Solicitor and local politician in Finchley. Councillor 1914-20, 1926-35; Mayor 1933-4; Alderman 1935-50.
This image, showing Wells in his ceremonial robes, comes from the film of the 1933 Finchley Charter Celebrations made by the Finchley Amateur Cine Society. We are grateful to the for making the film available.
The plaque in his own memorial garden fails to give his dates, though he probably died not long before the plaque was erected on 21 May 1955. We found a 1911 to a Halligan Vyvyan Wells, married, born 1876 in Finchley - that's surely our man. We've used his dates from : born Finchley.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this man and found his name was not Halligan Vyvyan Wells, but was Hallifax Vyvyan Wells.
He was born on 10 September 1875, in Finchley, Middlesex, the third of the six children of Henry Hallifax Wells (1850-1924) and Emily Sylvia Mary Wells née Bennett (1849-1926). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1875 in the Barnet Registration District, Middlesex.
His five siblings were: Leonard Stanley Melville Wells (1871-1955); Ethel Marguerite Wells (1873-1900); Florence Evelyn Millicent Wells (b.1877); Viola Sylvia Gertrude Wells (1882-1970) and Howard Forrester Wells (1884-1942).
He was described as aged 5 years and a scholar in the census that was undertaken on 3 April 1881 and was living at Cotswold House, Cyprus Road, Finchley, with his parents, his three siblings: Leonard Stanley Melville Wells - a scholar; Ethel Marguerite Wells - a scholar and Florence Evelyn Millicent Wells, his paternal uncle Thomas Wells, together with a cook and a nurse. His father was listed as a solicitor.
On 24 April 1881, together with his sister Florence Evelyn Millicent Wells, they were jointly baptised at St Mary's Church, Hendon Lane, Finchley, where in the baptismal register their family were shown to be living in Cyprus Road, Finchley and that their father was a solicitor.
He was shown as aged 15 years and a scholar when the census was compiled on 5 April 1891. He was still living at Cotswold House, Cyprus Road, Finchley, with his parents and four of his siblings: Leonard Stanley Melville Wells - a solicitor's articled clerk; Ethel Marguerite Wells - a scholar; Viola Sylvia Gertrude Wells - a scholar and Howard Forrester Wells - also a scholar, together with a lady's help and female general domestic servant.
He was still living Cotswold House, Cyprus Road, Finchley, when the census was conducted on 31 March 1901. He was described as aged 25 years and a solicitor, living with his parents and three of his siblings: Leonard Stanley Melville Wells - a solicitor; Viola Sylvia Wells and Howard Forrester Wells - a solicitor's clerk, together with a cook and a housemaid.
On 3 June 1902 he married Georgina Gertrude McAvoy (1872-1965) in St Giles Church, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 26 years, a bachelor and a solicitor, living in Cotswold, Finchley, the son of Henry Hallifax Wells, a solicitor, whilst his wife is described as aged 29 years and a spinster, residing at 26 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, the daughter of George McAvoy, a chemist.
They were to have four children: Hugh Hallifax Wells (1903-1962); Kathleen Wells (1906-1990): Vyvyan Bernard Wells (1909-1998) and Marguerite Nina Wells (1913-1984).
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described himself as aged 35 years and a solicitor living in an eight roomed property Fir Cottage, Ballards Lane, Church End, Finchley, with his wife and their three children: Hugh Hallifax Wells; Kathleen Wells and Vyvyan Bernard Wells, together with two female domestic servants.
The census return form that he completed on 19 June 1921 shows him as aged 45 years, 9 months and a solicitor working from home at The Firs, Ballards Lane, Finchley. He was living there with his wife and three of their children: Kathleen Wells: Vyvyan Bernard Wells and Marguerite Nina Wells who were all shown in whole time education, together with a female general domestic servant.
Electoral registers from 1921 to 1934 show both him and his wife still listed at Fir Cottage, Ballard's Lane, London, N3. In 1935 Ballard's Lane was renumbered and he and his family were listed, until 1938, as at 53 Ballard's Lane, London, N3. In 1939 their abode became 4 The Grove, London, N3 and it was here where on the 1939 England and Wales he is shown as a solicitor residing with his wife, his son Vyvyan Bernard Wells - a solicitor and his daughter-in-law Sylvia May Wells née Southerland (1905-1957).
His death was registered as aged 74 years in the 3rd quarter of 1953 in the Hendon Registration District, Middlesex. Probate records confirm that his address remained as 4 The Grove, Finchley and that he died on 20 July 1950 in The Memorial Hospital, Finchley. Probate was granted on 23 February 1951 to his widow and his effects totalled £21,853-8s-1d.
He is shown as VYVYAN WELLS on the plaque in the Vyvyan Wells Memorial Garden, Ballards Lane, London, N3.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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