James’s role leading
CONTINUING our story about the Nevill Street businessman, Professor James Turvey, resident, mason and military man, we reach the period during the great gala to celebrate the revamping of the Promenade’s elegant Victoria Baths in July 1871.
It’s a little confusing with all the amalgamations, but here is a rare and opportune moment to do a quick rundown of the local and regional Volunteer Movement which James Turvey was so heavily involved in!
The leading man
The 1871 Baths were reopened by Lord Skelmersdale – the spectacle’s procession was fronted by no other than our Professor James Hilton Turvey, of the 1st Lancashire Light Horse Regiment.
This is recorded in both Bland’s Annals and in Francis Bailey’s history of Southport who said James was the ‘leader of the procession.’
Behind him were the resort’s great and good; he was ahead of Southport’s chief constable and one other VIP – all three on horseback – and then came the uniformed bandsmen, the lifeboat and brave lifeboatmen, the sturdy fire brigade, a spit-andpolished regiment of soldiers and, Southport’s very own Mayor.
These fine dignitaries were then accompanied by a throng of cheerful businessmen and society groups, an endless list of them, and James was right there spearheading the event, proudly at the front, leading the way through the heart of the town, then on to a sumptuous banquet, with speeches!
A well-known Lancashire diarist, the Hon. Mrs Catherine Winter (the daughter of Captain Maillard of the Royal Engineers, who served with the Duke of Gloucester), described the entire pageant, including: ‘It was really a great and joyous treat to see the multitudes of people of all classes enjoying themselves together ... A charming living panorama of delight.’
Third time lucky?
So, both his two young brides died early!
But, with four youngsters needing a mother, 39-year-old James married for a third and final time (seven months after Anne’s early death) on February 8 1872, in a village church in Ladbroke, Warwickshire.
She was 22 year old Jersey-born Maude Janvrin Vincent ((18491926), born in St. Lawrence, Channel Islands, in 1849.
Maude’s father was the Rev. Frederick Augustus Vincent, and her mother was Amelia Janvrin. James and Maude then had two daughters – Maude Christine, born on Christmas Day (1875-1963) and Amy Blanche Vincent
(1877-1912), and one son Vincent Newton (1873-1912).
Local resident
James (and later his family) lived in three properties in Southport’s town centre; he had briefly lived in Ormskirk but had quickly moved to the newly-created Leicester Street, at No7, near Gordon Street, when he got married, and was there from 1872 to at least 1876.
Some 20 years earlier there had been just one house in Leicester Street, although this roadwat is older than many people would imagine, as it is certainly recorded in the 1849 ‘J.S’ (John Sumner) Guide and directory; by 1851 Southport alone had 878 houses (with 717 in the rest of North Meols).
Although his address was Lord Street, Jonathon Jackson J.P., chairman of the Improvement Commissioners
– the vicar who oversaw James’ marriage – lived practically opposite James’ house.
Talbot Street
There had been further grief when, in 1878, James’ 41 year old brother Thomas died, in Southport, but three years later James (48) and Maude (32) are recorded as living at 20 Talbot Street, near Portland Street, in the 1881 Census.
At this time the 48 year-old professor of music was still a ‘Music Seller,’ now recorded at 20 Talbot Street, with his wife Maude (32), and his four Southport-born daughters – Fanny 14; Eddie 11; Maude Christina five (1875-1963); and Amy Blanche Vincent four (1877-1912).
There was another child for the couple, Vincent Newton Turvey (1873-1912), and he can be found as a ‘Visitor’ at 15 Dorchester Place, London, with one Mary Newton, who stayed down in Bedfordshire and eventually married in London.
Finally, from c1883 James and Maude lived at Welbeck House, 16 Portland Street, on the Princes Street corner opposite where circus owner Barnum’s wife, Nancy Fish, had lived!
Above, a drawing of the Lancashire Rifle Volunteers taking the oaths in St. Georges Hall, Liverpool – which John Turvey attended
Left, LRV Regiment in action its early days in 1860 – Turvey was attached from the start
Political ambition
James obviously had political aspirations – and presumably cared dearly for the welfare of the town – as he entered Southport’s Municipal Elections for two years running (November 1874 and 1875) as a Conservative candidate.
This was a time when the town’s new Improvement Act came in to operation, and the Southport County Court had its first sitting, but unfortunately James came fourth (out of four) both times due to very stiff opposition, but he had polled an impressive 317 and 203 votes.
The first was in Craven Ward (beaten by the very influential Liberal Thomas Fisher by 141 votes), and the following term in West Ward, which was taken by Mayor-to-be Henry Hodge (Liberal) by 78 votes.
Promotion
On the death of Capt. Sudbury James succeeded to the command of his corps, but resigned on taking a captaincy in the 64th L.R.V. (The Liverpool Irish), later the 18th L.R.V.
After serving three years he was gazetted Captain-Commandant of the 26th (later the 3rd L.A.V. (Southport),
a position he is recorded as still having at his death in 1883; in fact, just six months earlier, in the autumn of 1882, he is recorded as having ‘sought and obtained a position on the staff at the Aldershot manoeuvres’.
Formation of Riflemen
In 1859 a scare of war with France swept the country, exposing the inability of the small peace-time regular Army to defend Great Britain, as well as the vast colonial Empire.
The widespread popular demand for additional volunteer forces did not at first find favour with the government of the day, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) finally gave way and, on May 25 1859, sanctioned the formation of corps of Rifle Volunteers.
Volunteer uniforms
Lancashire responded with particular enthusiasm to the call and by the end of 1860 over 70 local Volunteer Infantry units had been raised. Uniforms, equipment, drill halls, rifle ranges, instructors and most weapons were initially provided at private expense or public subscription – although the soldiers were unpaid.