sister away, and Barbara acting as one of the bridesmaids. The Kilburn Times reported on the wedding on 5^th May 1911 and stated that the bridesmaids “were dressed in pale blue satin with black satin hats, trimmed with forget-me-nots, and carried posies of pale pink roses”.

The 1911 census states that William Rivers Keen Saville was an insurance agent, but this understates William’s role in Berkhamsted society. In 1908 he was voted onto the Berkhamsted Urban District Council, where he served throughout the First World War. On 13^th October 1913 William visited Westfield Junior, Middle and Infant school as its newly appointed manager. He appears to have been very aware of his duties as he attended prizegiving on 29^th October 1914. Indeed all the Saville men appear to have been respected members of the community, who were held in great regard.

In October 1920, after open competition, William’s son, William Harry Charles was appointed as an Assistant Inspector of Taxes. The 1921 census tells us that he worked at H.M. Inspector of Taxes Office in Leighton Buzzard. At the time of the 1921 census, Montague House was very busy, as not only were William and Beatrice living there with their two children, but Beatrice’s parents, Charles and Caroline Rumsey were also visiting.

In May 1931 William appeared at County Hall, Aylesbury, as a defence witness in a case regarding the alleged killing of poultry by a dangerous dog. The defendant was Mervin Ballam, manager of the waterworks in Berkhamsted. William’s participation in the proceedings was reported upon by the Bucks Herald as follows:

“William Rivers Keen Saville, Montague Road, Berkhamsted, vice-chairman of the Berkhamsted Urban District Council and chairman of the Local Education Committee, said he had kept dogs a number of years, and would not describe the dog in question in the least dangerous. He knew the defendant’s dog ever since he had had him, and had never known it attack anyone or anything.”

The magistrates made an order for the dog to be kept under control, but not destroyed and ordered the defendant to pay 4s costs.

William’s son, William Henry Charles, married Millicent Gertrude Payne in the spring of 1931 at Millicent’s parish-church of Headington in Oxford. Two years later Barbara Beatrice married Alan Philip Gothard Baker on 28^th April 1933 St Mary-Le Strand in London, with her banns read at St Peter’s, Berkhamsted. William and Beatrice signed their daughter’s wedding certificate as witnesses, whilst the wedding itself was conducted by the Reverend William Chipchase Stainsby, Rector of St Peter’s Berkhamsted. The occasion was reported upon at length by the Buckinghamshire Advertiser of 5^th May 1933

Wedding of Miss Barbara Saville

The church of St Mary-le-Strand, W.C., was the scene of great interest to residents of Berkhamsted on Friday last, when Miss Barbara Saville, daughter of Mrs and Mrs W.R.K. Saville of Montague House Berkhamsted, was married to Mr Alan Gothard Baker, son of the late Mr and Mrs J.E. Baker of Cambridge. The bride is well-known to a wide circle of friends as the daughter of the Chairman of Berkhamsted Urban District Council, and the bridegroom, although now practising as a solicitor in London, was also a one time resident of Berkhamsted. The church was beautifully decorated for the ceremony, which was conducted by the Rector of Berkhamsted, (Rev W.C. Stainsby, M.A.). The bride, who was given in marriage by her father, was prettily dressed in a full-length pink dress, with a large brown hate and shoes. Mr W. Pope , son of the Rev. Preb. R. H. Pope of Northchurch was the best man.

After the ceremony a luncheon was given at the Waldorf Hotel, Aldwych, to intimate friends of the bride and groom, who afterwards left Croydon by air for Paris, on te first stage of their honeymoon, which is being spent in Majorca.

Alan was a solicitor and the couple left Berkhamsted to live in Sunbury on Thames. The following year saw the birth of William’s first grandchild, William Henry James Saville, son of William and Millicent. He was born in Redruth, Cornwall, before his parents finally settled in Bolton.

On Friday 10^th September 1937 The Bucks Examiner reported upon the death of Mr W.R.K. Saville. The paper reported that he died “after a very short illness”. “He was 70 years of age, but almost until the end he displayed an energy and alertness which completely belied his age. He was taken ill on Monday of last week and passed away on Friday at his home in Montague Road.

It is difficult to recall a resident of Berkhamsted who has played a more active part in local affairs than Mr. Saville. To give a full list of his appointments would be tantamount to producing a local directory of local organisations. Yet in no instance was he a mere figure-head. He was a good speaker and an exceptionally sound committee member. Perhaps the best evidence of his conscientiousness and capacity for detail and hard work is to be found in the fact that he acted as honorary auditor to a host of local organisations. He had a friendly word and a smile for a wide circle of friends, and as a “native” of the town and an old boy of Berkhamsted School, he had a fund of entertaining local reminiscences.

It is as a member of the Urban Council that Mr Saville is best known to the townspeople. He was first elected in 1908 and it is a tribute to his popularity that he was always returned without advertising and without making the usual vote-catching promises to the electorate”.

William Rivers Keen Saville of 1 Montague Road, Berkhamsted was laid to rest on 6^th September 1937. In 1939 his widow, Beatrice, was living at 15 Ashworth Lane, Bolton. She was described as living on “private means” and was able to afford a domestic servant. The move to Bolton was probably motivated by a desire to be close to her son and his young family. In 1939 William Harry was living at Oaklands, Sweetloves Lane, Bolton with his wife, Millicent Gertrude, and young son, William Harry junior. He appears to have done very well as a civil servant, being described as an Inspector of HM Taxes (Higher Grade).

Beatrice Caroline Saville

12/12/1870 –25/06/1941

Milliner and children's costume maker and wife of William Saville

Relatives

William Rivers Keen Saville (279) — husband

• Karen Evans

Plot 279

“pink headstone – William Rivers Keen Saville died 3rd September 1937

aged 70. Beatrice Caroline, his beloved wife, died 25th June 1941 aged

70.”

Beatrice Caroline Saville was born Beatrice Caroline Rumsey in Holborn on 12th December 1870, the daughter of Charles and Caroline Rumsey (nee Kent). Charles Rumsey was born in Brighton in 1837, but raised in Harwich, Essex, whilst his wife Caroline Kent had been born in Hornchurch, Essex in 1838. The couple were married on 5th September 1864 at the Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate, Essex. It was built in the Decorated Gothic variant of the neo-Gothic style in 1852 to designs by George Gilbert Scott, the same architect behind St John’s Bourne End, and a new parish was formed for it from parts of All Saints Church, West Ham and St Mary Magdalene’s Church, East Ham. This East End of London was very much the place where Charles Rumsey settled and raised his family.

Beatrice was the eldest of Charles and Caroline’s children.  It could be that her mother had poor health, which accounted for the six-year gap between her parents’ marriage and Beatrice’s birth, as in 1871 Caroline was a patient at the Smallpox Convalescent Hospital in Islington, whilst Beatrice was living with her father Charles.

Beatrice was followed by a brother, Charles Ernest in 1872 and a sister, Mary Lilian, born on 24th November 1874 in Stratford. In 1881 Charles, Caroline and their three children were living at 36 Buxton Road, West Ham. It seems to have been a fairly respectable neighbourhood with the family’s neighbours being clerks, teachers and tradesmen. Charles’s occupation was that of compositor. Compositors were the most highly paid members of the printing trade, having great spelling skills and were often expected to correct authors’ punctuation although that later became the task of proof-readers. Charles worked for Eyre and Spottiswoode, a London based printing firm established in 1739 that was the King’s Printer. In the 19th century, the firm had a printing works at Shacklewell. The firm was re-appointed King’s Printer after the accession of King Edward VII in May 1901.

By 1891 the family had moved to 67 Margery Park Road, Forest Gate, which was in the Parish of West Ham, again their neighbours were clerks and teachers, rather than the labouring class that were predominant in many towns and cities. At the time of the census, they had a visitor, Charles’ widowed sister Mary Louisa.

Beatrice was a milliner and children’s costume maker, and the last child in the family to be living at home in 1901. By this time the family had moved yet again to 593 Romford Road, East Ham, in the ecclesiastical parish of All Saints Forest Gate. Beatrice Caroline Rumsey of Forest Gate married William Rivers Keen Saville of Great Berkhamsted in August 1901 at Forest Gate. The banns to their marriage were read at St Peter’s Berkhamsted on 21^st July, 28^th July and 4^th August 1901. The marriage was reported upon at quite some length by the Watford Observer of 24^th August 1901:

“Wedding – At All Saint’s Church, Forest Gate, on Monday, August 12, a marriage was solemnised between Mr William R.K. Saville, of Montague House, Berkhamsted, and Miss Beatrice C Rumsey, eldest daughter of Mr Charles Rumsey of Forest Gate, Essex. The bride was given away by her father, and Miss Lillian Rumsey, sister of the bride, and Miss Rosie Saville, sister of the bridegroom, were bridesmaids. Mr Charles E Rumsey assisted as best man. After the ceremony a large number of guests attended the breakfast held at the residence of Mr and Mrs Rumsey. The presents were costly and numerous. Mr and Mrs Saville left during the afternoon for Eastbourne, where the honeymoon is being spent”.

Within a year Beatrice’s first child, William Harry Charles Saville was born on 3^rd June 1902. He was followed by a sister, Barbara Beatrice, born on 23^rd December 1903. Beatrice and William Saville only had two children, who were raised at 1 Montague Road, the house William took over from his parents. The electoral rolls indicate that the family lived at 1 Montague Road in Berkhamsted from at least 1901 to 1930.

In 1906 Beatrice’s sister, Mary Lillian married a Scot, Robert Malcome Battison. By January 1907 Mary and Robert were living in San Francisco, with Robert working as a cabinet maker. They finally settled in Oakland Township, Alameda County, California, where they raised a son born in1911, named Robert Malcom, after his father. It is unlikely that Beatrice ever saw her nephew, but it would be nice to think that she corresponded with her sister.

On 2^nd April 1911 Beatrice and her daughter, Barbara Beatrice, were visiting her parents who were now living at 20 Birchdale Road, Forest Gate, whilst William and his son, William junior, remained in Berkhamsted. Beatrice and young Barbara would have had to make sure they were home before the end of the month, as three weeks later there was a big family wedding held at St Anne’s Church, Salusbury Road, Brondesbury. The occasion was the marriage of William’s sister Rosa, to John Barker of Kilburn. Rosa had been a bridesmaid at Beatrice and William’s wedding, and the honour was returned with William giving his sister away, and Barbara acting as one of the bridesmaids. The Kilburn Times reported on the wedding on 5^th May 1911 and stated that the bridesmaids “were dressed in pale blue satin with black satin hats, trimmed with forget-me-nots, and carried posies of pale pink roses”.

The 1911 census states that William Rivers Keen Saville was an insurance agent, but this understates William’s role in Berkhamsted society. In 1908 he was voted onto the Berkhamsted Urban District Council, where he served throughout the First World War. On 13^th October 1913 William visited Westfield Junior, Middle and Infant school as its newly appointed manager. He appears to have been very aware of his duties as he attended prizegiving on 29^th October 1914.

In October 1920, after open competition, Beatrice’s son, William Harry Charles was appointed as an Assistant Inspector of Taxes. The 1921 census tells us that he worked at H.M. Inspector of Taxes Office in Leighton Buzzard. At the time of the 1921 census, Montague House was very busy, as not only were Beatrice and William living there with their two children, but Beatrice’s parents, Charles and Caroline were also visiting.

Beatrice’s son, William Henry Charles, married Millicent Gertrude Payne in the spring of 1931 at Millicent’s hometown of Headington in Oxford. Two years later Barbara Beatrice married Alan Philip Gothard Baker on 28^th April 1933 St Mary-Le Strand in London, with her banns read at St Peter’s, Berkhamsted. Beatrice and William senior signed their daughter’s wedding certificate as witnesses, whilst the wedding itself was conducted by the Reverend William Chipchase Stainsby, Rector of St Peter’s Berkhamsted. Alan was a solicitor and the couple left Berkhamsted to live in Sunbury on Thames. The following year saw the birth of Beatrice’s first grandchild, William Henry James Saville, son of William and Millicent. He was born in Redruth, Cornwall, before his parents finally settled in Bolton.

On Friday 10^th September 1937 The Bucks Examiner reported upon the death of Mr W.R.K. Saville. The paper reported that he died “after a very short illness”. “He was 70 years of age, but almost until the end he displayed an energy and alertness which completely belied his age. He was taken ill on Monday of last week and passed away on Friday at his home in Montague Road.

It is difficult to recall a resident of Berkhamsted who has played a more active part in local affairs than Mr. Saville. To give a full list of his appointments would be tantamount to producing a local directory of local organisations. Yet in no instance was he a mere figure-head. He was a good speaker and an exceptionally sound committee member. Perhaps the best evidence of his conscientiousness and capacity for detail and hard work is to be found in the fact that he acted as honorary auditor to a host of local organisations. He had a friendly word and a smile for a wide circle of friends, and as a “native” of the town and an old boy of Berkhamsted School, he had a fund of entertaining local reminiscences.

It is as a member of the Urban Council that Mr Saville is best known to the townspeople. He was first elected in 1908 and it is a tribute to his popularity that he was always returned without advertising and without making the usual vote-catching promises to the electorate”.

William Rivers Keen Saville of 1 Montague Road, Berkhamsted was laid to rest on 6^th September 1937.

In 1939 the widowed Beatrice was living at 15 Ashworth Lane, Bolton. She was described as living on “private means” and was able to afford a domestic servant. The move to Bolton  was probably motivated by a desire to be close to her son and his young family. In 1939 William Harry was living at Oaklands, Sweetloves Lane, Bolton with his wife, Millicent Gertrude, and young son, William Harry junior. He appears to have done very well as a civil servant, being described as an Inspector of HM Taxes (Higher Grade).

Beatrice Caroline Saville of 15 Ashworth Lane, Bolton, Lancashire died on 25^th June 1941 at Newlands Nursing Home, Bolton. She was laid to rest with her husband at Rectory Lane on 30^th June 1941. Her estate was administered by her two children, William Harry Saville (H.M. Inspector of Taxes) and Barbara Beatrice Baker.