LANDREY or MAURICE?

William Werry Landrey

This photograph is commonly but incorrectly thought to be of the Landrey family outside their home in Lemarne and was taken around 1910. There is no family structure in the Landrey family that could assemble six people of these genders and ages.

Thanks to some assiduous research by Julian Hargreaves we now know that the photograph was almost certainly taken in September 1881 and shows the Maurice family, relatives of Francis Rodd of Trebartha Hall. It has been reasonably assumed that the Maurice family were visiting the Rodds at Trebartha Hall and were staying in Lemarne, which happened to be vacant at that time.

The photograph, the original of which has been in the possession of the owners of Trebartha Hall for many years, has been kindly supplied by Robert Latham. Click for a larger image.

The analysis by Julian Hargreaves is shown in brief below and in full in the associated document.

The 1911 census shows the Landrey family (click for a larger image):

• Harry Landrey, head, 42, married, head gamekeeper, worker, born in North Hill
• Mary Nicolls Landrey, wife, 40, married for 17 years, 4 children (all alive), born in Altarnun
• William Werry Landrey, son, 14, assistant to gamekeeper, worker, born in Chudleigh in Devon
• Harry Landrey, son, 13, born in Lemarne in North Hill
• Margaret Emily Landrey, daughter, 9, born in Lemarne in North Hill

The photograph's location of Lemarne is not in dispute. With some imagination, the people shown in the census above can be generally deduced from the photograph, but there are discrepancies if the suggestion that this the Landrey family is to be accepted. If this was the Landrey family who is the man second from the left? Are the two boys really just one year apart in age? Do the clothes match the period? Are there other factors that suggest that this is can not be the Landrey family?

There exists an engaging, cogent and convincing piece of deduction as to the identity of the people shown in the above photograph. This demonstrates that this is the Maurice family and not the Landrey family.

In April 2015 Julian Hargreaves wrote "Around fifteen years ago I spent some considerable time researching this photograph, and came to different conclusions as to the identity of the persons shown. Julian wrote what has been described as " a most meticulous piece of research" on the photograph and came to the conclusion that the family in the photograph were the Maurice family.

We recommend that if you have even a passing interest that you take the time to read Julian's fascinating document (1.75mb pdf).

Standing (L-R):
Oliver Calley Maurice (1838-1907)
William James Maurice (1857-1926)
Harriet Jane Maurice nee Rodd (1844-1924)
William Blisset Maurice (bp 1868)

Seated:
Ada Louisa Maurice (bp 1871)
Sidney Henry Maurice (bp 1869)

The photographer was probably Arthur Pryse Ferdinand Maurice (1843-1926), the husband of Harriet