Stephen Lewis# Griffiths

  Notes:

1947 Letter Cyril Griffiths to Ann G-P "My father was a Civil Servant in the War Office for about 21 years, for the later part of which he was Private Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief. I believe he used to tell lots of funny stories about the Duke of Cambridge's goings on when he was C-in-C. When the appointment of CinC was abolished my father had done 21 years service and as there was no appointment available at the time which could be offered to one of his seniority they offered him the choice between retiring at once on 3/4 of full pension, and continuing to serve on for another 21 years to obtain full pension. The chose the former - and then married and raised unto himself a family. Incidentally an old friend of his, Edward Sims, who ultimately became my godfather continued to serve on until he had completed the full term of 42 years. I believe father was killed on the railway in about 1896 or 97 but I do not remember any of the details - indeed, I am not sure that I ever knew them!" (Stpehen appears to have actually committed suicide , see below)

This Edwards Syms (qv) is actually a relative.

If got his birth cert would confirm mothers maiden name.
Stephen Lewis Griffiths birth cert details; 1838, Q1, Lambeth District, Greater London, Surrey. Vol 4. Pg; 229.

1841 Census (age 3) living at No5 something Place, , Lambeth, Surrey with parents and siblings.

1851 Census (Age 13) Living at 1 Frederick Place, Lambeth, Brixton with father, step mother and siblings and 2 servants.

Thom's Irish almanac and official directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain 1857, Index to Civil and Diplomatic Services, England; Griffiths, S.L., Adjutant-Gen's Office.

1861 Census (NB: Indexed on ancestry.co.uk as Griffith). Age 23. Living at 1 Frederick Place, Lambeth, Brixton with his father, step mother and siblings (or 1/2 siblings). Occupation is Clerk Adjutant Generals Office 'something'. Shows as born in Brixton, but Lambeth in Brixton and that's what he puts in later years.

The Royal kalendar, and court and city register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the colonies 1862 ; Adjutant General's Department (Horse Guards) .... 3rd Class Clerks .... S.L.Griffiths.

1871 Census (NB:Again shows as born in Brixton); Age 33, living at 1 Frederick Place (Frederick Villas) Lambeth, Brixton. Head of house is Mary A Griffiths (Age 56 I think, widow, born in Pimlico), who is Stephen's Step Mother, there is also a Margaret A Griffiths (age 42) who is a step daughter of Mary A (so sister of Stephen), and one son - Walter C Griffiths (age 18) (so 1/2 brother to Stephen). Also there is a sister to Mary A, called Mathilda Wheeler (age 34), a boarder and 2 x servants.
Occupation is ; (I think) Clerk Adjutant Generals Office.

The Royal kalendar, and court and city register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the colonies 1878 ; War Office, Senior Clerks .... S.L.Griffiths.

1881 Census; (age 43) living at Vienna Villa, Strand, Holy Trinity, E.Ryde, IOW. Unmarried. Visitors are Edward Lyms (also ex-War Office), Charles POWIS (45, occupation 'House Property') - who will later be his brother-in-law and his sister Margaret Ann. There is also a domestic servant. Occupation; 'Late Clerk War Office'.

Wedding date from Wendy.

Marriage settlement 9th May 1881 (day before wedding!). More details below.
Have wedding cert from Griffiths papers. Witnesses were Emma Powis and Charles Wm Powis.

1882 Cyrils birth certificate, gives occupation as Gentleman. Living at Fairthorn, Pellhurst Road, Ryde, IOW.

National Archives;
Records of the Supreme Court of Judicature and related courts
Division within J Records of the Family Division and predecessors
J 77 Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files
Subseries within J 77
J 77/403 Described at item level
Record Summary; Scope and contentDivorce Court File: 2252. Appellant: Stephen Lewis Griffiths. Respondent: Katherine Isabel Griffiths. Co-respondent: Hooker Edward Wise. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
Covering dates 1888
Wendy found;"Petition filed 5 May 1888 on basis that the petitioner Stephen 'had been informed and verily believed that on 30th April 1888 and 1st of May 1888 at Harp Hotel, Dover in the County of Kent the said Katherine Isabel Griffiths committed adultery with Hooker Edward Wix of Rose Hill Hampton, Middx. That on diverse other occasions since the said marriage the said KI Griffith committed adultery with the said Hooker Edward Wix. He also applied for custody of Oswald and Cyril. However a decree nisi was not not obtained."

1891 Census (Age 53) living at 340 London Road, Croydon with wife and children 1 guest (?) and 2 x servants. Occupation; Civil Service Something (Clerk?) (Retired).
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The Morning Post, Sat 29 Dec 1894; At the People's Hall, Penge, yesterday afternoon, Mr.W.P.Morrison, coroner for the Croydon District of Surrey, held an inquiry with reference to the death of Stephen Lewis Griffiths, aged 57 years, a gentleman of independent means, lately residing at 340, London Road, Croydon, whose body was found on the Brighton Railway, near Anerley Station, on the evening of Boxing Day. Mr Arthur Henry Powis, of Lime Tree Cottage, Charlwood Road, Putney, identifed the body as that of his uncle, whom he last saw alive about a month ago, when he was being medically attended for nervous depression. Mrs.Caroline Griffiths, the widow, said that although her husband had enjoyed good health he had been depressed for some weeks, but she did not know the cause. Dr.Reid, his medical adviser, had not ordered him to be watched. On Wednesday morning he left home, saying he would be back at 1:30 for dinner. As he did not return witness sent for the doctor. She had no idea that he contemplated suicide, and there was no history on insanity in the family. Her husband was of sober habits, and she could not account for his being found on the railway. They had not quarreled. Dr.St. George Reid, of Thornton Heath, stated that Mr.Griffiths was under his care for five weeks for sleepnessness and depression, but he was in bad health generally. Witness attributed this to the effects on influenza, from which he suffered some time since. He had no reason to suppose that he was of suicidal tendency, but witness was of the opinion that he committed suicide as a result of his mind becoming unhinged through depression brought on by sleepnessness. Alfred Simpson, an engine driver, deposed that on Wednesday evening he had charge of the 7:30 train from South Croydon to London Bridge. When about 200 yards south of Anerley station he felt an obstruction. Arthur Pucknell, the station master, spoke to walking down the line and finding a piece of trousers pocket covered with blood, then the ball of an iron coupling, and a little further on he discovered the body lying face downwards on the up local line. The jury returned an open verdict of found death.

Another article re his death states "the deceased, it appears, was in very comfortable circumstances' !

Some bits don't ring true;
1.His widow wasn't called Caroline.
2.He don't know of a nephew called Arthur HENRY Powis.
3.We know full well that he DID have reason to be depressed

On the other hand;
1.He did live at 340 London Road, Croydon.
2.He was of independent means.
3.His wife was nee Powis so could have nephew of that surname. His nephew Arthur HERBERT Powis was living in Putney (with his grandparents although not same address) in the 1891 census and was 21 then. So most likely I or the paper have got the middle name wrong.
4.We know he was buried 1st Jan 1895.
5.We have his will details which give same address and date of death and correct widow's name.
6.Maybe Katherine was 'known as' Caroline ?!?!

So despite the discrepancy's I'm sure it was him.
Broadly the same story was also in the Coventry Evening Telegraph. Still Caroline and still Arthur Henry. Additional details are that he had a railway ticket on him issued at 1pm that same day as well as 11d, a watch, a gold signet ring and one of his visiting cards.
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Wendy visited West Norwood cemetery (in Aug 2010) and a helpful chap there got out the burial book for 1895 and we found the entry for Jan 1st and also an entry for Katharine Isabel Griffiths buried with him on Nov 14 1929. They are buried in area 106 plot no 26105 but there are loads of headstones missing and despite spending about an hour searching I could not find any grave - there is a big gap of about 30 missing monuments.

Will details from Wendy: Stephen Lewis Griffiths of 340 London Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey died December 26 1894 at Penge, Surrey. Administration London 27 Feb 1895 to Katharine Isabel Griffiths, Widow. Effects: £677 14 3

Wendy has found a Harry D Griffiths who was student at Royal Mines (Cyril was also in mining). His address at one time was Bancroft, Mitten Road. He is the right age to have been there in 1917 and I wonder if he was a relation and therefore Ann was born there?
Looks like Harry also made his living in the F Malay States;
Bucket Dredging for Tin in Federated Malay States.
HARRY D. GRIFFITHS.
Mining Magazine - Dec. 1916. Serial, 1st part.
Dredging operations, methods, conditions, etc. Ills. 6300 w.
See also a Harry DG listed next to Cyril in the Cyril entry.

Also a Greta Marie Griffiths d/o late Harry Griffiths & Rebecca Griffiths (of UK) married Mas Shafeen Ramjan Akbar, I think in Malay.
On the other hand he could be a cousin from one of the numerous Griffiths brothers to Stephen.

***********
Have original vellum marriage settlement (from Cyril Griffiths papers);
1.9th May 1881 between
2.Stephen Lewis Griffiths of Vienna Villa, Ryde, Isle of Wight, Esq and
3.Katharine Isabel Powis of Thorndene, Marlborough Road, Putney and
4.Henry Herbert Powis Esq, a Captain in the 98th Regiment and
5.Edward Charles Syms of 56 Elsham Road, Kensington - Stephen Griffiths colleague, Cyrils godfather
6.Whereas a marriage is intended
7.and a indenture of 18th Apr 1842 between Wm Powis on the first part and Charles Horlick, Wm Horlick Powis and Charles Horlick Powis and Henry Samuel Powis on the second part means said Katharine is entitled to claim shares of certain freehold herdiaments in Plumstead, Kent and she may also under the will of the said Henry Samuel Powis become entitled to certain other undivided parts or shares same heradiments. She is also entitled to certain undivided part of leaseholds in Woolwich. And she may also be entitled to under the will of the same Henry Samuel Powis she may entitled to more herediments. And to certain different leaseholds in Woolwich. Also entitled to a 1/6th share in the (eventual) estate of her mother, widow under marriage settlement between Ann Foster and Charles Horlick Powis and Wm Powis and John Foster.
8.It basically, I think, assigns all K's right in 7 to the pair of them, with provisions for children, where the money can be invsted etc. etc. There's 5 huge pages of vellum ; so it's not easy to navigate !

There is also a large vellum statement dated 1906 upon change of trustee from Syms to Oliver. This gives some different addresses etc. and also financial statement of where the money has gone ; these details entered on the appropriate pages.

1931 Statement (from Cyril Griffiths papers) re S.L. Marriage Settlement dated 9th May 1881. Certain interests and funds were settled upon trusts under which Mrs.Katharine Isabel Griffiths had a life interest. Mr.S.L. Griffiths died 26th Dec 1894. Subject to the life interests of Mr & Mrs Griffiths the funds were held upon trusts for such issue of the marriage. An equal share has been appointed to each of the three undermentioned children. The following advances have been made;
a.Cyril Stephen Griffiths £523
b.Oswald Powis Griffiths £56
c.Violet Mabel Griffiths £174
Miss V.M.Griffiths intermarried with and became the wife of Christopher St.J.Wright, she died intestate on the 29th Jan 1924 and her husband succeeded to her interest. By a settlement dated 21st Nov 1924 he settled his share in favour of his dau Ann St John Wright and trustees of which are Mrs Agnes Louisa Wright and Miss Kate St John Wright.
The funds of the settlement are;
1.Freehold house 32 Wharfedale Gardens, Thornton Heath valued at £800
2.£430 NSWales 4% stock
3.£85 Gt Indian Peninsula Railway Annunity
4.£614 Great Western Railway 4% debenture stock
5.£395 Australia 5% stock
6.£18 cash
The present trustees are; Cecil Dunstan Webb and Oswald Powis Griffiths.

Stephen married Katharine Isabel# Powis, daughter of Charles Horlick# Powis and Ann# Foster, on 10 May 1881 in Putney Church, Wandsworth, London. (Katharine Isabel# Powis was born in 1854 in Dorking, Surrey, christened on 14 Jul 1854 in Dorking, Surrey, died on 9 Nov 1929 in Croydon, Surrey and was buried on 14 Nov 1929 in West Norwood Cemetry, Surrey.)