Lavinio was the first son of Cristoforo Setacci and Lucy Iles. Your Great Great Great Grandfather Lavinio was born in London in March 1862 . As a teenager Lavinio starts an early and long career as a civil servant with the Admiralty. In the 1881 Census when he is 19 and living with his family at 35 Harrington Road near Regent Park his occupation is listed as a Civil Servant in the Lower Division of the Admiralty. The “Admiralty” of course was the part of the British Government that was responsible for the British Navy.
Mary Letitia Ward is born in May 1865 to Anne Swiney and Edward Ward. She was their first and only child. Sadly she would have little memory of her father as he passed way in early in 1871 when Letitia was only 4 years old. In fact the 1871 Census shows her living with her mother and her grandparents in Westminster. Letitia was baptized at St Annes Church , Soho, Westminster in 1875.
By 1881 her mother has remarried to Robert Ward. Mary Letitia is listed as Letitia only – and as the stepdaughter and scholar, Letitia is 15 years old and has a half sister. They live at 9 Percy Street in the Tottenham Court area.
Lavinio and Letitia are married in 1886 in St Matthews Church, Oakely Square. Unfortunately the church no longer exists as it was demolished in 1977. Below is an old ghostly photo of it.
Lavinio and Letitia have 4 children. All the boys have what to me seem to be very French sounding names. Were French names in style at the time? Or were the boys names slightly Italian? Claud could be Claudio? Maurice could be Maurizzio, and Benard could be Bernardo? Again, I am probably over thinking this.
Claud born 1889
Gertrude – born 1891
Maurice – 1893
Bernard -1894
By 1891 Lavinio is listed as 2nd division clerk at the Admiralty. In 1902 he is listed as working in the Admiralty’s Greenwich Hospital Division. Then in 1911 as assistant to the Clerk in Charge of the Greenwich Hospital Division. Now, before you start thinking that Lavinio worked in Greenwich at the hospital itself, I think I have to correct you. My understanding is that the Greenwich Hospital in actual Greenwich that many of us have probably visited on touristic trips to London stopped working as an actual hospital for the Navy in the mid 1800s. From that point onward the Greenwich Hospital Division became an organisation that funded various projects in support of the navy and its veterans. It became a very important foundation. And with two world wars about to make their appearance I would imagine the foundation would have grown in importance. Yes, Lavinio’s work must have provided him with a strong sense of purpose. And , I believe also influenced later family members. You can find the foundations website here https://www.greenwichhospital.co.uk/
So, if Lavinio didn’t go to work in historic Greenwich every day, then where did he go to work? Well, to a place with just as much historic significance. He worked at Whitehall the home of the British Government. This is confirmed in the 1921 Census. The below is a google maps screen shot of Whitehall and the historic Admiralty Buildings from up above.
Besides Buckingham Palace there is probably not much more of an iconic London location than this. Next time you are watching some event involving the Royals parading up or down the Mall you can point out to people that your Great Great Great Grandfather Lavinio went to work right – there. Which building ? Could he have actually worked here, at Admiralty House?
Who knows. One would think he might have at least had a few meetings here. And again, when you think about history and two world wars about to take place, one would think that Lavinio, though he may not have been directly involved, might have at least passed a Prime Minister or two in the course of his day to day work. I think I read somewhere that Sir Winston slept in some of the government offices during the war. What do you say to Sir Winston when you pass him in the hall – in his pyjamas?
We will do a short post on daughter Gertrude in a minute, but this is a good time to mention that she also worked at Whitehall in the 1920s, in the Home Office. And so did brother Adriano – in the patent office.
Where was home for Lavinio and Letitia?
Well, right after their marriage in 1888 they are here, at 28 Albert Street.
I assume this might be a rental property. It has 3 rooms, two on the first floor, and one back kitchen ( on another floor?) , and came unfurnished. It was very close to Regent Park and not far at all from where Lavinio’s parents lived on Harrington Street.
By 1891 they are at 45 Waldemar Avenue in Fulham to the South West, but still on the North side of the River Thames.
By 1897 and until 1901 they are at 4 Yew Grove Cricklewood near Willesden, and then in 1901 they are at 16 Riffel Road, also in Willesden. Around this time Lavinio’s mother moves to this area as a widow. Brother Adriano is also in this area.
The family then moves to the Wimbledon area and 51 Alexandra Road.
They are there in the last two available UK censuses. (1911 and 1921) . Notice the house is very close to the Wimbledon Train station enabling Lavinio to get into work. Lavinio’s brother Atillio Regolos, who is a dental surgeon, lives in the Wimbledon area as well. Lavinio and Letitia’s first son Claud is living with his Uncle Atillio and apprenticing to be a dental surgeon. Claud will eventually live and practice in the Wimbledon area as well. I consider 51 Alexandra , Wimbledon to be Lavinio and Letitia’s family home. It is the home where we find the family during World War One. It is where they live when two of their son’s Maurice and Bernard enlist in the Army . It is where they would anxiously spend their days waiting for these two boys of theirs to return from France.
But they aren’t finished. In retirement, I assume, they move further South of London to Surrey. For the 1939 Register finds Lavinio at Little Hintock, Deepdene Park Road, Dorking at age 77. Letitia is not listed, so we assume she has already passed.
Lavinio passes away 5 years after this at age 82 in on May 8, 1944 at 8 Cotsford Aveneu, New Malden , Surrey. In his will he leaves his remaining effects to daughter Gertrude.
And, unfortunately we have no obituary or record of a cemetery or burial grounds for either Letitia or Lavinio. .