Lt Leonard Slater

Biography  

Lt Leonard Slater MSc Tech. ( Manc) 1892-1949 

Leonard Slater was born in Bramley, Leeds on 13th September 1892. He was the second son to John William Slater, schoolmaster but the first son to Mary nee Simon, former schoolmistress. 

It seems that John had aspired to teaching from an early age , the 1881 census when he was just 15 lists him as a pupil teacher. His own father was a plumber.  

At 18 in 1884 he married Harriet Ann Scruton at Bramley Wesleyan Chapel. She was 21, from Western Terrace ,Wortley , the daughter of a Forgeman. John was a schoolteacher living at Carr Croft. 

They had a son, Henry in March 1886. The Baptismal record is surprising as Henry was baptised at St Peter’s C of E Church, Wortley. John, Harriet and Henry were living at Holmfield Lane, Wortley.  

Harriet died leaving John a widow with a young son. It is unclear when she died but John returned to the Wesleyan Chapel, Bramley on 21st July 1891 aged 25 to marry Mary Simon also aged 25. He was a schoolmaster living at Cedar Avenue, Armley, Leeds . The 1891 census indicated that he had returned to his parental home with his young son to live with his widowed mother. His mother  is listed as a Grocer and confectioner of 1 Cedar Avenue. 

 Mary at the time of her marriage is, a schoolmistress of Leith Avenue New Wortley, the daughter of a Blacksmith. This is almost the same occupation as John’s first father-in-law.  

Leonard was born at Bramley on 13th September 1892. 

The next evidence of the family is the birth of a sister, Winifred May in Carlisle in 1899. 

The move north must have happened between 1892 and 1899 because the 1901 census places the Slater family at 6 Berlin Terrace , Botchergate , Carlisle. John, 35 has moved for his job – he is now a County Council Inspector, Mechanical Institute.  Mary is also 35, Henry now 15 and a chartered accountants clerk, Leonard 8 and Winifred May 2. They also afford a general domestic servant,21 year old  Esther Hetherington. 

In 1904 a 3rd child is born to this marriage, Alan Threapleton Slater.  

Records are sparse for Helen, Winifred and  Alan.  

10 years on , the 1911 census has the family still in Carlisle at Eden Mount, Stanwix, Carlisle. John 45 is now an Inspector of Schools, Mary also 45, Henry has left home , Leonard is 18 and described as at school as is Winifred May 12 and Alan Threapleton Slater is 7.Mary Jane Longcake, 24 year old general servant completes this household in their 9 rooms. 

http://www.forces-war-record.co.uk lists Leonard on their Manchester University WW1 archive. Described as a 2nd Lieutenant, Border Regiment ( South). “Connection with  Manchester University began in 1911” This was probably when he began his studies but was still at home when the census was completed. “ Qualification(s) gained from University of Manchester, BSc Tech ( Bachelor of Science ( Technology)” We know that Leonard gained an MSc Tech by 1917 as he is listed in the Institute of Chemistry Journal 1917 Part 4. So he must have continued with his studies. 

In 1917 we also have his address given in the same journal as Eden Gardens/View, Howard Place, Carlisle. It is reasonable to assume with what we learn of is profession in 1939 that he was active at H M Factory Gretna at least in 1917  and likely to the end of activity at the Factory .He came back to Carlisle from Manchester for some reason, there was a call for technical scientists and we know that later in life he is described as a Scientific and Industrial research chemist. What is unclear is why he gained his army rank. He would have easily been able to travel to Gretna by train from Carlisle. 

In 1922 his father died in Carlisle.  

In 1926, Leonard was still in Cumberland or Westmorland ( the Lake District) having met Winifred  Castle Tyson of Lake Road , Ambleside .daughter of Augustus Hyde Tyson, Master Tailor born in Langdale, and Rose Mabel born in Rainham , Kent. Winifred was the elder of only 3 children born to this marriage. She was born in Ambleside in July 1898. The 1911 census indicates a 10 room dwelling for a family of four plus a servant.  

Leonard married Winifred in Kendal registration district so probably it was in Ambleside or Hawkshead in the first quarter of 1926. 

There is no actual evidence of any children although one public member tree indicates one child but no name or details are given. 

The 1939 register indicates that Leonard and Winifred have taken separate paths although it is unclear whether this was because of his  WW2 posting to the heart of the steel industry or was by choice.  

Leonard is 47 , a “Civil servant undertaking Scientific and Industrial research”  and living at  119 Union Road Nether Edge Sheffield. He shares his house with  May Young,  domestic,  aged 43. 

Meanwhile, Winifred is at the WaterEdge Hotel, Ambleside, on the Northern end of Windermere, on unpaid domestic duties and volunteering with the WVS. Her parents are also resident and listed as the hotel proprietors along with brother Eric Preston Tyson ( proprietor) and younger sister Mary W , on unpaid domestic duties. The WaterEdge Hotel exists today and is sizable so one wonders who occupied the rooms in 1939. 

No evidence can be found of Winifred ever living in Sheffield nor Leonard in the Ambleside area. The only indication is that Probate of £1515 16s 2d was to Winifred .Probate tells us that Leonard died on 13th August 1949, aged 57 at Sheffield Royal Infirmary but his residence was still Union Road, Nether Edge, but  115 rather than the former 119.  

Winifred lived until 1990, dying at Dove Cottage, Far Sawrey , Hawkshead. She is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard, Far Sawrey and has a very simple headstone. ( findagrave.com). Probate was £143,504.