Victor Alexander GILES

1887 – 1967 · Fore Street, Chard, Somerset

Father: Thomas GILES · Mother: Elizabeth Ann ROGERS

👶 Birth	20 Mar 1887	Fore Street, Chard, Somerset 📍 ⓘBirth Certificate 📎 View 📎 View 🏛️ Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
🏠 Lived	1891 (4)	The Armoury, Nr Fore Street, Chard, Somerset 📍 ⓘ1891 Census 📎 View 🏛️ Free elementary education
💼 Occupation	1891 (4)	Scholar ⓘ1891 Census
🏠 Lived	1901 (14)	58 Victoria Avenue, Chard, Somerset 📍 ⓘ1901 Census 📎 View 🏛️ Second Boer War · Death of Queen Victoria — Edward VII accedes
💼 Occupation	1901 (14)	Solicitors Law Clerk ⓘ1901 Census
🏠 Lived	1911 (24)	1 The Willows, Gower Road, Haywards Heath, Sussex 📍 📎 View 🏛️ National Insurance Act
💼 Occupation	1911 (24)	Solicitors Law Clerk
💒 Marriage	05 Sep 1914 (27)	Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN St John the Evangelist Church, St Johns Road, Crowborough, Sussex 📍 ⓘMarriage Certificate 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View 🏛️ First World War
🏠 Lived	1914 (27)	19 Mostyn Gardens, Kensal Rise, Brent, London, Middlesex, NW10 6QU 📍 with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN ⓘMarriage Certificate
🏠 Lived	1916 (29)	29 Maiden Lane, Strand, London, Middlesex, WC2E 7JS 📍 with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN ⓘBirth Certificate 🏛️ Battle of the Somme
💼 Occupation	1916 (29)	Poor Law Relieving Officer
📝 Will	20 Mar 1916 (29)	📎 View This is the last Will and Testament of me Victor Alexander Giles of 29 Maiden Lane, Strand, in the County of London, Relieving Officer. After payment of my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses I give devise and bequeath all my property, both real and personal unto and to my wife Harrie Mansell Giles for her given absolute use and benefit and I appoint my said wife sole Executrix and Trustee of this my will. In whitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of March One … Show more
🏠 Lived	1921 (34)	121 Alderney Street, Pimlico, London, Greater London 📍 with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN ⓘ1921 Census 📎 View 🏛️ Irish Free State established
💼 Occupation	1921 (34)	Poor Law Relieving Officer City of Westminster Guardians Office, 11 Princes Row, Buckingham Palace Road, London, Greater London 📍 ⓘ1921 Census
🏠 Lived	1939 (52)	47 Derek Avenue, Wallington, Surrey 📍 with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN ⓘ1939 NHS Register 📎 View 🏛️ Second World War
🏠 Lived	1943 (56)	47 Derek Avenue, Wallington, Surrey 📍 with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN ⓘBirth Certificate
💼 Occupation	1967 (80)	Retired Relieving Officer
✝️ Death	22 Apr 1967 (80)	47 Derek Avenue, Wallington, Surrey 📍 Myocardial degeneration, hypertension and arterial sclerosis ⓘChristine Fearnley 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View Aged 80 years. Informant: Gillian Tattersall, granddaughter, present at death, 89 Linden Gardens, Bayswater W2
🪦 Burial	27 Apr 1967 (80)	Bandon Hill Cemetery, Plough Lane, Wallington, Surrey 📍 Grave Number XF177 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View 📎 View 🔗 View 100 Years and one day after his parents married on 26th April 1867 There is a headstone. The original owner was Joyce Tattersall. Named changed in 1980 to Joyce Clark. Cemetery Records Tel: 020 8647 1024 IN LOVING MEMORY OF VICTOR ALEXANDER GILES (ROGER) DIED 22ND APRIL 1967 AGED 80 YEARS ALSO HARRIE MANSELL GILES BELOVED WIDE OF THE ABOVE DIED 24TH AUGUST 1970 AGED 82 YEARS "AT REST"
⚖️ Probate	27 Jun 1967 (80)	Lancaster, Lancashire 📍 Effects: £229 8s ⓘProbate Index 📎 View GILES Victor Alexander of 47 Derek Avenue Wallington Surrey dated 22 April 1967 Probate Lancaster 27 June to Harrie Mansell Giles widow. £229.

Children with Harrie Mansell CHAPMAN

Joyce GILES

b. 1916, 29 Maiden Lane, Strand, London, Middlesex, WC2E 7JS · d. 1992, Sanderling (Strathallan Nursing Home, Nuffield Hospital), 3 Owls Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset · m. Arthur TATTERSALL

Notes

He was the last of the family to die.

From David Tattersall:-
"Roger Giles was, I believe, the youngest of a large family (12 children?) and was born in Chard, Somerset. The story goes that he was called "Roger" after perhaps an earlier child who died in infancy. This is my impression and it was often the custom in those days. His father was a soldier in the British army and married a women from Montreal, Canada, whose name was I think Thark (or similar). The only possible explanation is that… He was the last of the family to die.

From David Tattersall:-
"Roger Giles was, I believe, the youngest of a large family (12 children?) and was born in Chard, Somerset. The story goes that he was called "Roger" after perhaps an earlier child who died in infancy. This is my impression and it was often the custom in those days. His father was a soldier in the British army and married a women from Montreal, Canada, whose name was I think Thark (or similar). The only possible explanation is that he met his future bride while serving in the British army in Canada which was then part of the British Empire. She was described as having striking, dark red hair. Purely guesswork, but I think it's fair to assume that coming from Montreal she was of French origin.

My understanding is that "Roger's" father died fairly young (it is further suggested that drink may have been the cause of his premature demise) and my impression was that his wife was left to bring up a large family on her own and that life must have been pretty tough in rural Somerset for the youngest child "Roger". He was a good shot and won medals for shooting. He worked, I think, as a clerk locally - certainly in an office job perhaps a solicitor - before taking the big step to go to London to seek his fortune. He taught himself to write the most wonderful copper script handwriting and obviously set out to "improve" himself. For most of his life he was a Relieving Officer - that is he worked for a philanthropic trust which provided "relief" for the poor and needy. Today he might have been called a Social Worker. But my grandfather told me that he had a casebook of people that he helped in a practical way - not with money but giving them food and clothing, vouchers etc. Eventually, this social work was taken over by the London County Council and "Roger" then became one of many clerks behind a counter who handed out money to help those in need. He hated this work because he knew that many of the men claiming the cash would just spend it - on booze etc and that it would not reach those in real need. He was a tough, but warm and fair-minded person who was certainly not a soft touch. He retired as soon as he could - quite early for those days - and lived the rest of his life at Wallington, Surrey. While he lived with his family in a flat in Maiden Lane, in the heart of London, he used to hand-write in copper plate lettering the menus for the nearby famous Rules restaurant, the oldest in London, which is still going today and which specialises in game dishes and traditional English fare. Because of his work with the poor - which included making arrangements for people to be buried as paupers "of the parish" - V A Giles used to have quite regular dealings with the legal profession. He always said that on his death, we should open his box of papers. Inside there were firm instructions to contact a certain firm of London undertakers who would bury him. With some trepidation, this was done, and this traditional family firm of undertakers was then run by the son. He said that his father had mentioned Mr Giles and they would make arrangements. It was a very formal affair with lovely old fashioned hearse and cars - and I do believe it was conducted either at a special rate or even for free, no doubt "an arrangement" for the pauper burial businesses that was passed to the firm: that was my impression! "Roger" much enjoyed his legal contact and I'm sure regretted the fact that because of his education and circumstances he had not had the opportunity to work in the law proper. He was a well-informed person, always interested in current affairs, a strong Conservative voter, a great fan of Winston Churchill and a fervent newspaper reader. He marvelled and enjoyed new developments and interesting projects - dragging me out into the garden when I was a young lad to look at the first satellite crossing the sky. He would have been thrilled to have seen a man land and walk on the moon.

"Roger" loved to work in his garden and practically lived in his garden shed. He had a special passion for standard roses and would grafter cultivated buds onto wild rose briars to produce his own bushes. He did not serve in the first world war because he failed the medical. He told me that was because he ran round the block many times before he took the test - but I never knew whether he was joking or not, especially as he lived a healthy life, dying after a very short illness, at the age of 80!! I recall seeing a photo of my grandfather pictured standing next to a large bomb which had on it a message in large white lettering: "With love to Hitler from V.A.G." - how he managed this I just don't know but he certainly had no time for the Germans.

My grandfather Victor Alexander Giles (Roger) died on 22 April 1967 aged 80 years at his home 47 Derek Avenue, Wallington, Surrey, where he had lived for many years, leaving his wife Harrie a widow. The house was sold and Harrie came to live with my parents Joy and Arthur in Southport. She did not have particularly good health and fairly shortly afterwards was moved to a nursing home and our local Promenade Hospital, Southport, where she died. I don't recall the exact date just now." Show more

James Tattersall has a full set of 1925 Maundy money coins and a 1p Maundy money coin dated 1927 which belonged to Victor. It's unknown how they came into his possession. James also has a silver spoon in original case which reads: L. Co; 2nd V.B. P.A.S.L.I.; PTE V.A. GILES; Highest Score 168.; RECRUITS; 1905. These items were passed down the family from his daughter Joyce Giles.

From: Library@westminster-abbey.org
Date: Wednesday, 23 April 2025 at 10:34
Subject: - Maundy Money 1925

Dear Mr Ta… Show more

Documents & photographs

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