🎖️The Keighley & Beale Family Photos📷

This wonderful collection of assorted family photos came from the friend who sent me the package a couple of weeks ago and now I’ve scanned them and made a small family tree for them I wondered if someone might be able to help me get these back to their family. The Keighley family came from Yorkshire, the Beale family came from Dorset and the Chandler family came from Surrey, so we have quite a mix.

I haven’t been able to find out any more Military information about William Keighley as I don’t have subscriptions to the Military records sites, but aren’t they super photos. Update from Gina a follower on my Facebook Page: “1. Women’s Institute Hall was in Baskets Lane circa 1928. 2. The 3 gentlemen in the pic (Baskets Lane) are all arm bands with crosses on. Red Cross Hospital at Beaufort House. The address is Beaufort Lane but the windows are similar“. Link here: Red Cross Hospital

William is a Corporal in the RAMC. “Medical care throughout the First World War was largely the responsibility of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC)“. His father Joseph was a Greengrocer, as stated on William’s marriage certificate below to Ellen. This was a crucial piece of evidence when I was putting the family tree together as many trees on Ancestry have the wrong Joseph for the father which also results in the wrong mother with the wrong children and the wrong Ancestors entirely!

William obviously came down to Dorset from Yorkshire when he joined the Army Medical Corps, so I would think that is how he and Ellen got together by meeting somewhere in Wimborne, Dorset, as her family lived at Furze Hill, Wimborne.

The couple had 11 children, one died as a baby, Walter.

1911 census of the Keighley Family in Ilkley.

In fient writing on front “?Granny Keighley”

I believe this first photo above is Maria (Gray), definitely the second photo above is Maria (Gray), who was mother to Ellen Beale (maybe the third photo above?)who married William Keighley and was Granny to Donald Keighley, Ellen and William’s only child.

Donald Keighley was born on 19 October 1924 in Yorkshire, he lived at home ‘Cipilano, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, Yorkshire in 1939 and was a Student. He was killed in action on 27 August 1946. “Military Military Base: Aqir, Palestine. 160 Maintenance Unit. Believed to Have Crashed Into the Sea, just off Cornwall during a Ferry Flight from the Middle East via Istres, France back to the UK” From the CWGC website: Son of William and Ellen Keighley, of Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, Yorkshire. ALAMEIN Memorial Column 286. Egypt.

The family group sheet for the Beale Family is rather confusing in the records as they sometimes used Martha’s maiden name with Beale as their Surname, also Martha’s husband Edwin I think could have been born a Moore and not a Beale, but it would take too long for me to research this and you would need all the certificates to prove all the links, so I shall leave that for a family member to research.

The couple had 8 children.

To Miss T? Beale. St Margarets, West Boro, Wimborne.

Above no 1. Top o Town, Dorchester: “Dear T?. Many thanks for card this morning. Having enjoyable time. R“. Postmark is Dorchester 9.30pm. 1905? Above no 2. “Home 1910. Furze Hill. Wimborne. Hill Side“.

Maple’s Studios, Bournemouth Rd, Poole, Dorst.

I think the first and third lady are the same, and taking into account the actual collection of photos I think these 2 are Ellen Beale (12 Aug 1889-20 Mar 1988) Ellen married William Keighley on 9 April 1917. So that would match with the older lady in a previous photo “Granny Keighley“

On the back of the 3rd photo above: “Outside Furze Hill. Bridesmaid to Mary (Beale?) Pale Blue Dress. Black Hat with a ruche of pale blue tulle. Approx 1910” In fact I believe this to be one of Mary Beale’s sisters Ellen. Mary Beale 1879-1937 married on 9 July 1913 to George Herbert Freemantle 1892-1915.

George died on 10 Aug 1915 (death presumed) in Gallipoli, he was a Private in the 10th Battalion Hampshire Regiment. Service number 14758. Theatre of War: Balkan.
Their only child, Robert George Freemantle was born on 24 November 1915 in Farnham, Surrey. Robert was living in Surrey in 1937 at the time of his mother’s death. Robert died on 9 October 1946 in Surrey at the young age of 30.

July 1953. Lytham St Annes, nr Blackpool. But no names.

The couple had 6 children by the time of the 1911 census, did they have more? I’ve found just one more, Nellie born in 1912, which matches the recipient of the photo below! The family lived at 157 Brighton Rd, Godalming, Surrey in 1911 and Percy was a Domestic Gardener.

Dated 3 Sep 1929 and as the next photo we see the Beale’s and Chandlers with Mother and Father Beale at the front. Martha was Henry and Mehitabel’s eldest child.

So on this next old photo on the back is the other surname Mabberley. I have found that Theresa Beale (1881-1971) married Andrew Victor Mabberley (1876-1963) on 27 December 1905 in Wimborne and the couple had just one son Ernest Victor Beale Mabberley 1903-1969.

Written above is M Beale, the older lady seated at the front is Mehitable (Waygood)Beale

Mehitable died in 1933 so this photo obviously pre-dates that. The older man with the hat has got to be her husband Henry Beale, he died in 1938. S. Beale is Sarah Beale who never married. M. Chandler is Mary Letitia Chandler (1910-1978) T. Mabberley is Theresa (Beale) My only thought for D. Chandler is that it could be Edith Sarah Doreen Chandler (1908-1999) could she have been known as Doreen? Both the younger Chandler girls are Theresa‘s children.