Lovelocks with Musical Talent |
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Our 'Notable and Noteworthy Lovelocks'
page includes six who have made a not inconsiderable mark on the musical world, some of
whom were mentioned at length in an article by Yann in the fifth edition of 'Lovelock Lines'. In
concluding the article Yann wrote 'The musicians remembered above are the exceptional ones among
hundreds more of our name who have brought pleasure and entertainment to their fellows. Let us
be grateful for them all.' Most of those Yann did not name would have been amateurs whose musical exploits will only be revealed to us through a scouring of the columns of the newspapers which were good enough to report on their endeavours - just a few examples may be perused here. |
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However, there are a few other apparent professionals whose talents, if through no other medium, are brought to our notice in some of the Census Returns and other varied and various documentation in our collections.
The first one to get a mention here is George Thomas Lovelock from the Hungerford-Shalbourne Tree. Possibly his first job, recorded in 1891, was as a Page in the Coombe, Surrey household of one Charles Watson, a retired merchant, Yorkshire-born, who had obviously seen much more of the world than Yorkshire and Surrey for the two daughters living with him were born in Chile and a son in Peru. George could not have stayed a Page for long, though, because in 1901 he was a Musician lodging with Maurice and Jennie Blazer in Penge, Kent. Maurice was born in Holland, although a British Subject, and was also a Musician. On 1 June 1902 George married Editha Amy Acfield in the church of St Mary, Hammersmith. In 1911 they were living with her parents in Fulham, and when George helped to fill in the Returns Form he revealed that his instrument was the Trombone. Whether George's occupation was considered 'Reserved' or not during the First World War he was still a Musician when he completed the 1921 Return. The 1939 Register records him as a resident in a Guest House in Worthing, Sussex, where he was a Musician seeking employment. He died on 8 August 1940 and is buried in Brighton, Sussex with Editha who had predeceased him by 12 years.
The next Lovelock to be mentioned, it has to be admitted, did not, on the evidence we have, by any means pursue as lengthy a career as George. Grace Elizabeth Lovelock from the Tangley Tree was born in 1886 and, like George, died in 1940 having never married. Her father David was at one time a Navvy but by 1901 had been appointed as the General Manager of Public Works in Nottingham. By 1911 he had moved to become a Public Works Contractor in Leicester but Grace, who was still living with her parents, had not taken up any occupation. In 1921 the family had moved again, this time to David's birthplace of Tangley in Hampshire, where he had become a Smallholder, but Grace was only engaged on 'Home Duties'. David died in 1926 and by 1939 Grace and her mother Frances had taken up residence in nearby Andover. Frances had 'Private Means', but Grace's entry states that although she was engaged on 'Unpaid Domestic Duties' she was also 'previously a professional musician'. Searching further afield, 'The Nottingham Evening Post' reported on 22 July 1902 that Grace had passed the Grade 4 (Advanced) examination of 8-10 July on the pianoforte, so she was clearly accomplished, but there seems to be no surviving evidence of her performing in public.
John Lovelock was born in Pennsylvania in the United States in 1851 or 1852. He died on 28 January 1887 in Manhattan, New York, recorded as a Musician and the son of John and Ellen Lovelock who were both born in England. They were members of the Bray-USA Tree. John's first appearance in our records was in the 1855 New York State Census when, confusingly, his father was recorded as Johnathan, a Seaman born in Pennsylvania and his mother as Ellin born in Ireland. The family seems to have avoided being recorded in the 1860 US Census and the 1865 New York State Census, but in 1870 they were living in New York, John the father being a Caterer from England, although Ellen was still recorded as being born in Ireland. John the son was 'In Law Office', presumably as some sort of clerk. He married Mary Jane Markey in 1875, he at least managing to avoid the 1875 New York State Census, although by 1880 he and Mary Jane had taken up residence in Jersey City, New Jersey along with their first two daughters. John had given up the law and was recorded as a Musician. The family does appear in the 1885 New Jersey State Census, but no occupational data was recorded. Obviously we have no idea what sort of Musician John was, nor when he started practising as such, although he was also recorded as a Musician in a Jersey City Directory of 1879. In the 1884 Directory he was listed as a Music Teacher. We do not know why he died in Manhattan, at the age of only 36, when he was probably still living in Jersey City.
George James Lovelock is yet another who seemed to have a fairly brief existence as a professional musician. He was born in 1856, the son of George Lovelock, a Seaman, and Julia Hornsey, all from the Portsmouth Tree. His first employment, recorded in 1881 and 1891 was as a Shipping or Mercantile Clerk, doing well enough by 1891 to employ a live-in Servant. But also by then he had his eyes on not only a different occupation but a different country in which to pursue it. He had, perhaps, been on a 'scouting mission' when he arrived in Southampton from Cape Town, South Africa on 19 June 1890, recorded as a Clerk. He presumably persuaded wife and family that a future in South Africa was entirely desirable, for he and wife Rosina, together with their two surviving daughters, left Southampton for the Cape on 30 December 1893. Their next appearance in our documentation is their arrival in Southampton from Cape Town on 7 August 1897. George for some reason claimed to be only 34 years old when he was actually 41, and was recorded as 'J Lovelock, Musician'. The family with him were recorded as 'Mrs Geo', 'Miss R' and 'Miss D'. They all left again for the Cape on the 'Mexican' on 22 October 1898, together with son Henry (recorded as Mr Lovelock Junr). There were other trips to and fro including one where George and his wife arrived back in Southampton from South Africa aboard the 'Kenilworth Castle' on 21 June 1913. They returned to the Cape on 20 September 1913, came back again on 29 June 1921, and yet again on the 'Kinfauns Castle' on 3 July 1922. Curiously in 1913 he was recorded as a Clerk and in 1922 as an Electrical Engineer. If he really had at one time been employed as a Musician it was clearly short-lived. However, the musical interlude might have introduced him to another aspect of the entertainment business, for when he and his wife Rosina sailed once more for the Cape on 15 September 1922 he was recorded on the ship's manifest as a Theatrical Agent. George came back at least one more time, alone, in 1934, and eventually died in Cape Province in 1951.
Next in line is a William Lovelock from the Beckenham Tree, who was actually born as William Spalding. His mother, Lucy White, had married a William Lovelock in 1855 and they had a son William in 1857. At some point between 1861 and 1871 Lucy began to use the name Spalding, and another son that she also called William was born in 1868. Some time before 1896 he began to use the surname Lovelock and was so married to Eliza Westwood towards the end of 1896. William enlisted, or rather re-enlisted, in the Army on 13 September 1900. He had previously served for 12 years but we have no dates for that. He was discharged on 21 December 1908 becoming a Chelsea Out-Pensioner. His discharge notes state that he was a Musician and was employed in the band during the whole of his service. By 1911 he was employed as a miner in Glamorgan but in 1921 he declared himself to be a Musician once more, although 'Out of Work' at the time he completed the Census Return. He eventually died in Folkestone, Kent in 1951 as a Retired Above-ground Coal Miner, so perhaps he treated his musicianship as more of a hobby.
Ernest Edward Walter Lovelock was another for whom, perhaps, musicianship was more of a hobby than an occupation, but at this remove we can not tell. He was born in Winchester, Hampshire towards the end of 1874, and possibly his first job was as a Telegraph Messenger in which occupation he was recorded in the 1891 Census. On 4 April 1894 he was appointed as a Postman in the city, the occupation he reported in 1901 and 1911. But by 1921 it looks as though he had left the Post Office for he described himself as 'Musician Violin or Viola'. Presumably this was how he now made his living because he had precisely the same occupation in 1939. We may be able to deduce a little of Ernest's musical taste because the son he had with his wife Elizabeth Jane Bassett in 1900 was baptised as John Charles Haydn Lovelock. Ernest died in a Nursing Home in Bitterne, Hampshire in 1958.
William George Lovelock from the Hungerford-Shalbourne Tree was born on 1 November 1872, and was the brother of George Thomas above. Alas his father George died in late 1873 and his mother, Mary Ann Holloway, in late 1879. William was probably raised by his mother's parents, and was certainly with them in 1881, whilst his brother George, who was born either just before or just after their father died, was possibly raised by Mary Ann's brother Charles and his wife. William may have enlisted in the Army as he does not appear in the 1891 or 1901 Census Returns. He reappears in our documentation on 29 September 1902 when he married Kezia Smith in the church of St Philip, Kensington. He was recorded in the Marriage Register as a Musician, and so too he was in 1911. However, it would seem that a musician's wages were not sufficient to support a wife and a growing family so in 1921, by which time there were 5 children aged under 17, he reported that he was a Barman. He died, aged just 51, in 1924.
Herbert Lovelock from the Beenham Tree was born on 23 June 1888, the son of Robert Lovelock and Emma Dean Clarke. Robert worked in a Cotton Mill in Stockport, Cheshire during Herbert's early years, but then became a Sanitary Inspector. Just where Herbert's musical talent came from we do not know, but it must have been considerable because by 1911 he was already earning a living as a Teacher of Music. This must have brought him a reasonably steady income as he had married Annie Brunt on 6 October 1909 so had a wife to support. He was still teaching in 1921 and 1939, the latter Register entry revealing that his speciality was the pianoforte. He died on 3 December 1951 and 'The Manchester Evening News' reported on 4 December 1951: 'Teacher of many winners of musical honours, Mr Herbert Lovelock, professor of music, died suddenly at his home in Avondale Road, Edgeley, Stockport. He rigidly left the limelight to his pupils.'