John Aden Ley Greaves
John Aden Ley Greaves
| John Aden Ley Greaves | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Greaves, John Aden Ley.jpg | |||||||||
| Born | 1874 | ||||||||
| Died | 1924 | ||||||||
| Residence | II Clan Resident, N. Nigeria; The Woodlands, Limpley Stoke, Bath [A63] | ||||||||
| Occupation |
armed services civil service | ||||||||
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Contents
Notes
Office Notes
House Notes
1910.04.02 proposed by N.W. Thomas, seconded by T.A. Joyce
Notes From Elsewhere
John Aden Ley Greaves was baptised in 1874 in Melcombe Regis, Dorset, son of William Spencer Taylor and Louisa Mary Greaves. By 1881 his father had died (Sep 1880) and his mother was left with four children, Adena, Loue, John and Lionel, and four servants in Monte Video House, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset.
At 16, in 1891, John was a boarder at Weymouth College and his mother was living with her mother, Charlotte Eld, at The Cliffe, Limpley Stoke. Lionel Greaves left London for Melbourne, Australia on 9 Jul 1891.
Mr JAL Greaves sailed on SS Sobo on 9 Aug 1900 for Sierra Leone.
JAL Greaves became a Second Lieutenant on 26 Sep 1900 in the 7th Battalion Royal Fusiliers Militia (The Gazette / Army and Navy Gazette). The Militia was a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.
The London Evening Standard on 10 Oct 1900 then carried some further appointments from The Gazette which include under the heading Militia – The undermentioned officers are seconded for service, under the Colonial Office, on the West Coast of Africa – the list includes 7th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Second Lieut. J A L Greaves.
According to Hart’s Annual Army List 1908, John was Assistant District Commissioner Sierra Leone from 26 Sep 1900 with the 7th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers.
In 1901 his mother Louisa was living at Woodlands, Winsley with Adena and Loue, her two daughters aged 31 and 20, plus visitors and 3 servants.
His brother Lionel had already migrated to Australia in 1891 but joined the war from there.
J A Ley Greaves became an Honorary Fellow of The Geographical Society in 1905.
Reserve of Officers – 2nd Lt J A L Greaves, 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, was transferred, retaining rank and seniority which he held while in Militia (Dec 9 1908) Army and Navy Gazette
In 1910 John Aden L Greaves married Nellie Maud Robertson in Winchester, Hampshire. Their engagement had been announced in the Bath Chronicle. Her father was Major R B Robertson, late Glamorgan Field Artillery (Militia) of Hodgeston Hall, Co Pembroke.
In Oct 1910 an incident with a cyclist, a fatality involving a servant of Mrs Greaves senior. Florence Smith, 20, who on October 7th knocked down a pedestrian whilst riding in Limpley Stoke without lights. The Coroner reprimanded her severely and accused her of gross negligence sufficient to cause criminal proceedings. On 29 Oct 1910 it was reported that she was remanded in custody in Bradford on Avon for manslaughter.
Shepton Mallet Journal, 28 Oct 1910 & The Scotsman, 21 Oct 1910
At the police court the prosecution alleged that the accused was riding a bicycle without a light and did not ring her bell (she had stated at the Inquest that she did not see the deceased). Without calling on the defence, the bench dismissed the charge.
Western Daily Press, 29 Oct 1910
In 1911 John Aden Ley Greaves, age 37, joined the Brislington Vale Masons, his address given as Lokoja, Nigeria and he was described as a Civil Servant. Louisa, his mother, died on 1 Mar 1911.
The 1911 Census showed John Greave’s sister Adena living at Woodlands with his wife Nellie.
Robert C L Greaves, John’s son, was born in 1913, registered in Bradford on Avon. According to an online family tree he was born at Woodlands. According to his birth certificate, his father was a Resident Magistrate with West African Colonial Service (Strangways-Towneley webtrees)
In 1914 at age 40, JA Ley Greaves returned from Forcanado to Plymouth. He arrived on 23 March 1914 and was a Government Official returning from Nigeria to live in England.
Military
Major J A L Greaves. The only information on Major Greaves war history is that from his promotions in The Gazette and his medal card.
09 Oct 1915 – JAL Greaves promoted from temporary Lieutenant to temporary Captain in the Army Service Corps (The Gazette)
18 Apr 1916 – Temporary Capt JAL Greaves to be temporary Major whilst holding a special appointment. There is nothing to indicate the nature of his Special Appointment.
17 Apr 1919 – To relinquish the temporary rank of Major, 2nd Lt (temp Capt RASC) JAL Greaves Reserve of Officers, on ceasing to hold a Special Appointment (The Gazette)
29 Nov 1920 – Temp Capt JAL Greaves (2nd Lt, Res of Off) relinquishes his temp. command on completion of service, 17 Apr 1919, and is granted the rank of Major (The Gazette)
Major J A Ley Greaves was ineligible for medals according to his medal card and his address in 1923 was The Nook, Batson, Salcombe, South Devon.
Post War
On 11 Feb 1920 Mr JAL Greaves, age 45, a traveller, sailed from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria, Africa with the intention of remaining.
John Aden Ley Greaves of Okeni, Bonadventure Road, Salcombe died on 26 March 1921 at Lokoja, Northern Nigeria. Aministration of his estate went to Nellie Maud Greaves his widow, on 12 July 1921 and revoked 14 Nov 1921. Next time it was probate granted (so presumably a will was found) on 16 Feb 1922. A notice in the Western Morning News on 25 Jul 1921 called for claims on the estate of Major John Aden Ley Greaves.
Finally in 1924, after his death, Major JAL Greaves having attained the age limit of liability to recall, relinquished his commission on 7 May 1924 and retained the rank of Major. He is listed under the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, Royal Fusiliers.
[Winsley at war website]