Subject

Born Jersey. Aged 15 joined John Maples, Furniture dealer, and progressed to being vice-president of of the store in Tottenham Court Road. 1870 married. Alderman of St Pancras Borough Council. Lived in a substantial property in Highgate West Hill. Benefactor for the St Pancras Almshouses, Belsize Park, where the 1881 Committee Room is named for him.

The 1952 book 'Memories of Winchmore Hill' by Horace G. Regnart is probably by a relative.

Andrew Behan found the image and has kindly provided this research: Horatio Grece Regnart was born on 6 April 1841 in Gouville, Jersey, Channel Islands, along with his twin sister Emily Louisa Clifton Regnart (1841-1929). They were the seventh and eighth of the ten children of Charles Regnart (1792-1855) and Cornelia Regnart née Grece (1805-1887).

The 1841 census shows him living with his family at Bagot, Gouville, Jersey, whilst the 1851 census shows him and his family at Prospect Cottage, Gouville, Jersey. The 1861 census informs that he was listed as Horace Regnart, a furniture salesman at Maple & Co, 145, 146, 147 Tottenham Court Road, London.

On 10 February 1869 he was initiated as a freemason in the Montefiore Lodge No.1017, that met at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street, Holborn.

In 1870 he married Mary Makepeace (1845-1940) in Leicester and the 1881 census lists him as H. G. Regnart, a furniture dealer, at 207 Camden Road, St Pancras, with his wife, a cook and a housemaid.

The 1891 census shows him again as Horace Regnart, a cabinet maker, living at Highgate Lodge, West Hill, Highgate, with his wife, a coachman, a groom, a gardener and three female domestic servants.

The 1901 census lists him as Horatio Regnart, a gentleman, at Frith Manor, Hendon, with his wife, a housekeeper, a cook and a housemaid. Telephone directories from 1904 show him listed at 29 Gordon Square, London, WC.

On 15 July 1907 he was created a Knight Bachelor by King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace whilst the 1911 census shows him as Sir H. Regnart at 29 Gordon Square, St Pancras.

He died, aged 70 years, on 8 March 1912 and is buried in Islington and St Pancras Cemetery, 278 High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 9AG. Probate was granted to his widow, Dame Mary Regnart on 10 April 1912 and his estate totalled £323,653-3s-3d.

Andrew adds: "the author of the 1952 book 'Memories of Winchmore Hill' was indeed a relative - he was a nephew of Sir Horatio Grece Regnart. Horace Griffith Regnart (3 September 1874- 28 March 1957) was the son of Clare Henry Regnart (1843-1932) and Harriet Elizabeth Regnart née Griffith (1847-1914). Clare Henry Regnart was a younger brother of Sir Horatio Grece Regnart. It would seem that our man used both Horatio and Horace as his first name. Horatio was his given name and used on most documents, but he used Horace occasionally, (see the census returns of 1861 and 1891)."