STCG62 gives the history of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia in Sri Lanka. W. A. Buck arrived in September 1896 to be the Warden. "The Rev. W. A. Buck was educated at Merchant Taylors’ and won a Classical Scholarship at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where’ he took second class Classical Honours, and read Theology in his fourth year. He was ordained by Bishop Temple to a curacy at Bethnal Green in 1887: in 1890 he was appointed the first missioner of his old School Mission, opened that year in the parish of West Hackney, and in 1895 he became Vicar of Leck in Lancashire. He had a fine atheletic {sic} record having been captain of his School, College and county Rugby football teams, and having played cricket for the Gentlemen of Essex. He was also a good fives and tennis player, an oarsman, and an athlete. He was at this time a young man of thirty-two, full of energy and enthusiasm. Although his stay in Ceylon was to be even shorter than that of his predecessor, the College has seldom been through a more stirring period."
"Speaking without notes, at his first prize-giving in the College, on October 15th, 1897" his speech included some controversial statements, such as "There was a distinct want of manliness. He recommended public school boarding houses for real manhood." He was also criticised for using corporal punishment.
"Early in 1901 the Warden was on leave, and by May, the news arrived that, owing to the ill health of his wife, he had been compelled to resign." His farewell letter to the boys was written from The Vicarage, Stoke Newington, and is signed "W. Armstrong Buck".
"In 1906, after the Warden’s retirement, there is a quiet headline in a Ceylon paper, "A Chat with the Rev. W. A. Buck. "He was then vicar of Leamington in England."
From Warwickshire County Council: 1915, as Vicar of Leamington, he was quoted in the Parish magazine in "Enlistment: What the Vicar Sees" on the failure of many young single men to enlist when married men have done their duty.
He was vicar at Leamington 1906–16.
Leamington Cricket Club gives: "The Reverend W Armstrong Buck, Vicar of Leamington between 1907 and 1916 became a VP {Vice President} in 1906; he emigrated to Pau, Monte-Carlo and Nice until 1937."
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, adds that William Armstrong Buck was born on 2 July 1864 in West Ham, Essex (now Greater London), the eldest of the ten children of William Richard Buck (1837-1927) and Alice Emmeline Buck née Wilson (1844-1929). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1864 in the West Ham Registration District. On 12 October 1864 he was baptised at All Saints Church, West Ham.
In the 1881 census he is shown as William Buck, aged 16 years and a scholar living in West Ham House, West Ham Lane, West Ham, with his parents, seven of his siblings: Alice Mabel Buck (1869-1944) - a scholar; Percy Carter Buck (1871-1947) - a scholar; Mary Kathleen Buck (1873-1955) - a scholar; Constance Norah Buck (1875-1955) - a scholar; Harry Allanson Buck (b.1876); Frank Steele Buck (1878-1934) and Cyril Bernard Wilson Buck (1880-1918), together with a cook, a housemaid and a nursemaid. His father was described as the Secretary of the Shipwreck Mariners Society. His other two siblings: Edith Beatrice Wilson Buck (1866-1883) and Charles Spencer Buck (1868-1933) were residing elsewhere.
When the 1891 census was undertaken he was shown as William A. Buck, aged 26 years and a Clerk in Holy Orders, living at 13 Alvington Crescent, West Hackney, London, with his sister, Alice Mabel Buck. Also residing there was a William F. Donby, his valet and verger, together with a female domestic servant.
On 15 June 1893 he married Agnes Thompson (1868-1908) in St Peter's Church, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset), where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 28 years, a bachelor and a Clerk in Holy Orders, living at 13 Alvington Crescent, West Hackney, whilst his wife was described as aged 24 years and a spinster residing at 'Highbury' Bodorgan Road, Bournemouth, the daughter of George Thompson, a Clerk in Holy Orders. The ceremony was conducted by the Reverend W. M. Buck (the Vicar of Seaford, Sussex) who was the grandfather of the groom. He was assisted by the Reverend Canon Pinder, an uncle of the bride and the Reverend Canon F.J. Thompson of St James's Church, Southampton, the brother of the bride.
He was described in the 1901 census as aged 36 years and a priest of the Church of England, living at 'Beaumont', Avenue Road, Branksome, Bournemouth, with his wife and their five children: Agnes Beatrice Armstrong Buck (1894-1980); Edith May Armstrong Buck (1895-1983); John Buck (1897-1901); Gladys Ethel Armstrong Buck (b.1899) and Miriam Kathleen Armstrong Buck (1900-1989), together with two female domestic servants.
The death of his wife, aged 40 years was registered in the 4th quarter of 1908 in the Warwick Registration District, Warwickshire.
On 22 September 1910 he married Hilda Mary Morris (1871-1937) in St Jude's Church, Egham, Surrey, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 46 years, a widower and a clergyman living at The Vicarage, Leamington, Warwickshire, whilst his wife was described as aged 39 years, a spinster residing in Egham, the daughter of William Morris, a deceased gentleman.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 46 years, a Clerk in Holy Orders and the Vicar of Leamington, still living The Vicarage, Leamington, a fifteen roomed property, with his wife, and his curate, Richard Langley Barnes who was shown as a boarder, together with a cook, a parlour-maid and a housemaid.
On 1 July 1930 he and his wife were shown as arriving at Southampton aboard the M.S. Baloeran of the Rotterdam Lloyd line as 2nd class passengers having embarked at Gibraltar. Their UK address was recorded as Bambridge, Avenue Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire.
His death, aged 82 years, was registered in the 1st quarter of 1947 in the Poole Registration District, Dorset. Probate records confirm his address had been 11 Eaton Road, Branksome Park, Dorset, and that he died there on 23 February 1947. His funeral took place at St Peter's Church, Bournemouth, on 26 February 1947. Probate was granted on 30 May 1947 jointly to his daughter Agnes Beatrice Armstrong Buck, a spinster and to Kenneth Ivor Topliss, a schoolmaster. His effects totalled £10,694-12s-9d.
He is shown as 'W•A•BUCK M•A VICAR' on the foundation stone of the St Mathias Church Institute's Church Hall, Wordsworth Road, London, N16.
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