1851, County: Denbighshire, Wales, Township of Royton, Registration District: Wrexham
| Name |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition as to Marriage |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Where Born |
| John Lees | Head | Married | 50 | Retired Cotton Merchant | Cheshire Mottram |
| Anne Lees | Wife | Married | 44 |
|
Cheshire Knutsford |
| Ellen Lees | Daughter | Unmarried | 19 |
|
Cheshire Stockport |
| Annie Lees | Daughter | Unmarried | 4 |
|
Denbighshire Royton |
| George Lees | Son | Unmarried | 2 |
|
Denbighshire Royton |
| Mary Fennah | Servant | Unmarried | 48 | Cook | Flintshire Bangor |
| Anne Lourison | Servant | Unmarried | 23 | House Servant | Cheshire Tarporley |
| Mary Thomas | Servant | Unmarried | 20 | House Servant | Denbighshire Lansillin |
| Anne Prince [?] | Servant | Unmarried | 18 | House Servant | Flintshire Bangor |
| Martha Ashley | Servant | Unmarried | 25 | House Servant | Shrophire Winhill |
| John Davies | Servant | Unmarried | 21 | House Servant | Cheshire Chester |
1891, County: Shropshire, Civil Parish of Oswestry, Town of Treflach [?], Ecclesiastical District of Trefonen Church: Wood Hill Hall and Wood Hill Stables
| Name |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition as to Marriage |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Where Born |
|
George J.D. Lees [(42) Wood Hill Hall] |
Head | Married | 42 | Magistrate Landed Proprietor | Denbighshire … |
| Anne Dove Lees | Wife | Married | 37 |
|
Shropshire Llanymynech |
| Sydney D.D. Lees | Daughter | Single | 13 | Scholar | Woodhill Oswestry |
| Lucy L.D. Lees | Daughter | Single | 11 | Scholar | Woodhill Oswestry |
| John D. Lees | Son | Single | 9 | Scholar | Woodhill Oswestry |
| Arthur C.L. Lees | Son |
|
3 |
|
Woodhill Oswestry |
| Eliza Williams | Servant | Single | 30 | Cook Domestic | Grafton Baschurch |
| Charlotte Cook | Servant | Single | 18 | Housemaid Domestic | St Inhans Shrewsbury |
| Ann Jane Morris | Servant | Single | 17 | Kitchen Maid Domestic | Cross St Oswestry |
| Henry Woolham | Servant | Single | 18 | Footman Domestic | Deeside Rherabon [?] |
| Emma A. Williams | Servant | Single | 27 | Housemaid Domestic | Pentre Ceon Llansilin [?] |
| Elizabeth Jones | Servant | Single | 21 | School Room Maid Domestic | Ridge Cottage Frankton |
| Jane Griffiths | Servant | Single | 20 | Ladys Maid Domestic | Pantreoved Ellesmere [?] |
|
Frederick Balas [(43) Wood Hill Stables] |
Head | Single | 19 | Groom Domestic | Salop Hinstock |
|
Harry Beeston [(44) Wood Hill Stables] |
Head | Single | 23 | Groom Domestic | Salop Lihessalie [?] |
|
Thomas Barclay [(45) Wood Hill Stables] |
Head | Single | 31 | Groom Domestic | Salop Rhoswiel |
The Times, 30 June 1910: Forthcoming Marriages
Mr J.D. Lees and Miss S. White
A marriage has been arranged between John Dumville Lees of Woodhill, Oswestry, eldest son of the late George John Dumville Lees, of Woodhill, Oswestry and Mrs. Dumville Lees, of Okehampton Park Devonshire, and Sybil, eldest daughter of the late Captain William Graham White, R.N. and Mrs. Graham White, of Hill House Sherborne, Dorest.
The Times, 18 January 1916: Marriages
LEES:LODER - On the 15th Jan at Holy Trinity Church Sloane-street, by the Rev H R Gamble, CAPTAIN ARTHUR DUMVILLE LEES, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, to BRENDA CICELY, daughter of the late WILFRED H. LODER, of High Beeches, Handcross Sussex.
The Times, Thursday 15 July 1937: Marriages
Captain H.B. Bedwell R.N. (Retired) and Mrs. S. Dumville Lees
The marriage took place quietly yesterday at Aynho Church, Banbury of Captain H.B. Bedwell R.N. (Retired) of One Oak, Stanmore and Mrs Sybil Dumville Lees widow of Captain John Dumville Lees, The Queen's Bays of Brook House Woodhill Oswestry and daughter of the late Captain W. Graham White R.N. and Mrs. Graham White of Aynho Banbury. The Rev V.G. Braham officiated.
The bride who was given away by her uncles, Mr. G.T. White, wore a travelling dress and coat of navy blue with a white hat and carried an ivory-bound prayer book, the gift of her children. Mr. Roland Hileary was best man.
The Times, 22 April 1947: Forthcoming Marriages
Captain C.A. Goldingham and Miss E. Dumville Lees
The engagement is announced between Captain Clarles Antony Goldingham, Royal Artillery, eldest son of Major C.S. Goldingham and the late Mrs. A.M.L. Goldingham, of Horseden House, Aylesbury, Bucknghamshire, and Eleanor Rosalie, youngest daughter of the late Captain John Dumville Lees, of Woodhill, Oswestry, and of Mrs. H.B. Bedwell, of Brook House, Woodhill, Oswestry.
The Times, 16 October 1950: Marriages
The Marriage took place on Saturday at Farnham parish church of Mr. George Dumville Lees, son of Major A.C.L.D. Lees, of Hinstock Court, Market Drayton, and the late Mrs. Lees, and Dr. Mary Montgomery-Campbell, eldest daughter of the Bishop of Guildford, of Bishop's House, Farnham Castle, and the late Mrs. Montgomery-Campbell. The Dean of St. Albans (uncle of the bride) officiated, assisted by the Rev. G.N.Selby-Lowndes.
The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of ivory satin, with a veil of Limerick lace and a head-dress of orange-blossom, and she carried a bouquet of chrysanthemums. She was attended by four child bridesmaids - Katherine Knowles, Sarah Thicknesse, Judith Pike and Hilary Potts - who wore dresses of ivory net and carried Victorian posies of autumn flowers. The two grown-up bridesmaids - Miss Bridget Montgomery-Campbell (sister of the bride) and Dr Mary Feetham - wore dresses of figured rust-coloured velvet, with head-dresses of autumn flowers, and they carried bouquets of chrysanthemums. Mr. Gilfred Morris-Eyton was best man.
A reception was held at the Bishop's House, Farnham.
The Times, 9 November 1976: Deaths
Bedwell. On November 5th 1976 in his 98th year Legion d'Honneur Late Royal Navy. Much loved father of Parker (Tony) and stepfather to Daphne and Eleanor. Funeral 2pm November 10th at Trefonen Parish Church Oswestry, Shropshire. Flowers to D. Davis and Sons 1 Upper Church Street Oswestry.
Lucy Luxmoore [1879-1965] was my grandmother. We came by that surname by a rather roundabout way! She was born Dumville Lees, but inherited a property in Devon subject to the proviso that she adopt the surname of Luxmoore. She did so, and when she married my grandfather, he changed his name to Luxmoore so that she could keep the estate.
She was the third daughter of George J. Dumville Lees of Woodhill, Oswestry, whose mother was Anne Bond Dumville, daughter of Peter William Dumville. My great-grandfather George J. Dumville Lees lived 1848-1906 so his mother Anne B Dumville must have been born in the 1920s. I don't know exactly where she came from.
The Dumville Lees family still live in or near Shropshire. My grandmother's nephew George Dumville Lees died about three weeks ago (he would have been in his eighties).
The Bromsgrove Advertiser, 30 August 2006
Village will miss Mary
Mourners packed Dodford's picturesque church to say farewell to a woman who, during her lifetime, did much to ease the suffering of children and who enriched the lives of those with whom she came into contact. They were there for the funeral of Dr. Mary Lees, who until she was forced to move into a sheltered flat, had lived with her family in Yarnold Lane Farm in the village since 1967. The service took place at Holy Trinity and St. Mary last Thursday. Dr. Lees died, in hospital, on August 14.
At her request her coffin was conveyed to the church from the village hall in a hearse drawn by two black horses with plumes attached to their bridles. The service was conducted by the vicar of Dodford and Catshill, the Rev. Craig Smith, and the Rev. Pat Barford, vicar at St. Stephen's Redditch. Dr. Lees' long association with the church, especially the Sunday and Young People's Church, had inspired her friend, Mrs. Barford, to become ordained.
At Dr. Lees' request she had asked for a period of silence during the service instead of a eulogy. In her address Mrs. Barford recalled the support she had received from Dr. Lees when embarking on her training for the ministry. Dr. Lees, she said, had enjoyed a long and active life and she remembered with gratitude and affection her enthusiasm helping to organise village events and activities such as the fete, harvest supper and gymnkhana. This popular event was held at the farm she shared with her choirmaster husband George, who died a few years ago.
Dr. Lees was born in Hackney in 1920. After qualifying as a doctor and their marriage the couple moved to Bromsgrove where she was to put her medical and the 'people' skills she possessed to very good use. She worked at Lea hospital in Bromsgrove and Lea Castle in Kidderminster looking after the general medical health of the children there.
Later - when her five children grew up - she was able devote more time to her beloved adopted village's affairs.
Funeral arrangements were carried out by James Giles and Sons, Bromsgrove. Dr. Lees had requested the horse drawn hearse which was supplied by the family's former neighbours - Foxdell Carriages of Yarnold Lane. Following interment in the churchyard mourners were invited to take refreshment in the village hall.
The Times, 19 January 2011
LEES Rachel Brenda, aged 87 years, of Hinstock, Shropshire, at rest and at peace on 12th February 2011. Will be greatly missed by all her family and all who knew her. Funeral enquiries tel: J R Williams F.D…
The transcripts of the notices from The Times dated 30 June 1910, 15 July 1937, 22 April 1947 and 9 November 1976 were provided by Christine Bowman. The transcripts of the notices from The Times dated 18 January 1916 and 16 October 1950, and from The Bromsgrove Advertiser dated 30 August 2006, were provided by Simon Potter.
In April 2016 we received an e-mail message from David Lloyd, whose wife's grandmother, Elizabeth Williams née Mellor, was Nanny to Charles Cunningham Dumville Lees (1894-1919). Charles became a Royal Naval Officer and died when his destroyer, H.M.S. Verulam, was mined and sunk in the Gulf of Finland. Charles and Elizabeth corresponded until shortly before his death. David Lloyd and his wife have some of this correspondence and a photograph of Charles in his uniform. If any descendant of the Lees family would like this correspondence and the photograph, please contact us and we will forward your request to David.