Cecil Dengate

Cecil Dengate

Cecil Dengate

KEY DATES:

Born: 27 March 1903, Peasmarsh, East Sussex

Baptism: 10 May 1903, St Peter and St Paul's Church, Peasmarsh, East Sussex

Married: 26 December 1925, Tankerton Catholic Church

Death: 21 June 1968

Buried: Hatfield Hyde Cemetery, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

BIOGRAPHY:

Cecil Dengate was born 27 March 1903 in Peasmarsh, East Sussex to Alfred Russell and Grace Ellen Dengate. He was baptised 10 May 1903 in St Peter and St Paul's Church, Peasmarsh.

St Peter and St Paul's Church, Peasmarsh

Cecil began at Peasmarsh school on the 8 April 1907, aged 4 and left on the 21 October 1910 with his sister and two brothers when the family moved to Whitstable, Kent.

Cecil suffered from osteomylitis as a young child and consequently had to have his right leg amputated by the time he was 8 years old, so he was always away from school and home for about a year. The disease remained with him all his life, yet he was still full of life and fun, in spite of much pain. His daughter described him as "the most wonderful father anyone could ever have had."

Cecil met his future wife, Ellen Frances Kearney when he was working for his father in Joy Lane, Whitstable. Alfred and Cecil were employed there as gardeners, Ellen Frances had come over from Ireland as a companion housekeeper to her friend who was married to a dental surgeon. Cecil married Ellen on the 26 December 1925 at the Catholic Church in Tankerton, having converted to Catholicism.

The Kent Directory shows Cecil Dengate working as a tailor and living between 1929 and 1931 in 71 Cromwell Road, Whitstable. The years 1932-1934 show him living at 39 Cromwell Road, Whitstable. Between 1934 and 1935 he was living at 31 Westmeads Road, Whitstable. This was the last house the family lived in in Whitstable before they moved to Kingsbury, London.

71 Cromwell Road, 2002

39 Cromwell Road, 2002

When the family moved to Kingsbury Cecil set up his own tailoring business, then worked for a short while for an air ministry factory before going to work for his brother Cyril at his tyre business. Cecil stayed with his brothers firm throughout the war years.

Outside family tyre business

Second left Ron Dengate, Cyril Dengate, Cecil Dengate and Ron Hill

Cecil Dengate died 21 June 1968, aged 65 and was buried in Hatfield Hyde Cemetery, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Thanks to Sheila Hill for her help and memories of Cecil Dengate and family and to Annemarie McCabe for further information and family photographs.