Born: 27th September 1888.
Died: 22nd August 1972.
Lionel Graves aged 17 in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire 1905.
Marriage notice from Nairobi local Newspaper 1st August 1925.
FOOTBALLER MARRIED.
Graves - Matheson.
Mr. "Joe" Graves, the popular full-back of the Eldoret football team, was married in St. Andrews Church, Nairobi, on Saturday. The rest of the team turned out in football kit, to line the route from the church door to the car in which the couple departed. The bride was Miss Chris. Matheson of Nairobi, sister-in-law of Mr. G. M. Jack of Messrs. Smith, Mackenzie and Co., the officiating clergyman was the Rev. S. E. Swann St. Marks Church, Parklands, who performed the ceremony in the absence of a Church of Scotland clergyman. The church was decorated with Bougainvillea and ferns.
The bride wore a powder blue crepe de chine gown embroidered in oxydised [sic] silver and carried a shower bouquet of shell pink carnations and asparagus fern. Her bridesmaids were the mayoress Miss Barbara Riddell, who was dressed in lemon crepe de chine and georgette, with georgette hat, and carried a bouquet of yellow roses; and Miss Irene Duncan who wore a white frock and carried a basket of Golden shower.
After the ceremony, a reception was held at Mr. Jack's house on the Ngong Road. Mr. and Mrs. Graves are spending their honeymoon at Ruiru.
Retirement notice from Mombasa local newspaper 1935.
A LOSS TO EAST AFRICA
Mr. L. E. Graves Leaving
Mombasa Today.
With the sailing of the s. s. "Llandaff Castle" today East Africa in general and Mombasa in particular loses an old-time and popular official in Mr. L. E. Graves, Senior Postmaster, who is proceeding on leave pending retirement.
Mr. Graves first came to Kenya in July 1914 as a Postal Clerk and Telegraphist. On the outbreak of war he joined up with the East African Forces serving all his time in the three territories, and on the cessation of hostilities he rejoined the Postal service.
Since that time Mr. Graves has been stationed at various places in Uganda and Kenya among which have been Eldoret, Jinja, Entebbe, Kampala, Nairobi, and Mombasa, in the last of which he has been Postmaster for the past two and a half years. Mr. Graves was promoted to the rank of Senior Postmaster in 1932.
While he has been stationed in Mombasa Mr. Graves has been a prominent and enthusiastic member of the Mombasa Golf Club and has represented the Club with distinction on many occasions. He was one of the Mombasa team which met with so much success at the Easter Tournament this year in Nairobi.
Obituary from Tenbury Newspaper (August, 1972)
A REAL COUNTRY MAN.
Mr. L. E. Graves
The district has lost one of its real characters in the death of Mr. Lionel Edward Graves, aged 84 years, of Eldoret, Burford. A real countryman of the old school he will be sadly missed.
Born at the Crow Hotel, Tenbury, son of Thomas Henry Graves, wholesale fruit merchant, Lionel Graves started his career at the Tenbury Post Office at the age of 14 years in 1902. Later he transferred to the Birmingham General Post Office and thence to Southport where he applied to join the Kenya and Uganda Post Office. He arrived in Mombasa on "the-day war broke out" in 1914. He enlisted in the East Africa Pioneer Corps as a telegraphist, seeing service in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. After the war he returned to the postal service and was stationed in Nairobi.
In 1925 he married Miss Christina Mathieson at St. Andrew's Church, Nairobi and had two children, Lionel and Jean. Later, after service in Eldoret and Jinja he was appointed Senior Postmaster at Nairobi and then Mombasa, acting for a short time as Postmaster General of Kenya.
He retired in 1935 and after a short stay at Welford-on-Avon he returned to Tenbury and became licensee of the Market Tavern for three years before taking up residence at Longfield.
He was a good all round sportsman and played hockey for Tenbury and Birmingham Clubs. He also played football for the G.P.O. in Birmingham and subsequently for Kenya. He was a keen tennis player, swimmer, and cricketer. He was secretary of the Tenbury Cricket Club during the period immediately after the Second World War also holding for a spell the office of chairman. He was a keen member and supporter of the Worcestershire Cricket Club.
He won many trophies for golf, was captain of Jinja Golf Club, and represented East Africa. After Iris retirement he joined Ludlow Golf Club and carried off many prizes, including the Sitwell Cup. He won the President's Prize on his 71st birthday.
He enjoyed shooting and was a member of several local shoots.
During the last war he was one of the local organisers of the National Savings movement and fund raising activates. He was a member of the Tenbury branch of the Royal Observer Corps at the time of the Birmingham air raids and also assist in the signals training of the Air Training Corps.
He served on the Burford Parish Council and was its chairman for a number of years, in addition to being chairman of the Burford School Managers.
He was always interested in amateur entertaining and performed in many concert parties. In a programme for the Magpies Concert in aid of St. Dunstan's Hostel in 1919 we read of a programme with the "Misses Sophie and Mary Banfield, Mabel Anthony, Kitty Nott, Elgie Armstrong and Messrs. Lionel Graves, Fred Miles and Barney Robinson."
In his life he had an enduring interest in all things of the countryside generally and of the Tenbury area m particular. His knowledge of nature and wild life had been gained after years of observation and he derived greatpleasure from this interest.
He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends as he was of a breed of man now rapidly disappearing.
The Funeral.
The funeral took place at Burford Parish Church on Saturday when the officiating clergyman was the Rev. G. Thompson (rep. Managers of Burford School). The organist was Mrs. Perkins. The service was followed by cremation at Worcester.
Family mourners were: Mrs. C. Graves (wife), Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Graves (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. M. O. Harrison (daughter and son-in-law), Miss J. Graves (granddaughter, rep. Master R. Graves, Grandson), Miss J. Harrison and Miss C. Harrison (granddaughters), Mr. and Mrs. G. Bowkett (nephew, rep. Mr. and Mrs. R. Bowkett, Mr. and Mrs. J. Bowkett and Mr. and Mrs. B. Bowkett), Miss B. Kemp (niece) , Mr. and Mrs. G. Coles (niece), Mr. and Mrs. J. Blakemore (niece), Mr. and Mrs. W. Cainan (niece), Mr. G. Mountford (nephew), Mr. and Mrs. P. Cox (niece), Mr. R. Mountford (nephew), Mr. and Mrs. J. Mountford (nephew), Mr. and Mrs. D. Cox (great-nephew).
Other mourners included: Mrs. L. Yarnold, Mr. F. Preece, Mr. R. Farmer (rep. Mrs. Farmer and Cllr. H. Higgins), Mr. W. Arnett, Mrs. I. Key, Mrs. J. Watkins, Mr. C. Burn (rep. Burford Parish Council), Mr. H. J. Spilsbury, Mr, A. J. Jones (rep. Mr. S. Jones), Mr. A, Wozencroft Mr. and Mrs. T. Howard (rep. fir. and Mrs. Drew),, Miss Betty Walkers (rep. Mrs. D, M. Walters), Mrs. H. B. Morgan, Mrs. N. J. Boffey, Mrs. C. Davies and Jane, Mrs. W. H. Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. J. Mountford, Mr. G. Mountford, Squad. Leader and Mrs. P. C. Cox, Mr. Dick Mountford, Mr. and Mrs. D. Cox, Miss Betty Camp (rep. Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Smart and Miss Smart), Mrs. Freeman, Mr, and Mrs. Bob Baker (rep. Tenbury Cricket Club and Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Jones), Cllr. P. Jones, Mr. A. J. Carver, Mr. J. C. Morris (rep. Mr. B. O. Morris) Dr. J. A. Burnett (prep. Tenbury Sports Club and Worcestershire County Council).
Mrs. N. L. Powis (rep. Mr. and Mrs. T. F. Higginson), Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Fishwick (rep. Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Conyers and Mr. R. Pickles), Cllr. R. Robinson, Mr. C. Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Blakemore Cardiff, Mr. E. H. Faithfull (rep. Mrs. Faithfull), Mr. K. Bridgwater, Cllr. J. Walker, Mr. R. Howard (rep. Tenbury Hockey Club). Mrs. D. Andrews (rep. Mm. and Mrs. A. Andrews), Mrs. M. Reece, Mrs. J. Morris, Mrs. A Pritchard.
Flowers were sent from: Mum and family; Mrs. Andrews, Mary and family; Tenbury Cricket Club: Betty (Kemp): Josie ands Doug and family; Mrs. Bridges; Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Mole; Stanley and Lilian Fishwick; the two Bobs; H. Higgins; Mrs. Walters, Joyce and Betty; G. and E. M. Farmer; John and Mary.
