John Cyril Lees Collingham was born in 1865, the second of the six children of Joseph Mawer Collingham (1832-1902) and Jane Eliza Collingham née Lees (1836-1919). His birth was registered in 2nd quarter of 1865 in the Lincoln registration district, Lincolnshire.
In the 1871 census he is shown as a scholar living at 7 Lindum Road, Lincoln, with his parents and three siblings: Joseph William Collingham (1862-1904), Isabel McLean Collingham (1866-1949) and Martha Edith Collingham (1868-1874), together with a nurse, a cook and a house-maid. His father was described as a draper.
He was still recorded as a scholar in the 1881 census living in Lindum Road, Lincoln, with his parents and four siblings: Joseph, Isabel, Jane Ethel Collingham (1873-1953) and David Horace Collingham (1878-1955), together with a nurse, a cook, a house-maid and an under nurse-maid. His father was now shown as a draper employing 58 hands.
In the 1890 edition of the Post Office London Directory he is listed as 'Collingham John Cyril Lees, P.A.S.I. auctioneer &c. see John David Wood & Co' and in the 1891 census he is described as a land agent visiting the home of Mr Thomas W. Hoyne, a dental surgeon and his wife Fanny Hoyne at 'Vermont', Holdenhurst, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset). Electoral registers in 1890 & 1891 show him qualified to vote through having an interest in a joint tenement at 19 Mount Street, Westminster, although his place of abode was 100 Piccadilly, Westminster, however in the 1892 & 1893 registers his address had changed to 127 Mount Street, Westminster. From 1894 to 1901 the registers show him qualified to vote through having joint offices at 6 Mount Street, Westminster, but his abode was given as 1 Park Row, Westminster.
The 1901 census describes him as a land agent living at 41 St James's Street, Westminster. In the 1902 and 1905 editions of the Post Office London Directory he is listed as 'Collingham J. Cyril L. F.S.L. (firm John D. Wood & Co)'.
Electoral registers in 1902 & 1903 show him residing at 41 St James's Street, Westminster but from 1904 to 1907 they confirm that he lived at 35 St James's Place, Westminster.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as an estate & land agent living in a ten roomed property called Hill Cottage in Brackley, Northamptonshire, with a married couple who were his butler and house-maid.
Electoral registers in 1912 show that he was qualified to vote as he occupied offices at 6 Mount Street, London, W1, but his residence was listed as the York Hotel, Albemarle Street, Westminster. However, from 1914 to 1924 they showed his abode as Burlington Hotel, Burlington Street, London, W1. Telephone directories from 1927 to 1936 show him as a telephone subscriber at 26 Mount Street, London, W1.
Probate records confirm that his address had been 23 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, but that he died, aged 71 years, on 28 May 1936 at 4 Dorset Square, Marylebone. He was buried on 2 June 1936 in Plot D122 in the Canwick Road Old Cemetery, Canwick Road, Lincoln LN4 1EE. His Will was proved and probate was granted on 17 August 1936 jointly to Barclays Bank Limited and John Francis Toms, an estate agent. His estate totalled £88,143-16s-5d.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
