A Trustee of Alexandra Park from 1902 and Honorary Manager from June 1910 until his death in March 1921.
Mayor of Hornsey 1907-8 and again in 1913-1914. In 1919 he was elected a fellow and member of the Royal Philatelic Society, London.
At its source his photo is captioned "Chairman of the Alexandra Palace Trust, Edwin Sloper and his wife were heavily involved in organising clothing donations. At Christmas he dressed as Father Christmas and handed gifts to the children."
The picture source has some quite astonishing photos of Alexandra Palace during WW1 when it was used to house refugees.
Our colleague Andrew Behan states that Edwin Willmott Sloper was born in 1865 in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, the eldest of the six children of Edwin Sloper (1840-1905) and Mary Sloper née Willmott (1843-1906). The birth of Edwin Sloper was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1865 in the Wellington registration district, Somerset.
In the 1871 census he is shown as aged 5 years, living in East Street, Ilminster, Somerset, with his parents, his two brothers: Thomas Willmott Sloper (1867-1946) and Henry Willmott Sloper (1869-1938), his maternal grandmother Ann Willmott who was a retired confectioner, together with a female general domestic servant and a nursery-maid. His father was described a bank cashier.
He was shown as a scholar in the 1881 census, living at Stuckley's Bank, Fore Street, Taunton, Somerset, with his parents, four of his siblings: Thomas Willmott Sloper; Ernest Willmott Sloper (1871-1916); William Willmott Sloper (1873-1924) and Mary Sybella Willmott Sloper (1875-1968), together with two female general domestic servants. His father was recorded as a bank sub-manager and his siblings were all described as scholars.
On 7 March 1891 he married Mary Mabel Lambert (1872-1963), in St Mary the Virgin's Church, Tyndalls Park, Bristol, Gloucestershire, where in the marriage register he shown as aged 25 years, a bachelor and a foreign bank clerk, residing at 17 Park Hall Road, East Finchley, Middlesex (now Greater London), whilst his wife was shown as aged 18, a spinster, living at "Elmview", Ravenswood Road, Redland, Bristol.
The 1891 census confirms that he was a banker's clerk living in 3 rooms in 17 Park Hall Road, East Finchley, with his wife and his brother Thomas Willmott Sloper who was also shown as a banker's clerk.
He was still described a banker's clerk in the 1901 census, living at 62 Wightman Road, Hornsey, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife and their daughter Amy Dorothy Sloper ((1896-1953) together with a domestic nurse.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as a "bank clerk and Boro' Council & Alexander Park Trustee", living in a ten roomed property at 226 Stapleton Hall Road, Stroud Green, Hornsey, Middlesex, with his wife, their three children: Amy Dorothy Sloper - shown as at school; Richard Willmott Sloper (1901-1975) and Edith Mary Sloper (1905-1983), together with a cook and a house-maid.
In Kelly's 1912-1913 Directory of Wood Green, Muswell Hill, he is listed as an 'Alderman in the Borough of Hornsey (due to retire in 1915)'.
His death, aged 55 years, was registered in the 1st quarter of 1921 in the Edmonton registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London). Probate records confirm that his address remained as 226 Stapleton Hall Road, Stroud Green and that he died on 3 March 1921. Administration of his estate, totalling £3,169-12s-11d, was granted to his widow on 24 May 1921.
We love this image of Sloper beside the massive Christmas tree, but another image, a traditional portrait, can be found on the Hornsey Historical Society website.
