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Fifth Generation

WILFRED ROBERT KLITZ M.B.E.
16 May 1883 - 14 May 1940

 

Fourth son of William Lawson and Ellen Gossling married -
Dora Kate Welsh Kate was born on 10 October 1887 in Epsom and Ewell District. Epsom Record.
Kate died in 1967 and is buried in the yard of the old church (St Nicholas?) at Brockenhurst. Her death is registered in the March quarter of 1967 at Surrey Mid-eastern register office (now simply Surrey Registration District at 42 Portsmouth Road, Guildford).
The family seems to have been from the Isle of Wight. She was the only daughter of Harry Eason Welsh and Gertrude Emma Welsh. Harry was manager of a Spirits merchant and later became a soft drinks manufacturer. My grateful thanks to a recent contact for finding these details about Kate.

Wilfred was primarily a superb business man and money–spinner. He made a fortune for the company of Furriers in Mincing Lane for whom he worked only to have the company lose the lot.

His partner jumped off Beachy Head before Wilfred could persuade him that he could build the business back up again, which he later succeeded in doing.

He received the M.B.E. for designing and utilising skins for the troops.

He put £32,000 in trust, later reduced due to the Pepper crash.

In 1931 Wilfred purchased a new 1931 Chrysler CD8 Convertible Coupe. Wilfred was living at Avenue Road, Epsom at the time.
I have gratefully received confirmation of all these details by the car's present owner who said, "Originally it was all black, the next owner had it repainted cream and black in 1968 when the car needed a full restoration. I am now the third owner and knew the car forty years ago and purchased it in 2014. It then required a full mechanical rebuild. Records show that Wilfred spent a year in the U.S.A. in 1930, I wonder if he ordered the Chrysler then."

There were no children and Wilfred's wife Dora became a recluse after his death. She lived in their dormer bungalow called "Dorwil", in Epsom Surrey.

Wilfred was clearly a wealthy man. In his Will, made in 1928 with a further codicil in 1930, he left his wife well provided for and willed monies to all his then living brothers and sisters. (Copy of the Will available in the family archives)

Unfortunately I can find no record of Wilfred's birth. I have tried several years around the birth year 1883, but Ancestry is unable to locate him at all.
Birth records in those earlier years are not always correctly obtainable, but I now know that he died in University College Hospital in London. His date of death is correct as above, but unfortunately there is no mention of a diagnosis. Registration of his death is in the June quarter of 1940 at St. Pancreas. Requests for cerificates can only be given AFTER 1940. N.B. St Pancras records are now handled by Camden. 02079 744444 - option 6.

Note: Michael John Klitz (changed his surname to Kaynes) worked for Wilfred for 3 years before branching out on his own.

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Wilfred Robert