Frank FLAY was born 23 February 1907 in Islington, London, Middlesex, England. He married Iris Vera KNIBBS July September, 1932 in Edmonton District, Essex, England. He died November 1985 in Southampton District, Hampshire, England. Iris Vera KNIBBS, daughter of Herbert KNIBBS and Eliza Burrough PLOWMAN , was born 08 January 1912 in Edmonton, Essex, England. She died May 1988 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.


Children of Frank FLAY and Iris Vera KNIBBS are:
1. Daphne Iris FLAY, b. Private
2. Kenneth Herbert Frank FLAY, b. 02 September 1933 See Kenneth Herbert Frank FLAY & Doris Edith J COLLIER

Marriage/Union Events for Frank FLAY\Iris Vera KNIBBS:


Notes for Frank FLAY:

In 1911, we see Frank and his family living at 20 Penrith Road South, Tottenham, London:
Frank Flay Head Mar 23 Musical Instrument Maker London Finsbury Park
Sarah Louise Flay Wife Mar (4 years) 24 London Leytonstone
Frank Flay Son 4 London Islington
Stanley Flay Son 2 London Islington
Elsie Louisa Flay Daur 9 months Middlesex Tottenham

Frank's parents married in q4/1906 in the Islington District of London. His mothers name was Sarah Louisa Pickerill.

There were four other siblings born after the 1911 census:
Winifred V Flay, born q3/191
Milicent Flay, born q4/1912
Robert Flay, born q3/1914
Alfred T Flay, born q1/1917.
They were all born in the Edmonton District.

His father died during q4./1918 in the Edmonton District of Middlesex. I suspect his mother remarried in q3/1938 to a man named William B Acres, at Edmonton District.

Assuming she did remarry William Acres, Frank's mother died in in q4/1949 in the Romford District of Essex, aged 62.
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Frank Joined the Royal Navy as a boy sailor on 7 October 1923.
He served on the following ships/shorebases:
HMS Ganges 1 Oct 1923-25 Jul 1924
HMS Ajax 26 Jul 1924-29 Aug 1924
HMS Royal Oak 30 Aug 1924-31 Aug 1925
HMS Columbine (Walpole) 1 Sep 1925-1 Sep 1926
HMS Pembroke (Daniel Fearall) 2 Sep 1926-16 Apr 1928
HMS Danae 17 Apr 1928-9 May 1929
HMS Vivid 1-3 10 May 1929-23 Jun 1929
HMS Pembroke I-3 24 Jun 1929-5 May 1930
HMS York 6 May 1930-18 Apr 1932
HMS Pembroke I (Chatham Acconting Base) 19 Apr 1932-21 Feb 1933
HMS Cumberland 22 Feb 1933-12 Mar 1935
HMS Pembroke I (Chatham Accointing Base) 13 Mar 1935-29 Aug 1935
HMS Achillies 30 Aug 1935-32 Mar 1936
HMS Pembroke I (Chatham Accointing Base) 1 Apr 1936-23 Sep 1936
HMS Titania (Viscount) 24 Sep 1936-21 Jan 1937
HMS Pembroke (Depot Ship Daniel Fearall) 22 Jan 1937-22 Feb 1937
Royal Fleet Reserve 23 Feb 1937-29 Aug 1939
HMS Pembroke (Depot Ship Daniel Fearall) 30 Aug 1939-6 Nov 1939
HMS Ausonia 7 Nov 1939-22 Nov 1939
HMS Pembroke (Chatham Shore Base) 23 Nov 1939-28 Nov 1940
HMS Spartiate (Tyne) 29 Nov 1940-16 Feb 1941
HMS Tyne 17 Feb 1941-26 Jun 1945
HMS Golden Hind 27 Jun 1945-2 Aug 1945
HNDS Pembroke (Chatham Shore Base) 3 Aug 1945-21 Nov 1945

The dates in the service record are just the "From" dates and are normally up to the "From" date given for the next draft. My guess is that Frank will have served on HMS Tyne until he left the navy on 21 November, 1945.

See images of the ships on which he served.
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Frank married Iris in 1932.
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Frank left the Royal Navy on 23 Feb 1937 after having served 14 years service. That would have been 12 years conscripted service plus two years as a boy.
As was the case, on completion of his time, he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve. From there he was recalled into full time service on 28 September 1938 and served for a second time, throughout the war years up until his final discharge on 21 November, 1945.
He was recommended for Long Service Medal and Gratuity on 31 Dec 1940.

Throughout his time, he was consistently recorded as being of Very Good character, and with Superior efficiency in his trade. He was awarded 3 Good Conduct Badges.
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I'm told that after Frank father died, Frank and one of his brothers were placed in an orphanage. Stanley is known to have been shipped to Canada by the Salvation Army on the SS Megantic, sailing into Quebec.

He could be seen in the 1926 Canadian census, Aged 17, and living at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba in the household of the Webster family:
Frederick Webster Head Mar 30 Manitoba
Elinore Webster Wife 29 Ontaria
Isible Wenster Daur 4 months Manitoba
Stanley Flay Employee 17 England

The census confirms that he imigrated into Canada in 1923.
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Frank's younger brother, Stanley, was transported to Canada under the Salvation Army Home Children Scheme. At 14 years of age, he was one of the youngerst in his group which ranged from 14-18 years of age. We can see the following record of Stanley's transportation:
Given Name(s):Stanley
Surname:FLAY
Gender:M
Age:14
Year of Arrival:1923
Ship:MEGANTIC
Date of Departure:1923-06-01
Port of Departure:Liverpool
Date of Arrival:1923-06-09
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Party:Salvation Army
Destination:Various provinces across Canada
Children travelling together: X23AM
Comments:100 boys the 4th party in 1923 sent by a Salvation Army special scheme.
Type of Records:Other Government of Canada records
Microfilm Reel Number:C-10428
Reference:RG 76, vol. 495, file 768363, part 5, Documents from Immigration Branch, Central Registry Files
Source:Library and Archives Canada
Database Item Number:100326
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Frank's brother Robert married Peggy Winifred Muriel Macdonald on 29 Aril 1939 at the Registry Office in Edmonton, Middlesex. Robert listed his occupation as a Plumbing Controller, living at 33 Woodlands Park Road, Tottenham at the time, and his father as Francis Albert Flay (deceased).
Peggy was 3 years younger and lived at 412 St Anns Road Tottenham, daughter of Henry Macdonald, a Ships Engineers Mate.

They had a daughter Helen M Flay born during the last quarter of 1946. I think she married a Robert Mcauley.

Sources for Frank FLAY:

  1. FreeBMD,
  2. Personal Contact with Daphne Flay,
  3. GRO England & Wales, from findmypast.com 

Notes for Iris Vera KNIBBS:

Also known as: Irene Knight

Iris' grandfather, Henry Theodore Knibbs isn't strictly a member of the Knibbs family. His parents were John and Ann BURT so his real name is Henry Theodore BURT. Henry's mother was widowed and then married Francis Knibbs (1793-1856).
Henry married as Henry Theodore BURT but at a later date, he assumed the surname KNIBBS.
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We see Iris in 1939 living at No 3 Sydney Terrace London Road, Benfleet., Essex:
Iris V Flay 08 Jan 1912 Unpaid Domestic Duties Married
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We can see Iris as a passenger aboard the liner Arcadia on 11 Mar 1960, bound for Melbourne, Australia.

Name: Iris Vera FLAY
Date of departure: 11 March 1960
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Melbourne, Australia
Passenger destination: Melbourne, Australia

Date of Birth: 8 January 1912
Age: 48 (calculated from DOB)
Marital status: Married
Sex: Female
Occupation: Housewife
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From the Daily Herald - 26 May 1962:
Row over Bert's £1,700
Ship's barman Herbert Knibbs thought the world of his sister Iris. And at least twice he told shipmates on the liner Arcadia that he intended to leave her everything when he died.
But although there is a law which allows serving soldiers and sailors at sea to make wills by word of month, a judge decided yesterday that Bert's conversations did not constitute a legal will.
Mr. Justice Wrentham ruled In the Probate Court that instead the barman's £1.700 must he divided equally among his two
brothers, four sisters and a nephew.
Two of Bert's shipmates gave evidence for his sister Iris, Mrs. Iris Flay. of London-road, Basildon, Essex, who said the money should go to he

But another sister. Mrs. Edith Trueman, of Higham-road. Tottenham, claimed the will was not valid.
Mr. Justice Wrangham said: "I am quite satisfied Mr. Knibhs Intended that Iris should have all the property. If I could give conflrmation of that I should be happy.
"It would be justice, what I shall call natural justice. But I am been to administer the law as It stands.
I cannot take the view that in these conversations he was doing anything more than discussing family affairs.
"If he had said 'Will you please see to it and tell the captain' or something to that effect It would have been a different matter".
The two sisters left court separately. Mrs. Flay said "I feel I hove gained a moral victory. I looked after Bert for a long time and he spent most of his leaves at home".
Mrs Trumnan said "This has caused a spilt in the family. It all seems so silly but I am glad the money will be shared among the family."

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We also see Iris arriving at Sydney Airport on 20 June 1963 from London. She stated on the form that she'd been in Essex, England for at least the previous 12 months, but was returning to Australia for an unknown period of time. Mysteriously, she ticked the box to indicate she was visiting Australia for Business purposes.

Her daughter Daphne Iris was travelling with her.

I had assumed that this was a visit to Australia following the death of her son Kenneth who emigrated with his wife and daughter as a "Ten Pound Pom" in April 1958. But it seems she didn't ever return to England.
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Iris changed her name to Irene Knight on 6 Mar 1968.

Sources for Iris Vera KNIBBS:

  1. FreeBMD,
  2. Personal Contact with Daphne Flay,

Notes for Daphne Iris FLAY: