Talk:Nick de Ville

Background
Not so easy to trace. Based on a Royal Academy record of the exhibition in 1963 by Nicholas G. De Ville of a painting "Still Life", address given as Honeycroft, Bankclose, Uttoxeter, I conclude that his father was Geoffrey Ham Deville, of Bank Close, Uttoxeter, died 1986. Geoffrey was a butcher in Uttoxeter, local politician and worthy, and as G. Deville/De Ville and G. H. Deville can be associated with Honeycroft in newspaper reports. It also turns out that a Roger de Ville of that address was married to Sally Meatyard, fitting what is known about the cricketer Roger de Ville. Who may well be Nick's brother.

Quite far from Roxy Music, to be sure. Nicholas Garth de Ville appears to be the full name. Charles Matthews (talk) 17:41, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Nick himself: "I was born in a small town, rural Staffordshire, in the Midlands." I was starting from de:Nicholas de Ville and the claim that Nick went to Abbotsholme School. We do know that he was a director of the school. Charles Matthews (talk) 17:46, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Geoffrey H De Ville married Gladys J Babb in 1932 (Uttoxeter registration). The mother of Mrs. G H. Deville, Elsie May Deaville (died 1956), was married to S T Babb (died 1952), proprietor of the "Uttoxeter Advertiser". Her parents were William Deaville and Mary Randles. She occurs in WikiTree, not further connected. She is spouseless also on FamilySearch. Identification is confirmed in the "North Devon Journal".

Sydney Thomas Babb married in 1907 (Stafford register) would appear to have taken over the "Advertiser" that year with his brother Warwick; they were from Barnstaple,  sons of the cabinet maker Edwin Babb there. Another brother was Horace E. Babb (1877-1933) who took over the "Advertiser". He moved to South Africa by the 1930s, and was grandfather of Glenn Babb.

Kathleen M(ary) Babb married in 1936 (Uttoxeter register) to Reginald F Warters would be the sister of Gladys and daughter of Elsie mentioned in the obituary of Elsie. has much about the Babbs, mentions Kathleen, does not mention Gladys. Charles Matthews (talk) 11:35, 4 April 2024 (UTC)

Honeycroft
Honeycroft on Balance Hill, Uttoxeter was presumably so named by its owner Francis (Frank) Harper (died 1915), a businessman and bee-keeper. He was twice married. The second marriage was in 1909, to a widow, surname recorded as De Ville. Sources say her husband had been "S. Deville"; and also, on the 1913 death of her daughter Catherine, the parents were identified as "Mrs. Frank Harper" and "the late Samuel Deville."

Samuel is apparently Samuel Robinson Deaville (1863-1908) (FBMD dates) who was a High Street butcher in Uttoxeter, selling out (some of?) his business to Thomas Deville, son of the butcher Ambrose De(a)ville, in 1904. Charles Matthews (talk) 12:01, 5 April 2024 (UTC)

Theophilus Ham Deaville
He was another son of the butcher Ambrose Deaville, born 1873 (Deaville), married 1900 (Deville), died 1944 (DeVille). Youngest of four sons, R., T. i.e. Thomas, E. A. i.e. Edward Ambrose.

Possibly Samuel Robinson Deavile was a cousin, and possibly also, given the shared middle name, Geoffrey Ham Deville (born 1909) was his son, necessarily posthumous. Would make some sense of the rapid marriage to Harper. Not clear, though, that Harper's house Honeycroft is the same as the Deville's house in Bank Close. Bank Close seems to have been developed from 1917 on land acquired by J. C. Deville, who presumably is the vet John Crossley Deville. Charles Matthews (talk) 15:42, 5 April 2024 (UTC)

Provisional conclusion: from what I can see in the 1911 census, Geoffrey Ham Deaville was born 1910 in Abbots Bromley. Theophilus Ham Deaville moved from there to Uttoxeter around 1919 (obituary notice), and took over the butcher's shop from E. A. Deaville. Likely Geoffrey Ham Deaville was son of Theophilus Ham Deaville and took over that shop. Awaits verification. The 1913 Deaville funeral notice gives an overview of the family, with Theophilus Ham Deaville appearing as uncle Ham. Charles Matthews (talk) 05:50, 7 April 2024 (UTC)