Penley Hall.
Robert’s connection to Penley was through his paternal ancestor’s links with Penley Hall. Robert Myddleton Dymock owned the hall until his death in 1899 when he was 99 years old. The hall passed to his nephew Theophilus Vaughton who then adopted the name Dymock. Although he set about restoring the hall which had fallen into disrepair, he never lived there, preferring Bath in Somerset where he lived until his death in 1905.
(From that time the hall was leased to Mr and Mrs Frank Cotton until 1934 when the lease was surrendered. The hall was gutted by fire in 1935. The last occupant was the Dowager Lady Kenyon. The hall was disposed to the Ministry of Works in 1964 and it became the dining room and kitchens for senior medical staff at the Polish Hospital. In 1986 it was sold to a private developer and was demolished).
Theophilus’s son was Rowland Griffith Vaughton – who also became a Dymock. When he died n 1949, he left a will. His entry in the England and Wales National Probate Calendar says that he was Rowland Griffith Vaughton Dymock of Penley Hall, Flintshire and of 23 Sion Hill Bath.
Robert Townsend Vaughton Dymock was Rowland’s son. Who knows what the fate of Penley Hall would have been had Robert survived?
Robert was born in 1895. His father was Rowland Griffith Vaughton Dymock. His mother was Alice Maud Dymock nee Townsend. She had been born in County Cork, Ireland. They had married in 1893 in Middletown Ireland.
The census of 1901 records the family living at ‘Aghada, King’s Avenue, Ealing Middlesex. (Rowland’s name has been mistakenly entered as Richard). He was 31 years old and was a Clerk in the Civil Service. His wife Alice was 34. Their listed children were Alice who was 7 and Robert who was 6. In the household was Clara Townsend – sister in law. There were three servants, a Governess, a Lady’s help and a General Domestic servant.
In 1911, the family was recorded at ‘Prestfield’ London Road Shrewsbury. Head of the household Rowland was 41. He was described as a ‘Novelist also a Pensioner from Colate Duty Office’. Alice Maud, his wife of 18 years was 44. She had given birth to two children who were both living. Their listed daughter, Alice Louisa May Vaughton Dymock was 17. There was a visitor listed, one Mary Durand Jarnatt. There were three domestic servants. Robert was not in the household for the census.
In 1911, the census records 16 year old Robert as a boarder at Clifton College, Bristol.
UK Soldiers who Died in The Great War 1914 -19 – accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk includes an entry for Robert. It gives us the military details as above left. This source says that he ‘died of wounds’. His medal index card, also on Ancestry lists his three medals and states that his first Theatre of war was France and that he entered it on the 21st June 1915. On the back of the card it says “Applies for medals” Sion Cottage, Sion Hill, Bath. Dated 30th October 1921
The War Diaries for the Shropshire Light Infantry includes references to Robert Dymock on the 27th October 1915. The location is Hooge which is close to Ypres.
“A shell burst in D Coy Officers’ Mess dugout wounding Lieut Dymock badly in head.”
“Lieut Dymock dies of his wounds at Field Ambulance during the evening”
Robert was buried at Hop Store Cemetery, Ypres. The inscription at the foot of his Commonwealth war Grave says
“Whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it”
An in memorium notice in a newspaper, (don’t know which), says
“Dymock- In proud and loving memory of 2nd Lieutenant Vaughton Dymock who died of wounds received near Ypres on October 27th 1915 in his 21st year. “he asked life of thee and thou gavest him a lonf life even for ever and ever”
The UK register of Soldiers’ effects in which the Army calculated what moneys were owed to deceased soldiers includes an entry for Robert. His father received a total of £35 in 1916 in two separate payments.