Royall family - Harry's

* Royall Family *

The Elvin-Chaney, Harvey-Royall Connection

Extraction :

My parents Harry Percy Royall aged 25 and Gertrude Ellen Chaney aged 25 were married on 21st January 1916 at the St. Pancras Registry Office, London.

My father was the son of Robert Arthur Royall and Henrietta nee Harvey who were married at Fundenhall, Norfolk 27th May 1985.

My mother was the daughter of Robert CHANEY and Sarah Ann ELVIN who married at Great Ellingham Baptist Chapel on 25th December 1889. He aged 26 and a widower, she a spinster of 23.

Harry Percy Royall was born 29th May 1890 at Bedingham, Norfolk. He joined the Metropolitan Police,5th January 1914 and after training at Peel House in Westminster was stationed at Albany Street Police Station, St Pancras. N.W.I. As an unmarried Constable he lived at the Section House at the Station.

Gertrude Ellen Chaney was born at Forncett St.Peter, 22nd November 1890. Her birth was registered by Sophia ELVIN (grandmother) "in charge of the child". She was brought up by her Elvin grandparents at Forncett. As far as I know she never met her father. She became a domestic servant. At the time of her marriage she was working and living at the Junior United Service Club, Charles Street, London W.1.

Gertrude Ellen never lived with her parents, who, I believe had separated by the time of her birth or soon after. In December 1903 her mother Sarah Ann CHANEY was living at 38 Nicholson Road, East Croydon, Surrey

Harry Royall�s mother Henrietta nee Harvey had a brother Jack (John) who on 28th September married Maria ELVIN at Forncett St. Peter. Maria was the sister of Sarah Ann Chaney nee Elvin

John Harvey who was born in Fundenhall, Norfolk, was at the time of his marriage a constable in the Metropolitan Police, stationed and living at Croydon.. Jack and Maria lived at 45 Church Road, Croydon and the widowed Maria still lived there when visited by myself in 1946.

John Harvey had a sister Elizabeth (Bessy) born at Fundenhall 1867. She lived most of her adult life in Croydon. She has two illegitimate children Gladys Mary Harvey who was brought up by Robert and Henrietta Royall (nee Harvey) at Berghapton, Norfolk. Gladys was born at Fundenhall in I886 and was very close to her Royall cousins, especially Harry Percy. Gladys was a regular visitor to her mother Bessy at Croydon and to her aunt and Uncle Maria and Jack Harvey

Sarah Ann Chaney nee Elvin , Maria Harvey nee Elvin had a brother Charles b 1865 who lived at Attleborough, Norfolk; he had a son Clement who moved south and lived for the remainder of his life at Croydon. He had one child Brian who died leaving no issue.

As a child I went with my parents to visit Jack and Maria Harvey at Croydon on a number of occasions. My grandmother CHANEY lived nearby in Croydon but we never visited her- she and my mother were completely estranged. Sarah Ann died I imagine during my late teens, my mother mentioned this to me and said that she would not go to the funeral. Jack and Maria had one child Mellis who remained unmarried. There was a period of a few years during the war when visits to Croydon ceased, but in the last years of her life Mellis visited my Mother on a number of occasions, they were of course cousins.

My parents Harry and Gertrude who were born not many miles apart, met in Croydon at the home of Jack and Maria , he being my fathers uncle and she being my mothers aunt.

�Arthur Royall. 1998

Harry was in the Metropolitan Police during WW1 , and has these service notes , snipped here