The Pryor brothers: Ralston de Vins and Geoffrey
For around seventy years the Pryor brothers, Ralston De Vins (RdeV) and Gerald Ithel Eade (GIE)
were intrinsically involved in Preston life. ,
Ralston, in particular, left an enduring legacy in the village.
Pryor House at Preston Green is a fitting reminder of the family.
When Temple Dinsley was sold by auction in 1873, Henry Pryor bought Lot One of the estate (shown
below) evidently intending that his two young sons, Ralston de Vins (RdeV) and Gerald Ithel Eade
(GIE) would manage it when they grew older. The villagers referred to the brothers either by their
initials or as “Squire” and “Long” Pryor respectively.
The Pryors apparently never lived in the mansion of Temple Dinsley. Towards the end of the
nineteenth century, the house was let to John Weeks, Henry Brand (MP and magistrate) and then
Frederick MacMillan.
Ralston de Vins Pryor
In 1881, RdeV, aged 17, was continuing his education at St Paul’s
College, Stony Stratford East, Bucks. Ten years later in 1891, he
was living in The Cottage beside the Hitchin Road on the outskirts
of Preston.
This had a drawing room, dining room, library, kitchen, scullery,
cellar, dairy, eight bedrooms and two dressing rooms. Close by
were stables, coach-house and a small farmyard and buildings.
There was a garden with greenhouses and hothouses. Ralston
described himself as an ‘estate agent’ – which referred to his
duties in connection with his father’s property and his work as an
estate surveyor.
Clearly The Cottage was too extensive for Ralston’s needs so it
was decided to also let this property - Henry Anstruther, Lord of
the Treasury, was residing there in 1901.
Between 1891 and 1901, the Pryors built The Laburnums (now
Pryor House, right) in the field behind the Red Lion public house.
It was described as a brick-built house with tiled roof. Inside were a drawing room, dining room,
kitchen, scullery, laundry and w.c. and on the first floor, a bathroom and four bedrooms. In 1915, GIE
was renting the first floor from RdeV, his landlord.The transcribers of the 1901 census mis-labelled the
house, Labour-in-vain!
In 1895, Henry Pryor made a Deed of Gift to Ralston, of land occupied today by Chequers Cottages
and their gardens. This Deed may well have included the entire estate that he purchased as when the
Inland Revenue conducted its survey of Preston in 1909/10, Ralston was recorded as owning twenty-
seven cottages clustered in the middle of the village together with the Chequers Inn and odd plots of
land including the allotments and the rail pond with its adjoining land by Preston Green. This
indicates that the Pryors had sold none of the homes originally bought by Henry in 1874 and that
RdeV’s portfolio at Preston now included the newly-built The Laburnums and four small cottages at
Back Lane (see below)
The area shown in light and dark blue on the map above was dealt with apart from the Temple
Dinsley estate by Thomas H Darton. He raised a mortgage on it of £400 from Thomas Perkins which
was repaid by Thomas’ widow, Emily, shortly after his death in 1885. She then sold this land to GIE
for £900 in 1908. In turn, the following year, GIE sold the area coloured in light blue to his brother
Ralston for £200.
Temple Dinsley mansion and The Cottage together with other plots of land were sold to Mr James
Barrington-White in 1901, together with land sandwiched between Blacksmith’s and Back Lane.
Shortly afterwards, Henry Pryor died intestate in the summer of 1904 leaving an estate of £23,148.
Although the Pryors owned the majority of the cottages at Preston, most of their portfolio were in a
poor, dilapidated condition. Perhaps the prospect of demolishing and replacing their housing stock
was daunting but five years or so after the death of their father, Henry, the Pryors sold all their
properties at Preston, retaining only their home, The Laburnums in which the two brothers were living
in 1911. However from news reports it appears that RdeV still owned some property on his father’s
Clifton estate.
Margaret Pryor, Henry’s widow, died on 25 June 1915 at a flat at 38 Gunterstone Road, West
Kensington. She left an estate of £2,908 which may indicate that Henry’s holdings had already been
distributed. RdeV was his mother’s executor.
Preston benefactor
Perhaps the major enduring contribution RdeV made to Preston related to St Martin’s Church. In
early 1898, he was approached by the Rev. Switzer of St Marys, Hitchin to see if he would sell a
parcel of land for a new church in the village. RdeV agreed with the proviso that the necessary funds
should be raised and he was part of the committee which administered the Church Building Fund. In
1908, he was instrumental in the opening of a new village club room on Church Lane opposite St
Martin’s lych-gate. He gave the site and ‘collected most of the money required’. The building still
stands today.
RdeV was the Chairman of the Parish Council from 1901 to 1915. He was also one of Preston
school’s managers and regularly visited the school, often checking the register and sometimes even
taking some lessons in arithmetic, drawing and history. In particular he encouraged children with their
gardening pursuits. He took charge of the school garden in 1908 and sometimes took a party from
the school to show them his rose garden. In 1926, he coached the boys in cricket.
Ralston also had an interest in three leisure pursuits: rose growing, amateur dramatics and cricket.
There are several newspaper reports of concerts which were organised by RdeV around his first
home, Clifton, Beds in the 1890s. At Shefford in January 1890 he organised and acted in the farce,
Freezing a mother-in-law. “The room was well filled on both evenings and the performers were loudly
applauded’. Profits were donated to the local cricket club and reading room. The following year, an
entertainment was given for the purchase of kneelers for Sunday School children at Clifton. Ralston
played Dearest Love Waltz as a piano solo and sang The Carnovale. That same year at another
concert, it was reported that ‘the humourous songs of Mr R de V Pryor greatly amused the
audience...and the comic finale, a banjo duet by RDeV and GIE Pryor created roars of laughter’. The
pair also performed ‘their new and original Kentucky march and twist, never before performed in
England (encore)’. In addition, Ralston played a harp solo of The Ashgrove. Then again in 1895, at
an amateur dramatics show on Ralston ‘devolved the very responsible duty of stage manager and by
his clever manipulation of the curtain and scenery it was obvious to all that he was a perfect master
of the art’. He also had a leading part in the farce. He and his sister Beryl ‘brought the house down by
their rendering of the various comicalities and passages of pathos in the piece’.
Ralston also put on ‘cheerful concert parties at Preston using the carpenter’ shop on the Green
(which became Peters’ shop Link: Carpenters shop). The Preston Scrapbook has photographs of
some of the productions (Link: Scrapbook). The Pryors toured neighbouring villages in a wagonette
with their concerts. In 1899, at Kings Walden Parish Church, a missionary lecture was delivered with
RdeV ‘manipulating photographs with his magic lantern to illustrate the scenes’.
In the years leading up to The Great War, RdeV won several awards for his prize roses. Typical of the
news reports was this from a Hertford Rose Show in July 1913: ‘In Class 1 for twelve distinct roses
the first prize was carried off by Mr R Pryor of Preston who had in his collection the best bloom in the
show - a very beautiful specimen of Yvonne Vacherot. Amongst his other blooms the most
conspicuous were Her Majesty, Mrs Arthur Coxhead and William Shean’.
Ralston and his brother Gerard also encouraged village cricket. RdeV’s interest in the game was
shown in 1894 when he and his brother Armitage turned out for the Rev H E Lury’s side against
Silsoe in 1894. That same year, he and GIE played for Kings Walden cricket team and for a Hitchin XI
against Christ College, Cambridge. In 1902, he was part of the Preston team who visited Kings
Walden along with P Barrington-White, R Ashton, E Robinson, S Elgas, Arthur Wray (my uncle), W
Clinch, H Thrussell, A Gresty, W Thrussell and W Sharp. (See also this link: Cricket)
Personal reminiscences of RdeV Pryor - by David Peters
My family had an association with Mr. Pryor and The Laburnums for as long as I
can recall. I am not certain how it all came about, but it may be that my mother
was in service there before her marriage. Additionally, my great aunt, Christobel
Peters was Mr. Pryor's housekeeper. From an early age, my sister Queenie and
I had free reign to play in the grounds and it was always Saturday afternoon tea
in the kitchen with both Mr. Pryor and aunt Chris right up to the time of his
death. It is worthy of note that all the photographs concerning any of the Peters
family weddings had The Laburnums as a backdrop.
Ralston de Vins Pryor could best be described as a quintessential English
gentleman. Well educated, he had inherited wealth and still held parcels of land
around the village. A bachelor, his only known relative of whom I was aware
was a sister, Beryl, who I believe lived in Bristol and was an artist of some
repute. I never knew him to travel anywhere but in his younger days he would
have got about by pony and trap.
He had been a rose grower of some note and his trophies were displayed in his
dining room. He kept the rainfall figures for the Meteorological Office which may
explain why he had such a valuable collection of barometers. He was an avid
crossword solver but he never had the good fortune to win the Telegraph
Saturday prize crossword, despite his many attempts over the years.
I can conjure up memories of him toddling off to the Red Lion at noon each day
dressed in his country tweeds and plus-fours. He was back by two o'clock for a
light lunch in the kitchen with my aunt. He dined alone each evening except for
Sundays which was aunt Chris' half day off. When the weather was warm of an
afternoon he could be found sitting on an upturned wooden box doing a little
light weeding of the footpaths around the lawns. He eschewed the benefits of
electricity and mains water; lighting was by paraffin lamps and heating by open
fires. Drinking water was drawn from a pump over the kitchen sink - good taste,
too.
RdeV had a piano and my parents bought it at the house sale and later it went to my sister via
Glasgow and finally Brentwood. I never heard him play but I am not surprised that he at one time
entertained with some ditties. I recall that he had a very good sense of humour.
He died at The Laburnums in March, 1945, at the age of 81, following a short illness. The house and
contents were put up for auction ,and Aunt Chris went to live with George and Bertha Nash at
Laburnum Cottage. So ended (at 14) a happy era of my life.
Final thoughts
Ralston took my father under his wing. My mother
said that Dad was helped by ‘a local squire who
taught him the rudiments of cards and snooker’.
To my surprise, in 2005, I discovered confirmation
of this relationship in my garden shed! I have an
old woodworm-riddled fork (shown right) that was
used by Dad which has ‘RdeVP’ etched into its
handle.
David Peters mentioned that he remembered Dad
tending Ralston’s kitchen garden at The
Laburnums
I was told by an aunt that, when he was dying,
Ralston asked to see my father but was prevented from doing this by his housekeeper.
Ralston (described as a retired land surveyor) died of cancer of the rectum on 7 March 1945 at The
Laburnums. His death was notified by his housekeeper, Annie Christobel Peters who was present at
the death. Four days later, he was buried at St Martin’s Church opposite the door (above right).
RdeV’s will bestowed £50 to two of his three nominated executors. Annie Christobel Peters was to
have his antique chest of drawers and a sum which was equal to five years cash wages. He left his
gold signet ring with crest to his nephew, Harford de Vins Lury; his grandfather clock to Bertha Emily
Nash (nee Peters); his Sheritan corner cupboard from the drawing room to Philadelphia Constance
Peters. The residue was to be divided between his siblings, Lilian Amy Lury, Margaret Beryl Pryor
and Armigel Henry Pryor. The net value of his estate was a surprising £540. It seems that he spent
much of his inheritance ‘flying small planes and enjoying life’.
All that was left was to sell Ralston’s home and contents. The Laburnums was sold by auction at the
Sun Hotel, Hitchen on 17 April 1945. It was described as having ‘ two reception rooms, four bedroom,
bath, detached billiards room (across the courtyard from the house DP), rose and flower gardens,
land with outbuildings including orchard, rose garden, paddock and three acres of meadow’.
The house contents were sold separately: ‘oak and iron bedsteads, tables, chairs, four-feet walnut
wardrobe, antique mahogany club-foot table with oval leaves, antique eight-day clock by Field of
Hitchin, iron-framed piano by Chappell, three-foot oak bureau, mahogany dining table, aneroid with
clock and chart,antique and modern silver and plate, half-size billiards table and a large quantity of
carpenters and garden tools’.
I am grateful to David Peters and Ann Crouch for providing the photographs of RdeV and to David
for taking the time to write his memories