Born as Arthur Heron Ryan Tenison on 1 January 1861 in Towcester, Northamptonshire, a son of Edward Ryan Tenison (1830-1904) and Frances Sarah Tenison née Testelin (1842-1912). His date of birth was taken from page 521 in the Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, Volume 2 which also gives much information about this man.
In the 1871 census he is shown as a scholar, aged 10 years, living at 9 Keith Terrace, Hammersmith, with his parents and four siblings: Edward Heron Ryan Tenison (1860-1894), Alfred Heron Tenison (1865-1888), Adolf Dan Tenison (1868-1947) and Nellie Marion Tenison (1869-1953), together with two female domestic servants. His father was shown as general practitioner, having obtained his Doctorate in Medicine at St Andrews University, Fife, Scotland.
On the night of the 1871 census he was described as a student of architecture lodging in the home of Thomas and Susannah Eggleton in Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, and that his brother, Edward Heron Tenison, was also recorded as a visitor. On 1 March 1883 he was initiated as freemason into the Watling Street Lodge No.1639 that met at the Cock Hotel, High Street, Stoney Stratford, Buckinghamshire, giving his occupation as an architect and stating he was living in Wolverton. He resigned from this Lodge and on 24 March 1890 he joined the De Grey & Ripon Lodge No.903 that met at Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London, WC2 giving his address as 7 Great College Street, Westminster. He resigned from this Lodge on 26 November 1896.
On 1 January 1885 he married Lucy Susan Power (1867-1888) in Holy Trinity Church, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland, but she unfortunately died, aged 21 years, on 25 February 1888. Irish probate records show that she died at the 'Albion' hotel, Plymouth Devon, that administration was granted in London on 17 April 1888 and that her effects in Ireland totalled £406. English probate records confirm her date & place of death and that administration was granted to her husband who was residing at 12 Blomfield Road, Uxbridge Road, Middlesex. (This road was later renamed as Stanlake Road, Shepherds Bush, London, W.12.).
The 1891 census shows him as a widower and an architect, boarding at 14 Blomfield Road, Hammersmith, the home of Mrs Grace Ware, aged 69 years and who was described as 'living on own means', together with another male boarder and a female domestic servant.
He now started using the name Arthur Heron Ryan-Tenison and as such he is recorded as marrying Alice Amelia Clarke (1871-1961) in the 2nd quarter of 1897 in the Stoke Damerel registration district, Devon. The 1898 edition of Kelly's Directory of Middlesex shows him listed at 10 Bath Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick, Middlesex. (Now in Greater London).
He is shown as an architect-ARIBA in the 1901 census living at 19 Bath Road, Chiswick, with his wife and their son, Edward Henry Ryan-Tenison (1898-1959), together with a female general domestic servant.
Electoral registers in 1907 show that he moved from 19 to 32 Bath Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick and on the 1911 census return form he completed he showed this new address to be an eleven roomed property in which he was residing with his wife and their daughter, Ursula Mary Heron Ryan-Tenison (1901-1971), together with a female general domestic servant. He described himself as a 'Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (in practice)'.
Probate records confirm that his address remained as 32 Bath Road, Bedford Park and that he died, aged 69 years, on 22 September 1930. Probate was granted to his widow on 15 October 1930 and his effects originally totalled £11,075-19s-8d but were subsequently twice resworn, first at £11,087-12s-4d and finally at £12,748-16s-8d. His death was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1930 in the Brentford registration district, Middlesex.
He is commemorated as A. H. Ryan Tenison on the National Submarine War Memorial on Victoria Embankment, London, EC4.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
