Grandfather, milkman and theatre attendant. One of 7 brothers, came to Walthamstow from Isham, Northampton, a small village about midway between Leicester and Cambridge.
Worked thirty years as a milkman at Express Dairy and was also an attendant at the Palace Theatre (either in Hoe Street, or High Street, Walthamstow). He exhibited his goldfish aquarium at local shows before his grandson was born.
With no dates on the plaque the only clues we have about Walton's dates are the erection of the plaque in 2015/16 by his grandson. Very, very approximately, if his grandson was about 50 when he erected the plaque then Walton was born c. 1900.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has subsequently endeavoured to research this man but could find no evidence of him coming from Isham, Northampton. He states that there is also some confusion regarding the spelling of his middle name. Andrew speculates as follows:-
Herbert Llewellyn Walton was born on 2 January 1885 in Hackney, Middlesex (now Greater London), the son of Henry Walton (b.1848) and Lydia Walton née How (1852-1940). His birth was registered as Herbert Llewellyn Walton in the 1st quarter of 1885 in the Hackney Registration district.
In the 1891 census he is shown as Herbert Walton, aged 6 years, living in three rooms at 33 York Road, Walthamstow, Essex (now Greater London), with his parents, two siblings: Maude Lillian Walton (b. c1882) and Harold Gordon Walton (1888-1948), together with his widowed maternal grandmother Susan How née Carlier (1819-1892) who was shown as of independent means. His father was described as an engine fitter.
On 24 January 1896, aged 11 years, he was baptised in St Saviour's Church, Walthamstow where in the baptismal register he is shown as Herbert Llewellyn Walton.
In the 1911 census he was shown as Herbert Walton, aged 27 years and a barman residing at 279 Mare Street, Hackney (the site of The Old Ship Bar and Hotel).
The image we have used of this man was found on several family trees on ancestry.co.uk but Andrew has been unable to find out in which regiment he had been enlisted. Not a typical WW1 image, which were usually khaki uniforms. This gives the appearance of someone who had enlisted before WW1, but who, of course, may have served in that conflict.
He married Florence Fox (1885-1963) on 25 December 1915 in St Mary the Virgin Church, Walthamstow and they had three children: Herbert Gordon Walton (1919-1995); Iris Walton (1922-2009) and Frank A. Walton (b.1924).
When he completed his 1921 census return form on 19 June 1921 he showed himself as Herbert L. Walton, aged 36 years, 6 months, a fish porter employed by J. Lascelles & Co, fish merchants, at King's Head Court, Billingsgate, London EC, living in four rooms at 81 Albert Road, London, E17, with his wife and their son, Herbert Gordon Walton.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is shown as Herbert L. Walton, date of birth 2 January 1895, married and a milk roundsman, living at 40 Palmerston Road, Walthamstow, with his wife, their three children: Herbert G. Walton - a provision's shop warehouseman; Iris Walton - a junior butcher's cashier and Frank A. Walton, together with his brother-in-law Sydney Walter Fox (1902-1969) - a commercial traveller (wholesale food).
His death, aged 73 years, was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1958 as Herbert L. Walton in the Essex South Western Registration District.
He is shown as 'Herbert Llewelyn Walton' on the memorial plaque attached to 184 Hoe Street, London, E17.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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