1919 - A Year In Review

Happy New Year to all.

As we welcome in the new year I thought it would be interesting to look back and see what was happening in the family in England 100 years ago in 1919. This was the year when George V was on the throne; the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, was leading a coalition government and Britain was recovering from the effects of World War 1.

Family Members and Locations

By 1919 there were approximately 500 family members in England and Wales. About 72% had the surname Titheridge, 13% the surname Titheradge, with the rest made up of the surnames Tidridge, Tytheridge, Tutheridge, Teatheredge and Titeridge.

At the start of 1919 about 50% of family members in England were still living in Hampshire, about 25% had migrated to the London area, with 15% in the south east of England in Essex, Sussex, Kent and Surrey while the rest were scattered around England and Wales.

Births Marriages and Deaths

1919 saw the arrival of just 6 new babies 3 Titheridges and 3 Titheradges.

• Frank Leslie born to John and Grace Maud Titheridge in Hendon, Middlesex
• Reginald Charles born to Reginald Frank and Violet Ethel Titheridge in Southampton
• Victor W born to Ernest James and Mabel Emma Mary Titheridge in Fulham, London
• Florence Belle born to William John and Florence Bella Titheradge in Islington, London
• Margaret Amelia born to Alfred George and Emma Catherine Titheradge in Pancras, London
• Thomas A Titheradge born to an unknown female in Plymouth

In 1919 there were 8 reported deaths in England and Wales

• Baby Victor W Titheridge died in Fulham, London
• 4-year-old Arthur Sturdee Titheridge died in Sedgefield, Durham
• Edward James Titheridge died in Winchester aged 66
• James Teatheredge died in Wandsworth, London aged63
• James Tytheridge died in Camberwell, London aged 86

There were also three deaths of soldiers.

• 40-year-old Regimental Sergeant Major Ainslie Burton Tytheridge of the Canadian Army Medical Corps died in a motorcycle accident in Thanet, Kent.
• 18-year-old Private George Henry Joseph Robert Tidridge of the Shropshire Light Infantry died in Fermoy Ireland.
• 38-year-old Alfred George Titheridge of Shedfield, Hampshire, formerly of The Hampshire Regiment and Wiltshire Regiment, died as a result of medical conditions caused by life in the trenches

Marriage was very popular in 1919 with 13 marriages taking place, presumably this was a result of the war ending and the soldiers coming home. Eleven of these had the surname Titheridge (6 female and 5 male) and two had the surname Titheradge.

Madge Titheradge 

In the 1919 newspapers the famous Titheradge acting family hit the headlines in many papers. Reviews of Madge Titheradge’s performance in two different plays were reported in January and February. Later in the year the film “Gamblers All” was released starring Madge Titheradge. Madge’s sister Frances Titheradge was also appearing on the English stage. Revues and plays by Madge’s brother, Dion Titheradge, were also performed in numerous theatres across the country. Madge hit the headlines again in August 1919 when she divorced her actor husband, Charles Quartermaine, on grounds of desertion and misconduct.

Newspaper reports

A search of the English newspapers produced some more mundane mentions of the family name. These included the following reports

• Welcome home celebrations in Droxford for Admiral Deveton Sturdee and Commander Gieve, were held and “The Bishops Waltham Temperance Band”, under Mr Titheridge, headed the procession, and played some appropriate music as the procession made its way to the village green”
• William Titheridge of Chase Road, Swanmore, a labourer, was fined 10 shillings for a lighting offence. On 21st June, at 11pm on the Corhampton Road, Droxford, he was caught riding a bicycle without a front light.
• In Shedfield, Hampshire the Boy Scouts began their indoor training for the winter months with patrol leaders George Titheridge and Ernest Stacey.
• Francis Titheridge, was charged with begging in Tunbridge Wells in February, in Portsmouth in May and June and in Petersfield in July.
• Good Service Ribbons were given to members of the Women's Land Army Agricultural Section for serving King and country in time of hardship and distress. Recipients included E Tytheridge in the East Sussex Section.
• At Queens College Southampton Louisa Tidridge passed her book keeping exam.
• In Hampshire sporting success was achieved by Mr H J Tidridge who won a prize for bowling.
• At Shedfield Miss Freda Titheridge, daughter of Mr and Mrs Noah Titheridge, married Private Greenway of the Leicester Regiment.

1919 Diary

In Swanmore, Hampshire our family diarist, 65-year-old George Titheridge, continued to record his diary throughout 1919. His diary is a list of births (confinements), marriages and deaths in the village of Swanmore, mixed with weather reports, cricket scores, village activities and a few references to world events. I love his diary, especially the fantastic way everyday life is mixed with world events. Below are a few of his entries from the year 1919.

8 Jan   George Alder found dead in ditch.
31 Jan   Old Mr Rowe found suffocated in his van.
28 Feb   Mrs F Blackman confined with twins one died.
24 Mar   Motor car accident at bottom of hill.
27 Mar   C Hart and E Emery summoned for poaching.
29 Mar   A severe snow storm. Times put on an hour.
20 May  A nice steady rain after 7 weeks dry.
28 Jun   Peace terms signed. Swanmore Cricket Club beat Eastleigh.
30 July   Four cottages burned down.
9 Aug   Still very hot. Very dry, hottest day registered in London 80 in shade.
5 Sep   W J Pink came home from the Rhine.
1 Oct   The first 10 shilling note received from the board.
27 Oct   Mr Read took away to the asylum.
1 Dec   Lady Astor the first Lady MP take her seat in the house of commons.

Aftermath of World War 1

1919 saw many men getting discharged from the army and  navy and returning home to family and loved ones. For other families it was a year of remembrance for those who had died in the war. On 18 July 1919 the cenotaph in London was unveiled to commemorate the dead of World War 1. On 11 November 1919 the first Remembrance Day was observed, with two minutes silence at 11.00 hours.