The London Gazette of 21st June 1887 has some interesting entries.
In the same edition Bertie Angelo Cator, my great-grandfather, is promoted from Sub-Lieutenant to Lieutenant in Her Majesty’s Fleet.
In 1885 Britain built fifty-eight first-class torpedo boats, called 125 Footers, reacting to the threat of a war with Russia. In 1889 Bertie was appointed Lieutenant and Commander of HM TB 32 for the annual manoeuvres. In 1894 he was given a unique appointment: Bridge Master of Tower Bridge. He is the only naval officer to hold the position. It seems that it was not an onerous job and subsequent Bridge Masters were non-commissioned officers.
“He married Violet Alice Ethel daughter of John Wingfield- Stratford on 25th January 1893 and they had a son Richard Bertie born on 5th December 1902 and a daughter Elizabeth. She married the Rev. Edward Eustace Hill, formerly rector of North Cray on 20th April 1922 just before her Midshipman brother was lost on board H.M. Drifter “Blue Sky” in June.
Their mother saw neither event because she died when they were young in 1916 but Bertie Angelo lived to enjoy four grandchildren until he died in October 1933.”
(The Cators of Beckenham and Woodbastwick , by Patricia Ridler)
Elizabeth is my grandmother and sadly history repeated itself when one of her sons, my Uncle Richard, drowned serving as a Lieutenant on HMS Glory in the Mediterranean in 1950. He is buried in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery on Malta.
It is thought that Violet went to her mother’s house to give birth to my grandmother. The Wingfield-Stratford London home was Stratford House, now home to the Oriental Club, where I will have lunch on Friday.
There is something more about the Hills in Plain Tales from the Hills.
Christopher,
I had assumed that Bertie the beagle was so named after bumbling Bertie Wooster, but perhaps today’s post confirms that in fact you are following the popular trend of naming pets after family members? If so, at least you had the sense to choose a deceased relative. I have several friends who have christened dogs after family members who are very much still alive. It is rather amusing to hear discourse coming from the kitchen such as ‘Toby, stop licking my leg!’.
In the past pets were generally given straightforward ‘less human’ names such as ‘Rover, spot, dash’ etc. Today pets are given human names, and children are given the most ridiculous names, many you would not even consider giving to your favourite canine.
Indeed; I have a cousin called Saffron Mao. Black Labradors at Barmeath were always bitches with names beginning with B: Bounce, Belle, Bess, Beatle, Betsy, etc.
Nevertheless I am sure that the Cator ancestors (which I share with Christopher) would wish it to be pointed out that Bertie Angelo’s first name was always pronounced Bartie – a less common name for a beagle!