Leonard David Ivory

[1st east yorks]

Hello,

My son has just returned from a school battlefield tour of Ypres and the Somme. After attending the last post service at the Menin gate he found a soldier, bearing our surname,on the memorial to the missing and is interested in finding out more about him.His details are as follows :-

Leonard David Ivory

12875

6th battalion Duke of Cornwalls light infantry

Died 31 July 1915

I feel this is an important little project for my son, especially this rememberance day,and in finding out about Leonard we remember him, and in remembering one, we remember all.

thanks,

Anthony.

[Old Owl]

Hi Anthony,

According to SDGW Leonard David Ivory was born and lived in Finchley, Middlesex. He enlisted at St Paul's churchyard, London. I think that you may have all the other relevant information.

May I suggest that you search the Census, which should give you some family background details and also if you are in the Finchley area it may be worth checking the local newspapers around the time of his death.

Hope this helps.

Robert

[sotonmate]

1911 Census shows family living in Finchley Middlesex. Father,4 boys and 2 girls,no mother listed.

Leonard was a printer aged 17 in 1911.

6 DCLI first landed in France in May 1915 as part of 43 Brigade of 15 Division. They have a War Diary at Kew which is not yet digital so needs to be read at Kew,or a copy requested. File reference WO95/1908/2, and runs from 1May 1915 through to 1918.

[Sandie Hayes]

He was only 20 years old. The son of Jepthah Norris Ivory, of 3, Church Lane, East Finchley, London.

Leonard first went to France on 27th May 1915, so he had only been there 8 weeks when he was killed.

There are 2 other men with the surname Ivory commemorated on the Menin Gate.

Thomas Alfred, aged 21, of City Rd, London (his brother William was also killed).

Vincent William Geoege, aged 24, of Luton.

23 men with the surname Ivory died during World War 1, including Leonard.

Jepthah Norris Ivory married Annie Caroline Mary Smith at the Church of St Jude, East Finchley on 19th September 1892.

Annie died in January 1910.

[sotonmate]

Leonard had a brother Cyril Jepthah Ivory aged 15 in 1911. Wondering if he served too and found a Sergeant C J Ivory Number "1610 Infantry" who had a Mention in Despatches in June 1917, and there is another card which shows a Meritorious Service Medal in 1925.

No certainty that this is the brother of Leonard,but worth a look around.

[Sandie Hayes]

I saw that too but can't find the page on the LG website.

In 1940 Cyril inherited his father's money. CJ was described as a 'departmental manager'.

[KevinBattle]

He had two brothers shown in 1901 Census, Cyril J (surely named after his father, Jepthah Norris Ivory- but various spellings of his first name) Ivory,who died in June 1968 in Barnet, which isn't far from Finchley. Henry J (? fathers name again?) seems to disappear, maybe an infant death....

Jepthah died in Nov 1940, see Probate record:

Ivory, Jepthah Norris, of 3, Church Lane, East Finchley, Middlesex died 20 November 1940 at Memorial Hospital Finchley. Administration Llandudno 11 March 1941 to Cyril Jepthah Ivory, departmental manager. Effects £983 5s 10d

No obvious reason for enlistment in DOCLI, but his death was pre conscription so he could have chosen for some long forgotten family link as Finchley doesn't seem a likely enlistment location for Cornish soldiers!

Sorry, doesn't seem an awful lot for his project, but the more answers, each step may get you there!

[1st east yorks]

Many thanks for all your replies. Yes, Kevin every little bit of information contributes to the over all picture.

In the space of 6 hours we know a lot more about him, thanks very much again.

Anthony

[KevinBattle]

Anthony, there were 31 men killed on that day from 6 DCLI, most are only commemorated on the Menin Gate.

It might be worth contacting the DOCLI Museum to see what else they may be able to provide either for him or as background for 6th Bn activities.

It seems this might have been their first taste of action, presumably near Sanctuary Wood.

Whilst many have addresses in Cornwall, there is a fairly large group from London and elsewhere among those casualties.

The 6th Battalion was part of Kitcheners First New Army of citizen volunteers, so they obviously spent time after enlisting in Nov/Dec 1914 being trained as infantry soldiers before moving to France in May 1915 as already detailed. It seems likely that those in the ranks with previous experience as soldiers would have been drafted out to France as casualty replacements during that time, and when the call came for the Battalion to be sent to France, any shortfall was made up by drafting in volunteers from a range of other units, perhaps explaining what Leonard was doing in a Cornish unit.

Leonard's father had a quite unusual Christian name, Jepthah, but he passed that on to his second son, Cyril. That might be due to Leonard being named for his maternal grandfather(s). There might be some Cornish link there but others may know more. Presumably you are not near Finchley or Bodmin to visit yourselves. There is probably a branch of the RBL in Finchley or the local council there may know if Leonard is commemorated on the Finchley area War Memorial, so it could be worth trying to establish that.

Good luck!

[sotonmate]

Jepthah,of Bibilical/Jewish origin," mighty man of valour",among other versions, so did he live up to his name and was it his MID and MSM?

[Old Owl]

Interestingly the 6th Bn were heavily involved in the action at Hooge on 31st July,1915, whilst defending Zouave Wood. To quote from Conan Doyle:

"--They had left the 10th Durham Light Infantry and the 6th Cornwall Light Infantry to defend the wood, but at 2-20 in the morning the Germans renewed their diabolical tactics with liquid fire, which blazed over the trenches and scorched the branches overhead.---"

It is just possible that Leonard Ivory was a victim of this treacherous attack by liquid fire.

Robert

[rolt968]

Jephthah Norris Ivory (born in Shenley, Herts) was a self employed hairdresser. Apart from the 1901 and 1911 censuses. I have also found him a number of Kelly's Directory for North London.

LDI's mother was Annie Caroline M Smith. She and Jephthah were married in Islington in the third quarter of 1892 in Islington. That should be in FreeBMD. She seems to have been born in Islington. She died in the first quarter of 1910 in Barnet (Should also be in FreeBMD.).

Roger.

[1st east yorks]

Thanks for the additional comments.

Yes, Robert it would seem that Leonard and his pals died in horrific circumstances.

Kevin,

no I dont live near Finchley or Bodmin, thanks for the suggestions and further information.

Roger,

thanks for the background information, it all adds up to the overall picture.

Sotonmate,

An interesting thought, thanks.

Thanks again for your time and effort, it is appreciated.

Anthony

[Guest antipodean]

Many thanks for this information! In my grandmother's family bible is the entry "David Ivory died France 1915". I had previously unsuccessfully searched for David in the British records, until today when I noticed a record for Leonard David Ivory. I knew there must be some connection because my first name is David and my father's middle name was Leonard. I then came across this forum. Evaline Annie Ivory (my grandmother) was Leonard's brother, but he must have preferred to be called David. Leonard would have worked at the printing business of my great grandfather Henry Westbury Simpson which probably explains how my grandfather met my grandmother. All the details in the posts about Leonard's family are correct. Evaline married William Henry Simpson and they emigrated to New Zealand when my father was 2.

David

[KevinBattle]

Thanks for completing the circle!

All the way to/from NZ, so thanks for the contact, I'm sure this school project gave us all a lot of food for thought.

Glad that one member of the Ivory family (1st East Yorks son) was able in this way to help you finalise your own family mystery.

Although 1st East Yorks hasn't been on the forum since January, I have sent him a Personal Message to alert him that this enquiry has borne some unexpected fruit!

You need to have 3 posts, I believe to access the PM system yourself, so replying to this will get you closer!

Hopefully the two parts of the Ivory family can then be brought together.