Let me tell you a fascinating story about my Great Great Uncle, Sydney Charles Zealey,and his brothers whose roots go back to the charming town of Sevenoaks in Kent, England. Located just 35 miles south-east of London, Sevenoaks has a rich history dating back to the 13th century, when it became an important market town thanks to its strategic location on the route from London to Dartford.
One of the most iconic landmarks in Sevenoaks is the magnificent Knole House, a stunning 100-acre estate built by Archbishop Bourchier in 1456. The property was later seized by Henry VII and gifted to Queen Elizabeth I's cousin, Thomas Sackville. Today, Knole House is a beloved attraction that draws visitors from far and wide.
But the real reason I hold Sevenoaks dear to my heart is its association with cricket. You see, the Vine cricket ground in Sevenoaks is believed to be the oldest cricket ground in the world, dating back to a match played on its hallowed turf in 1734. As a cricket fan, it fills me with pride to know that my ancestor hailed from such a historic town. From the bustling market to the prestigious Sevenoaks School, Sevenoaks is a town that's steeped in heritage and charm, and one that will always hold a special place in my heart.
Here are the sequence of events, beginning in the late 1800's for the complicated Zealey family, as far as I can tell:
- On December 1st, 1886, Rose Emma Cox married Joseph Zealey. However, they had no children.
- On March 10th, 1873, William John Zealey, Joseph's brother, married Francis Elizabeth Lofts. They went on to have six children together.
- At some point (date unsourced), Francis Elizabeth Lofts passed away, leaving William John Zealey to care for their six young children.
- In 1889, Joseph Zealey passed away.
- In June of 1893, William John Zealey married his late brother's wife, Rose Emma Cox. Together, they had eight children of their own.
- On March 10th, 1938, William John Zealey passed away.
- On September 3rd, 1949, Rose Emma Cox passed away.
- William and Francis had three sons (William, Thomas, and Sydney) and three daughters before Francis passed away.
William James Zealey, the eldest son of William John Zealey and Francis Elizabeth Lofts, was born in Beddington, Surrey in 1874. At the age of 18, he signed up for military service in the Volunteer Brigade of the Royal West Kent Artillery in 1889, and again in August 1891. His military records list him as a labourer at the time.
In 1902, William joined the London Metropolitan Police Force, with warrant number 89346. He served as a Police Constable and was assigned to various posts before his last posting to P Division. William remained with the police force until March 27th, 1920, before retiring from service.
We even have a photo of William in his police uniform, which gives us a glimpse into his life as a police officer. Additionally, we have access to his police retirement record, which provides an insight into his career and service.
In addition to his service with the London Metropolitan Police Force, William James Zealey also signed up with the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) during his police service. The RGA was established in 1899 as a branch of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery, serving alongside the Royal Field Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery.
The RGA was responsible for the technical aspects of gunnery and played a crucial role in professionalising gunnery during the First World War. Their primary role was to man the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, heavy gun batteries attached to infantry divisions, and the siege artillery.
Due to his prior military experience and technical expertise, William likely spent most of his war service at home in England. It is clear that William was a dedicated public servant who was willing to serve his country in any capacity necessary. His contributions to both the military and police force demonstrate his unwavering commitment to his community and country.
William James Zealey's personal life was also marked by a series of ups and downs. He married Alice Esther Taylor Trotman in Sevenoaks, Kent in 1899, and they had two children together. Unfortunately, Alice passed away in 1906 at the age of just 32, most likely due to childbirth complications related to the birth of their daughter Flora.
Despite this tragic loss, William remarried in October 1907 to Sara Ann Humphrey. The couple went on to have three more children together. William continued to serve as a police officer until his retirement, as evidenced by his presence in the 1939 census.
William passed away in May 1947, leaving behind a legacy of public service and dedication to his family. Sara Ann Humphrey survived him, passing away in September 1963. William's life serves as a testament to the challenges and triumphs that can be encountered on the journey through life, and his commitment to his community and family will be remembered for years to come.
Thomas Zealey was born in Seal, Kent in 1878, the second son of William and Francis Zealey. At the age of 18, he joined the Royal West Kent Regiment of the army in 1896 and served for 23 years until his discharge on May 2, 1901. In 1906, he married Margaret Elizabeth Richardson.
After his discharge, Thomas joined the West Kent Volunteers until 1911. He was then mobilized for the First World War in 1914 and served in India, South Africa, and France. His military records indicate that he rose through the ranks from corporal to sergeant and eventually became a captain.
After the war, Thomas likely returned to his former profession as a foreman bricklayer. He passed away in 1965 in Bromley, Kent. Unfortunately, information regarding the death of his wife Margaret has not been found.
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Sydney Charles Zealey was born about 1882 at Sevenoaks, Kent, he is pictured here on the right, with his two older brothers Thomas and William.
It seems that Sydney Charles Zealey had a long career as a bricklayer, both in England and in Australia. After enlisting in the Royal West Kent Regiment in 1899 at the age of 17, he served for 12 years and married Emma Flegg in 1905. In the 1911 census, he was listed as married and working as a bricklayer at The Beacon prep school in Sevenoaks, where his wife Minnie (Emma) was a cook.
In 1912, Sydney and Emma emigrated to Sydney, Australia on the Ortranto of the Orient Line. They had two sons and lived in a house they named "Sevenoaks" on Bellingarra Road in Miranda. Sydney continued working as a bricklayer in Australia until his death in 1971. Florence, his wife, died in 1963.
Florence and Sydney had two sons, and in 1921 the family took a trip back to England. Very little has been found about their life in Australia, and both are buried at Woronora Cemetary, Sutherland, NSW.
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Arthur William Zealey, the eldest son of William and Rose, was born on April 17th, 1894 in Sevenoaks, Kent. Unfortunately, locating his WW1 UK service records is challenging as more than two million records were lost during the bombing of the UK in WW2. However, a photo of Arthur stationed in India indicates that he served in the Royal West Kent Regiment. Aside from this photograph, (which is not very clear) no additional information about his service is available.
According to his marriage certificate from the Parish Church of Littlehampton, Sussex, Arthur worked as a bus driver when he married Caroline Mary Elizabeth Mason on September 24th, 1924. Caroline was employed as a domestic servant. Later, in the 1939 England and Wales Register, Arthur is still listed as a bus driver.
Buses in the early 1900s in England were quite different from modern buses. They were generally horse-drawn, with the first motorized buses only coming into use around 1903. These early motorized buses were usually open-topped and had a maximum speed of around 12 miles per hour. Over the following decades, buses gradually became larger, faster, and more comfortable, with enclosed bodies, better suspension, and more powerful engines. By the time of Arthur's career as a bus driver in the 1920s, buses were likely still relatively basic compared to modern buses, but they would have been motorized and likely had enclosed bodies and seating for multiple passengers.
There is no evidence that the couple had children. Arthur passed away on February 10th, 1960, and Caroline died in 1984. The family continued to live in Sussex.
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Step back in time to Sevenoaks, Kent, where two brothers, Alfred George Zealey and William John Zealey, lived their lives. Alfred was born on a chilly winter day, 26th December 1899, and little is known about his adult life, except for a tantalizing clue found in the 1939 Register. It appears that he was living with his deceased brother's wife, Rose, at 14 Quakers Hill Lane, while his older brother and his wife were next door at No. 16. This Register is a treasure trove of information for genealogists, offering rich details about each person and household. Plus, it's a crucial resource for bridging the gap caused by the destruction of the 1931 census during World War II and the lack of a census in 1941 due to the ongoing conflict.
As for William John Zealey, he entered the world in Sevenoaks on a sunny summer day, 14th August 1901. He married Lucy L. Huggett in 1922 in his hometown, but unfortunately, their marriage was fraught with difficulties. A newspaper clipping found in the archives recounts the tale of William deserting his wife, Lucy Louisa Zealey, leading to a separation order at Bromley Police Court. It is not known if the pair ever reconciled and Lucy lived until 1964 in Bromley, Kent, while William passed away in 1980 in Tunbridge Wells.
These snippets of history paint a fascinating picture of the lives of the Zealey brothers and their families. Although much of their stories remain a mystery, the details we do know hint at the complexities and dramas of everyday life in early 20th century England.
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The Zealey family's final male tree branch arrived with Frederick Charles, the eldest son of William John and Rose Emma Zealey. Born on a crisp autumn day, 10th November 1904, in Sevenoaks, Kent, Frederick had a restless spirit that took him on a grand adventure to the other side of the world.
On 12th November 1921, at the tender age of 17, Frederick boarded the Ormuz in London, bound for Sydney, Australia. Imagine the excitement and trepidation he must have felt as he embarked on this solo journey as a third-class passenger, with nothing but his dreams and his occupation as a farm hand to guide him.
His travels eventually led him to St Thomas Church Sans Souci, NSW, where he married Annie Elizabeth Pearce from Queensland on 11th August 1928. Together, they embarked on their own adventure, starting a family and having four children.
It seems that Frederick put down roots in Queensland, where he appears on the electoral roll from 1925 to 1980. But he and Annie did spend a brief period living at Woronora Dam, Waterfall, NSW, in 1930.
He must have had fond memories of Sevenoaks as in 1965 he sent a letter to England that was printed in the Sevenoaks Courier:
THE MAN FROM QUEENSLAND - All the way from Queensland Australia, this week came a letter designed to lift another shroud from the pages of Sevenoaks history. The author is Mr. F.C. Zealey who emigrated to Australia in 1920 after a childhood in Sevenoaks.
Mr. Zealey was born at the Limes, St Johns. His father was the well known local builder Mr. W. G. Zealey. Mr. Zealey Jnr. attended the Cobden Road public school and then graduated to Bayham Road School.
He writes "I can remember when the firm of Quinnels, the removalists and contractors had a traction engine which pulled vans and wagons through the town, in 1911 - the Coronation year this engine and three open wagons, all covered in bunting took at the school children up through the town to Knole Castle where we had a picnic on the green in front of the castle.
I also remember Mr. H. Hill, the baker at St Johns, with his bread cart and blind white pony - also Mr Kipps, the butcher, with his butcher's carts and his piebald pony Tetratch. It used to pull a governess cart or trap around the town and in it would be Mr. and Mrs. Kipps their daughter, and son George who was killed in World War 1.
I have a photo of the men of the Royal West Kent Regiment on the Tuba Hill Station waiting for the train to France on about August 4, 1914. Sevenoaks in those days became a garrison town for troops, and many were in billets and empty houses. Regiments such as the Loyal North Lancashires, Yorkshires and Kings own were stationed in Sevenoaks. I attended the unveiling of the War Memorial at the Vine after the war.
St Johns Hill has altred a lot since my day. Starting from the Bat and Ball Hotel we come to Mr. Martin's furniture shop, next door was Mr. Turk the grocer, then Mr. E. Fielder the photographer, next the Church then Radbone the butchers, Warringtons the grocers, the Post Office, Mr. Fred Little, butcher, Hammertons the barber and newspagent, some more shops then Mr Dane the boot shop.
The cinema was opened before the World War 1 and the prices in the Sevenoaks Courier were listed as two-pence a seat for children and nice plush seats for 6d. and 9d for the gallery.
There used to be a pianist to play and sometimes a violinist. You could hear us kids roar the house down at Charlie Chaplin, Steve Hart, Broncho Bill, John Bunny and Flo Finch and other old time film actors. We used to plan in the old Oast House or hop kiln opposite the cinema, long since pulled down.
Not a lot is known of Frederick's life in Queensland, but a few facts can be found in newspaper clippings.
In the 1920s, Frederick worked as a labourer on the railway line in Ceratodus, a town that was just over a full day away by train from Bundaberg. While working in Ceratodus, Frederick had an accident when cleaning a rifle and was shot, which landed him in the hospital. However, he seems to have recovered well from his injuries.
During this time, the development of rail infrastructure was essential to support industries, and railway construction provided employment opportunities for many people, including Frederick. Ceratodus, where Frederick worked was a small town in the hinterland of the Wide Bay–Burnett region, where the railway played a crucial role in connecting the region to the rest of the state.
It's also worth noting that in the early 1920s, the Pearce family, whom Frederick may have met during his time in Ceratodus, were likely living in a tent due to the transient nature of railway construction work. Many railway workers lived in tents, makeshift shacks, or other temporary accommodations as they moved from one job site to another. There is an article mentioning a birthday party in the Pearce family tent that Frederick attended. I wonder if this is where he met his future wife Annie?
Overall, Frederick's experiences in Queensland reflect the economic and social realities of the state during the early 1900s, where agriculture, railway construction, and transient work were significant aspects of life for many people.
It seems that Frederick and his family later lived in the Sunshine Coast area and owned a farm there. There are advertisements placed in the Nambour local newspaper by Frederick, seeking a shed and a cow.
Through the ups and downs of life Frederick and Annie remained devoted to each other until the end. Sadly Frederick passed away in January 1987, with Annie following just six months later in July of the same year. they now rest together at Bundaberg General Cemetery a testament to a lifetime of love and adventure.
Frederick, Annie and daughter Rose C1927
It's interesting to note that two prominent themes in the Zealey brother's lives were their dedication to service to their country and their family.
The brothers' commitment to their country is evident through their military and public service. It's likely that their sense of duty and service to their country was instilled in them from a young age, and this was a driving force behind their decision to enlist.
Their dedication to family is also evident, with the brothers having strong family values. However, as mentioned, William John Zealey appears to have deserted his wife, which may suggest that he did not prioritize his commitment to family as highly as his brothers did. It's important to conduct further research to understand what happened in his case and whether there were other factors at play.
It's also worth noting that the Zealey brothers likely never saw each other again after immigrating to Australia, highlighting the challenges of maintaining family connections across vast distances and in the absence of modern communication technologies. This further underscores the importance that family held for them, even in the face of such challenges.
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