Architect. Also designed the Jackson's Lane Methodist church, Highgate and Little Stanmore Church. Active 1889 and 1905.
Since we first published this article we have, in November 2024, been contacted by Sue Brownlow, the wife of one of the grandsons of William Henry Boney who kindly supplied additional information about this man.
William Henry Boney was born on 5 March 1863 the youngest of the four children of Thomas Boney (1827-1909) and Mary Jane Boney, née Knowles (1827-1879) His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1863 in the Clerkenwell Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London).
On the 1871 census he is shown as aged 8 years, living at 1 Rothbury Villas, Hanley Road, Islington, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his parents and his three siblings: Thomas Boney (1856-1922); Alice Boney (1859-1929) and Arthur Boney (1860-1947), together with two female domestic servants. His father was described as a woollen merchant.
When the 1881 census was undertaken he was shown as William H. Boney, aged 18 years and a student of arts living at Roden, Hornsey Lane, Hornsey, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his widowed father and his three siblings, together with a cook and a housemaid. His father continued to be listed as a woollen merchant and his two brothers were listed as woollen merchant assistants.
The 1891 census shows him as William H. Boney, aged 28 years and an architect, residing at Cholmeley Lodge, High Street, Hornsey, with his father, his brother Arthur and his sister Alice, who by now was married to Alfred Hollis Carr (1857-1938), his grand-daughter, Alison Dale Carr (1888-1963) and his grandson, Matthew Carr (1889-1968), together with a cook, a housemaid and a nurse. His father, his brother and his brother-in-law were all described as woollen merchant and russians. (Russian is a type of wool cloth).
He married a Mary Dale Carr (1867-1938) in the 3rd quarter of 1895 in the Islington Registration District and they had four children. Andrew Henry Boney (1896-1919) was born on 26 June 1896 and was baptised on 3 October 1896 at the Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel In Archway Road, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register the family were confirmed as residing at 11 Cromwell Place, Highgate. His three other children were: Arthur Rowland Boney (1897-1965); Janet Mary Carr Boney (1900-1970) and Thomas Robert Carr Boney (1903-1981).
Electoral registers in 1897 and 1898 show that he was qualified to vote as he was occupying a property at 124 Chancery Lane, Farringdon, London and in the 1902 Post Office London Directory he was listed at this address as William Henry Boney, Architect.
The 1901 census shows him as William H. Boney, aged 38 years and a woollen merchant and architect, living at 11 Cromwell Place, Highgate, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife, their three children: Andrew Henry Boney; Arthur Rowland Boney and Janet Mary Carr Boney, together with a nurse and a cook.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 48 years and a woollen merchant and architect, still living in the eleven room house at 11 Cromwell Place, Highgate, with two of his sons, Andrew Henry Boney and Arthur Rowland Boney, together with a sick nurse and two other female domestic servants. His wife and their other two children were living in Palestine House, Sandown, Isle of Wight, a four roomed property. Electoral registers confirm that from 1900 to 1914 he was listed at 11 Cromwell Place Highgate.
His sons, Arthur and Andrew both served in WW1. Arthur was injured on the Somme in 1916 aged 17 years but recovered and was then sent to Ireland at around the time of the Easter rising. Andrew, who was a Lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was gassed at Passchendaele, Belgium, in 1918 and died in England on 10 February 1919 as a result. He is buried in a war grave at Highgate Cemetery. The other two children were Thomas Robert Carr Boney, who contracted polio as a teenager and Janet Mary Carr Boney whose married name was Reichardt and whose German husband was interned during WW2.
Electoral registers in 1915 show that he was occupying premises at 421-425 St John Street, Finsbury, but his place of abode was listed as 15 Broadlands Road, Highgate. Electoral registers in 1918 show that he was occupying premises at 90 High Road, Kilburn but his place of abode was Southwood House, Highgate. Electoral registers from 1923 to 1928 and the 1926 edition of Kelly's Middlesex Directory confirms 15 Broadlands Road, Highgate as his address. Electoral registers from 1931 to 1938 show him listed at 12 Denewood Road, London, N6.
The 1939 England and Wales Register confirms his date of birth as 5 March 1863 and he is recorded as a retired architect at 14 Mostyn Crescent, Llandudno, Caernarvonshire (now called Gwynedd) living there with his son, Thomas Robert Carr Boney who was shown as incapacitated, his daughter Janet Mary Carr Reichardt and her husband, Frederick Reichardt (1900-1983), who was listed as a director, China and Japan Merchants.
Probate records show that he died on 4 October 1944 at 11 Flexbury Park Road, Bude, Cornwall, but that his normal residence at this time was Southwood House, Highgate. Probate was granted to his sons Arthur Rowland Boney, medical practitioner and Thomas Robert Carr Boney of no occupation. His estate amounted to £26,926-5s-0d. His body was buried in the churchyard of St Olaf, King & Martyr Church, 3 Church Street, Poughill, Bude, EX23 9ER.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them