Gaius Penny Walter and Mary Adelia Carter of Somerton and Southsea

A genealogical account of the family of Gaius and Mary Adelia Walter

Gaius' Shop, Somerton - Corner of New Street and Broad Street (c.1903-1906)

Gaius Penny Walter (1856-1943) was the son of Walter Walter and Ann Leach Penny of Babcary, Somerset, England. He was described as a draper in New Street Somerton and Overseer of the Poor in the 1880s. In 1884 Gaius advertised for a 'good General Hand wanted immediately' in the Western Gazette of 13 June. He described himself as a tailor of London House, Somerton. The photograph above shows his name above the premises known as London House, a Grade II listed building dating from the early 19th century at the corner of New Street and Broad Street.

In 1885, he placed the following advert in the Western Gazette of 2 October:

WINTER DRAPERY.-G. & S. WALTER are now
showing large deliveries of WINTER GOODS of superior
qualities. Ladies' Reversible Macintoshes, 4s 6d to one
.-guinea. Jackets and Ultsters in large variety.-LON-
DON HOUSE, Somerton.

S Walter is likely to have been his sister Susanna.

On 6 June 1890, the following adverts appeared in the Western Gazette:

CHESTNUT COB (useful) FOR SALE. Without vice. Been
down.-G.P.WALTER, Draper, Somerton.

APPRENTICES.-G.P.WALTER, London House, Somer-
ton, has VACANCIES for TWO APPRENTICES for
Drapery and Clothing.

Intriguingly both pictures show that in the early 1900s Gaius was also conducting business as an undertaker while the postcard below has 'Millinery' on the fascia and hats visible in the shop window.

Gaius' Shop, Somerton - Corner of New Street and Broad Street (c.1903-1906)

Gaius married Mary Adelia Carter (9 July 1869-1940) on 14th January 1891 in the Wesleyan Chapel, Somerton witnessed by his brother Jacob Walter and her parents and older brother. Mary Adelia was the daughter of Alfred Carter (1839-1918) (a Sergeant Instructor of Volunteers and then licensed victualler keeping the Red Lion in Broad Street, Somerton) and Annie Belle McLeod (born Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada 1851) from South Petherton.

On 9 October 1891 Mary Adelia's advertisement in the Western Gazette asked for:

GENERAL SERVANT (good) WANTED. Must understand
plain cooking. Small family.-Mrs.WALTER, London House, Somerton, Somerset.

On 6 December 1898 Gaius was mentioned in the Western Gazette:

BLANKET CHARITY.-The annual distribution of the
charity blankets took place on Thursday, Nov. 28, when
sixty-two blankets of superior quality, supplied by Mr.
Gaius Walter, draper, London House, were given to the
second poor of the town. (...)

GIRL (16) REQUIRED for general work. Respectable.
Good home.-Mrs.WALTER, London House, Somerton, Somerset.

On 16 February 1905, this advert appeared in the Western Daily Press:

IMMEDIATE DISPOSAL, DRAPERY, GROCERY, TAILORING, & BOOT STORES; unusual opportunity through illness. Premises in centre of 10 villages; G.W.R. route Exeter now being constructed through. Double-fronted drapery and provisions windows, 60 feet frontage; 16 rooms, large walled fruit garden, two orchards. Price £1,150, or £45 rental. - Telegrams, Walters, Somerton, Somerset.

But on 28 August 1908, Gaius advertised in the Western Daily Press for staff:

GENERAL DRAPERY - Nonconformist LADY ASSISTANT required, to Manage quiet Country Shop. A small remuneration, with commission.- Photo and particulars, G.P.Walter, London House, Somerton, Somerset.

In 1911 the family lived in The Cottage, North Street, Somerton (excluding Dorothy Mary). Gaius is listed in a 1914 directory for Somerton when he was described as a draper (Broad Street) and a tailor (New Street). When Lillian Kathleen married in 1920 she gave her address as Waterloo House, Waterlooville, Hampshire. Gaius was described as a draper on the marriage certificate. Dorothy Mary's husband resided in Southsea and their children were born in Portsmouth District from 1917 onwards. Between 1923-1935 Southsea trade directories list Gaius as a draper at 111-113 Eastrey Road. In 1927 administration of his grandmother Lucy Penny's will passed to him from his brother, Jacob who had died in 1924. Gaius Penny, Mary Adelia and Elsie Ada died in Portsmouth District in 1943, 1940 and 1945 respectively. On his death certificate, Gaius' last address was given as 3, Chitty Road, Southsea, his occupation Master Draper (retired) and the informant was his daughter D.M. Storey of the same address (see below). He actually died at 1, Chitty Road. Probate was granted in May 1943 to his daughter Ada Elsie Walter (spinster) - value £342 2s 10.

Descendants of Gaius Penny Walter and Mary Adelia Carter

1. Dorothy Mary Walter (12 October 1891-1971). In 1911 Dorothy Mary was living in Clapham Road, London, boarding with the Collingridge family and working as a shop assistant. She married Fred George Storey (29) on 8th October 1916 in the Holloway Chapel, Camden Road, Islington witnessed by G. and A. Walter (presumably Gaius and ?Mary Adelia). Dorothy was then living at 426, Holloway Road {426-436 were the premises of B. Davies & Co. Fancy Drapers} and Fred (a newspaper office collector) was living in Southsea. They had children including: Granville Leveson Gower Storey (b. June quarter 1917; died 1942 when HMS Hecla was sunk), Renee Mara Storey (1918-1995; died Surrey) and John Walter Storey (1923-2002; died Southend-on-Sea) all born in Portsmouth. Granville Storey is recorded as having scored a goal in a football match between members of staff of Portsmouth Newspapers Ltd. Granville apears to have worked in the composing room (Portsmouth Evening News 31 March 1934). Granville married Vera Gladys Joan Barlow (1916-1982) in Portsmouth in 1939 when he was in the RNVR (she remarried Leslie J Ing in 1947); Renee married Donald Maxwell Vincent D. O'Hanlon (1909-1988; died Surrey) in Portsmouth in 1940; John married Betty E. Turner in Gosport in 1944.
2. Ada Elsie Walter (1892-1945). Died unmarried in Southsea.
3. Lillian Kathleen Walter (10 May 1894-17 February 1982) married Royal Ivo Spencer Aldridge (1894-1982) on 5th April 1920 in the Baptist Church, Waterlooville, Hampshire witnessed by members of Royal's family. Lillian Kathleen also died in 1982. Royal Aldridge was the son of Thomas Aldridge (c.1871-) and Amelia Rachel (Minnia) Spencer (c.1871) who lived in Waterlooville. He had an older sister Ivy Grace Aldridge (b.1892) and also Olive Amelia Aldridge (b.1898-1987). Royal Aldridge appears on Aquitania and Berengeria crew lists as a waiter or pantry steward between Southampton and New York in 1920-1923. He died at Malmesbury Lawn, Woolston Road, Havant, Hampshire on September 7 1982, described as a retired electrician.
   

   Royal Ivo Spencer Aldridge in 1920

4. Christina Irene Walter (January 9 1900-March 10 1999) married Norman Frederick Speck (January 25 1904-1986) in Portsmouth in 1927. Norman was a tailor (N.F. Speck & Co.). In the Southsea trade directory for that year he lived at 2 Devonshire Gardens. By 1958 they had moved to 163 Francis Avenue. Christina died in SE Hants district on 10 March 1999. They had Marian I Speck (October 22 1928- ) who married Kenneth J Allison in 1946.
5. Caroline Eveline Walter (1896- ) married Segis Luvaun Tawmsen (April 22, 1882-July 15, 1937), a Hawaiian musician in St Giles, London on April 7 1918. He was known by a variety of names, including Louis Keouli Thompson and had been married at least twice before. Eveline used her American passports to travel extensively in Europe as a 'theatre artiste'. She went to the USA in 1930 under the name of Eveline Luvain-Tawmsen, profession 'beauty culture'. She arrived at the Port of New York on January 18 1930 aboard the SS Samaria from Liverpool. The address given in the USA was Allerton Club, 130 East 567th St. New York. Her passport description describes her as 5'3", brown hair and gray eyes with a fair complexion.

   Caroline Eveline Walter (Eveline) passport photo

6. Hugh Penny Wesley Walter (5 August 1901-24 January 1975) married Florence Alice Woolvin (1901-1986; b. South Stoneham, d. Southampton) in 1922 in Southampton. They had a son John Harold Walter (1927-2005; died Aylesbury) who married Joyce Patricia Campbell (1926-1998) in 1949 (both events in Southampton ). Hugh of 36 St Michael's Road Totton Southampton died on 24 January 1975. Florence of the same address died on 3 January 1986.
7. Harold Philip Mcleod Walter (1905- ) - was a journalist and appears to have married three times. See Harold Philip Mcleod Walter.

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