Kelly's Beckenham Directory for 1916 lists a Frank Jeffery as the manager of London City & Midland Bank Limited 241 Beckenham Road. He seemed to be a good match for the Stanley Halls portrait plaque - an upstanding citizen with some money and influence who might have contributed to the building in some generous way. But then our colleague, Andrew Behan, found another even more convincing candidate...
When Eliza Ann Stanley (the widow of William F. R. Stanley, the Stanley Halls and Trade school founder) died in 1913 one of the executors of her estate was, according to probate records, a 'Frank George Fabian Jeffery, principal of trade school'. This is the more probable Frank Jeffrey whose portrait medallion is attached to Stanley Hall, 12 South Norwood Hill, London, SE25.
Frank George Fabian Jeffery was born in 1875 in Edenbridge, Kent, second of the six children of George Jeffrey (c.1853-1914) and Kate Jeffrey née Withers (1848-1915). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1875 in the Sevenoaks Registration District, Kent. He was baptised on 13 June 1875 in Edenbridge, Kent.
In the 1881 census he is shown as Frank G. Jeffery, aged 5 years and scholar, living in South Road, Reigate, Surrey with his parents and three siblings: Annie Louise Jeffrey (1874-1956) - a scholar; Frederick William Jeffrey (1876-1914) and Arthur Edward Jeffrey (1878-1904). His father was listed as a police constable.
He was shown as Frank G. F. Jeffrey, aged 15 years and a pupil teacher in the 1891 census. He was living at 39 Effingham Road, Reigate, with his parents and four siblings: Frederick William Jeffrey - a domestic gardener; Arthur Edward Jeffrey - a scholar; Bertram Harry Jeffrey (1881-1915) - a scholar and Florence Mary Jeffrey (1883-1949) - a scholar. His father was now described as a police sergeant.
On 1 August 1900 he married Eliza Stanley Walker (1871-1930) in St John the Evangelist Church, Kilburn, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 25 years, a bachelor and a schoolmaster, living at 39 Oxford Road, Kilburn, the son of George Jeffrey, an Inspector of Police, whilst his wife was described as aged 28 years, a spinster residing at 21 Kilburn Priory, Kilburn, the daughter of Charles Walker, an optician. We wonder if Eliza's middle name, Stanley, is just a co-incidence, or did one of her parents have a family connection with the family of W. F. R. Stanley?
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was shown as aged 25 years and a teacher living in three rooms at 32 Graces Road, Camberwell, London, with his wife.
On 1 October 1904 he was initiated as a freemason in the Polytechnic Lodge No.2847 that met at the Polytechnic Institution, Regent Street, London, W1. Membership records held at the United Grand Lodge of England, 60 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ, show him as aged 29 years, a teacher residing at 56 Helix Road, London SW.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 35 years and a schoolmaster, residing in a 13 roomed property at 36 South Norwood Hill, South Norwood, London SE, with his wife and his niece, Kathleen Walker, aged 9 years, together with a female general domestic servant.
His death was registered as aged 44 years in the 2nd quarter of 1919 in the Wandsworth Registration District, London. Probate records show that he had lived at 30 Brondesbury Road, Middlesex, but that he died on 1 June 1919 at 13 Chillerton Road, Streatham, Surrey (now Greater London). Probate was granted on 1 September 1919 to his widow and his effects totalled £761-1s-1d.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them