Arthur & Joyce Waite

Research by Joan West

Arthur Ord Waite born1889 was the son of Foster Waite & Isabella Castles of Bassenthwaite, Cumberland.

Joyce Olive Glanville Southwell born 1888 was the daughter of Harry Glanville Southwell and Beatrice Helen Novelli of Filey, Yorkshire.

Joyce went to boarding school in Scarborough, with some of her sisters.

Arthur Ord and Joyce married in 1919 at Scarborough. Arthur Ord Waite was a qualified teacher.

1937 Joyce Waite travelled back from Madiera, 1st class on the Winchester Castle with Eliza Bayman Carter see Harold Edward Carter of Grymsdyke

1939 Register (census) at Loosley House, Loosley Row. The present location of North Kensington Nursery School.

Arthur Ord Waite 50 Inspector of Schools, Joyce O G Waite 39, Edward G Dell 27 gardener, the staff and pupils of North Kensington Nursery School, 16 absent for war.

In WW2 Arthur Waite was in the Home Guard, click 1940 1st Year of the Home Guard

Death. Arthur Waite died in 1969 at Loosley House aged 80. They had been married for 50 years.

Hallmark August 1980. By Ted Janes (editor). What a gift. The £9,300 gift by Mrs Waite to re-roof Lacey Green Church in memory of her late husband, is the sort of generous gift that doesn't happen often, although Lacey Green over the years have been lucky with public benefactors.

Hallmark August 1985. Death of Joyce Waite. It is with regret we record the death of Mrs Joyce Waite. She was a colourful Loosley Row character for many, many years, and will be remembered for her contributions to the drama activities of The Womens Institute. (Her death was also announced in 'The Times').

Probate. Joyce Olive Glanville Waite died at 44 Hamilton Road, High Wycombe 30th May 1985. £76,078

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TRIBUTE to Joyce Waite, as I Knew Her by researcher Joan West.

In her old age Joyce Waite became muddled and confused, many would say senile, and that is how, some years after her death in 1985 she seemed to be remembered. I knew she had been a vibrant active woman with an interesting life history. Now in 2022 I feel compelled to get her true story recorded. I had met Mrs Waite many times over the years, although I was not a friend, just an acquaintance.

Getting to Know Her. The first time we met was not a good one! I was 21 and engaged to John West of Stocken Farm, Lacey Green. I worked for my father - pig breeder, market gardener and nurseryman. It was a special occasion as a party from the Royal Horticultural Society were at the nursery to look round. My father was in his glory! This 'woman' had found us in one of the furthest glasshouses. She swept in and announced that the tomato plants she had bought had died. My father turned to me saying "Get this woman off my premises". Not the best way to meet a friend of Dick & Hilda West, parents of my intended. Yes, of course she reported back to them saying that they should be concerned. (Mr & Mrs Waite did still give us a wedding present - a painting of a rural scene done by Mr Waite, so at least they didn't punish John for what she thought of me.)

By the mid 1970s John & I had moved into the main farmhouse of Stocken Farm and started selling eggs from a little shop instead of from the house. It was here that Mrs Waite chatted to me about so many things. Her husband had died in 1969. Maybe I was just someone not too close to tell things too. I never asked her about anything - just listened. To listen just seemed the thing to do. It was years later when the researching bug got me that I realised what an opportunity I had missed.

She said she had been an actress, but gave it up when she married, because her husband didn't like it.

She talked of Christmas parties when a child when, in the centre of the table, would be a huge cracker with a gift made of silver for each person.

She said when moving out of Loosley House and building a new home next door, that her new bedroom had to be certain dimensions to fit her special but huge bedroom carpet.

She mentioned the question of widening the road leading to the bend on Woodway near her house; said her husband had said that it wasn't a bad thing that it was so narrow there - it made the traffic go slowly.

She reported on results when showing her giant poodles at Crufts and how there were certain judges she wouldn't bother to show under.

She gave me superb but simple cake recipes that I never found in cookery books.

She said how she had got Gomme's Forge to make a device to keep the long shelves of the Aga horizontal when pulling them forward.

She told me how she managed to get down to the bottom of the garden in severe winter to feed the dogs (she had a kitchen with an Aga to cook the dog food there) by hauling herself up and down in a tub on pulley ropes she had rigged up (she was a considerable age at this point).

She had a daughter 'Jan' who married a diplomat. They were with Mrs Waite for a while about late 1960s /70s. They adopted a coloured boy. Her husband went to London by train keeping his bicycle at Marylebone Station for onward travel. He was then posted to Canada and they remained there for many years. Jan complained to me after Mrs Waite had died, because she had left a cottage to a woman who had helped her in her old age. I thought that the woman had earned it and Mrs Waite had appreciated her.

How Others Knew Her In Her Prime

I had heard from others that during WW2 she was in the WI, canning/bottling fruit, and producing their plays.

Dick West said she was given 3 pigs that were not able to get pregnant. She called them Faith, Hope & Charity - they soon got pregnant under her care.

I was shown photos of her with huge Afghan Hounds at Loosley House.

During WW2 the North Kensington Nursery School moved to Loosley House. (May Dell came there with them to look after the children, staying on here to marry Bert Dell, see (Bert Dell & May) She worshipped at Lacey Green Church and paid for it to be reroofed in memory of her husband. She also gave a flagpole to the Village Hall.

In Her Old Age. She certainly became very confused. One Monday just after Christmas, Mary Mines, a churchwarden, rang me saying Mrs Waite had walked here and was standing outside the church expecting a service. Could I do something? I didn't take her straight back to her house, but took her back to ours. Parked her in our warm kitchen, gave hot coffee and Christmas cake and had a chat. In a while she was her old self. I am sure that living alone, with most of her contemporaries gone was so bad for her. I thought she was probably very lonely. click Ted & Mary Mines for more about Mary Mines.

She wandered about a lot. I once stopped when driving past her house having found her in the road searching for her mother. On a similar occasion she had me searching the roadside hedges looking for her cat. People tended to laugh about her.

Further Ancestry of Joyce Waite.

Joyce's Parents were Harry Glanville Southwell and Beatrice Helen Novelli, married in 1888. Harry died in 1909 leaving £84-13s-5d. Beatrice died in 1923 leaving £1,855-19s-3d.

1901 Census Filey, Yorkshire. Henry Glanville Southwell 39 solicitor, born Linder Magner, Lincolnshire, Beatrice Ellen Southwell 45 born East Dulwich, Katherine Isabel Glanville Southwell 7 born South Hampstead, Middlesex, Wilfred Glanville Southwell 6 born Filey, Yorkshire, Margaret Elsie Glanville Southwell 5 born Filey,

Joyce Olive Glanville Southwell 3 born Filey, Humphrey Glanville Southwell 2 born Filey, plus a cook and a housemaid..

1911 Census at Filey, N. Riding Yorkshire. Beatrice Ellen Southwell 55 widow, born London, living on private means, Edmund Glanville Southwell 21, son, law student, born Caister, Lincolnshire The house has 10 rooms. 9 children born, 8 alive, 1 has died

1911 Census. at Scarborough. Joyce O G Southwell 13 and Margaret E G Southwell 15, boarders at Wally Bridge House, South Cliff, Scarborough.

1911 Census at Kempston. Humphrey G Southwell 11 and Wilfred G Southwell16 boarders at Elstow School, Kempston, Bedfordshire.

1911 Census at Workshop. Philip H G Southwell 22 assistant schoolmaster in Worksop.

Joyce Waite's Maternal Grandparents were Augustus Henry Novelli and Sarah Helena James, married in 1853. Augustus died 1887 leaving £111,727 - 7s - 11d.

1853 Marriage. Augustus Henry Novelli married Sarah Helena James

1861 Census at 43 Russell Square London. Augustus H Novelli 40 Physician born Manchester, S Helena Novelli 36 born London, 3 children with them

1871 Census at 8 Hyde Park Sqare, Paddington. Augustus H Novelli 50 Consulting Physician, Hellena Novelli 47, 4 children with them, 9 live-in servants :- governess, butler, housekeeper, footman, lady's maid, housemaid, schoolroom maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid.

1881 Census at 8 Hyde Park Square London. Augustus H Novelli 66 widower, MRCP MB Consultant Physician, alumni Trinity College, Cambs. 3 children with him, also 7 live-in servants:- Butler, footman, cook, under cook, housemaid, under housemaid, lady's maid

The Children of Augustus and Hellena Novelli were as follows: -

1856 Beatrice Helen Novelli born Dulwich Kent, (Joyce Waite's mother)

1857 Philip Charles Novelli born London. In 1881census law student. Died 1905.

1860 Lilian Alice Novelli born London married April 1882 at St. Andrew's, S. Marylebone, James William Barsley, widower, M.P. of the Reform Club.

!862 Evelyn Emma Fox Novelli born London

Probate Augustus Henry Novelli Esq (Joyce Waite's grandfather)

The will with 2 codicils of the late Augustus Henry Novelli Esq of 8 Hyde Park Square in the county of Middlesex, who died 13th March 1887 at 8 Hyde park Square was proved by Philip Charles Novelli of 8 Hyde Park Square, son, one of the executors. £111,727- 7s - 11d.

Joyce Waite's Great Grandparents were Philip Novelli, an Italian who took British nationality. A merchant in Manchester. His widow- not known.

Peter Novelli was born in 1781 in Chiere,Turin, Italy. In 1924 he took British citizenship by Act of Parliament.

1841 census at Park Crescent, Marylebone, Peter Novelli 60, independent, born Turin, with Charles Filica 60, merchant born in Turin.

1851 census. (Peter lived at 21 Tib Lane, Manchester) but was staying with Augustus at the time of the census and is recorded as 70, widower, Manchester merchant born Italy, British Subject.

Children of Peter Novelli as follows:-

1813 Lewes Novelli. (half brother to - see below) Married Harriet Hall , 1818-1850. 1821 Augustus Henry Novelli (Joyce Waite's grandfather). 1831 Emily Novelli born in Rochdale. Julia Camilla Novelli. Alexander Novelli died in 1850

Death. Peter Novelli died 25th September 1852 at Lambeth.