William Ralph Crumpler

Other Events and Attributes:

• Biography: From an e-mail (23 Jan 2000) from Kevin Crumpler: Born in the house pictured in Lytchett Matravers - A Dorset Village in Pictures, pictures 10 and 11. When William was five years old his mother, Daisy, went off with a Tong and took the children to Salisbury. William's father found their whereabouts and took back the children. William's last contact with Daisy was when William's son Kevin Crumpler was born, and this was by letter. The letter wasn't answered. William's father died when William was 11 years old. William went to East Coker under the guardianship of Jesse Crumpler, his uncle. William went to Yeovil Grammar School (Jesse was on the Board of Directors of the school). William rode a horse to school every day: the horse was stabled at a pub next door to the school. Due to an "unfortunate accident" in the school laboratory -- an explosion -- William was expelled. He transferred to Beaminster Boarding School, which he hated. William left school and went to Listers in Gloucester, but after six months returned to Lytchett Matravers at the wish of his Aunt Polly (Mary Jane Crumpler) who owned the Chequers Inn. Her husband Edwin Jenner was an alcoholic and William ran the pub in the evening while working at Tweedale and Riley (Estate Agents & Auctioneers) in Wimborne during the day. At that time her will left the pub to William. In 1939 William joined the RAF as a radio operator, and served in this capacity until the end of the war. In the meantime Mary Jane Crumpler altered her will with Jenner inheriting. When Jenner died William was left £200. William played football while in the RAF, and won several cups. He had a fiancee in Exeter. While at Hendon waiting to be de-mobbed, William missed the flight to Exeter and instead came to Lytchett to his step-brother Stephen Crumpler. The village football team were playing away at Alderholt, and with nothing better to do William went to the game. Valerie Lawrence also went on the coach to see the game. (Valerie's friend was May Spiney: May's brother was playing goal.) Valerie was attracted to the handsome airman in uniform. William lodged with the Randalls, next door to the Post Office in Lytchett Matravers.

William married Valerie Elizabeth Lawrence on 26 Mar 1949 in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England. Valerie was born on 04 Dec 1927 in Lychett Matravers, Dorset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Kevin Crumpler
2. Haydon Crumpler was born in 1954.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Wheelwright

Ralph married Daisy Louise Manuel in Dec 1917 in Shapwick, Dorset. Daisy was born in Shapwick, Dorset. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England; Landlord of the Chequers Inn (1854); Farmer with 26 acres, (1861)
• Baptism: 20 Jan 1828, Lychett Matravers, Dorset, England

Thomas married Phyllis Penelope Augusta Eaton on 10 Nov 1853 in Lychett Matravers, Dorset, England. Phyllis (daughter of Grace) was born in 1837 in Sturminster Marshal, Dorset, England; died in 1897 in Lychett Matravers, Dorset, England; was buried on 10 Oct 1897 in Lychett Matravers, Dorset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Marriage License: Thomas Crumpler and Phillis Penelope Augusta Eaton, both of Lytchett Matravers - ref. PE/LMA/IN 1/1/2 - date: 31 Oct 1853

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Carpenter

Notes:

Died:
A COUNTRY TRAGEDY
By Beau Parke

Samuel Crumpler paid the price for being so nice
and trusting with his bull;
He walked the field that blistering Summer's day
whilst checking acreage and gauging chores
unmindful of his young and powerful charge.
Then suddenly the animal took pace
and rushed and roared and snorted t'wards his face,
whilst Sam stepped back, yet still believed
the bull was easy to contain:
But on it went, momentum built
to such a speed and strength that Sam, alarmed,
tried frantic'ly to reach for branches of the nearby oak,
but failed to get the leverage he needed now
to avoid its frenzied, maddened surge;
He yelled in terrifying pain as he was pinned against
the trunk and gored relentlessly by this unreal, unreasoning
monster that he'd fed and nurtured from a calf;
The blood was spurting forth as sweat and slime and slaver
from the bull was intermixed with gore,
and bones were crushed till Samuel Crumpler's broken frame
was tossed into the air, now cruelly
scythed and crunched beyond all comprehension.

His sorrowing widow and nine sons and daughters
saw him laid to rest a few days later
in the Village Churchyard, knowing that local history
had been made at his expense for trusting that
young bull and lowering his guard.
Samuel Crumpler, wheelwright, carpenter and sometime farmer died,
aged fifty-five, in 1849; a kind and strong and gallant,
some say foolish, family man.

Samuel married Louisa Bartlett on 16 Jul 1823 in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England. Louisa was born in 1807 in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England; died in 1857 in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England; was buried on 05 Nov 1857 in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Kevin Crumpler's website shows date of birth as 1805.