m. (1) May Rawsthorne-Frye, (2) Mary Wylie née Baird.

St Mary's Wallingford Baptism Register:
  "1884 July 5 POWYS LYBBE Richard Barrington s.William Reginald Lybbe, gent. & Sarah, The Croft, Wallingford  H.C. Littlewood, of.min. "
___________________________________________________________________

Martin P-L writes:

1898: Admitted to Toye's ([House?] at Wellington College, Berks, aged 13, from the school register.

1902: Lieut in 3 Bn Sussex regt. Gained S. Africa medal with 4 clasps (also ex Wellington College register).

1909 married May Matilda Frye (?daughter of a chorus girl, stage name Sarony), by whom he had three children, Richard, Roy/Peter and Jean.  As I understand it, he abandoned the whole lot and disappeared in Canada.  I do not know what happened to his wife; but the children were brought up with AP-L and Ursula.  - MPL

1925 He wrote to a solicitor in Salisbury about his brother Philip's estate, Philip having just died and having left him a few bob.  This was reported to RCPL who had been trying to get in touch with him.  His address was given as 54 Brighton Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  - TFPL

On May 3rd 1988 his daughter in law Phoebe P-L wrote to AP-L relating some exchange with a Major A A Greenwood about a history of Greenwoods just published and in which letter he said "one of his - A A Greenwood's - relatives had married Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe.  Sounds like the second marriage we have all suspected.  Are there any issue???  - TFPL, 14.3.1998
_________________________________________________________

From RCL P-L's notes:
"Capt 3rd Sussex Regt South African War.  RASC European War 1914-18"

TFPL, Dec 2002: From the PRO's files of London Gazette postings, he started the war as a captain in a Sussex regiment but then joined the RASC as a 2nd Lieut and remained as that rank for the rest of the war.  It might be worth trying to get hold of his service papers.
__________________________________________________________

TFPL, Aug 2002 (now that all his children are deceased): There is a sad story that after his wife had run off with E McLeod and he had got a divorce, he was obviously rather depressed about it and eventually decided to go to Canada to build a new life.  The really sad bit is that on the day of his departure he just hid under the table in tears at leaving his children.
_________________________________________________________

In the 1901 census he was at a school in Crowthorne in the Master's House, where William J Toye was the head of the residence.
Or at least, this must be him: his name is down as "Richard B. P. Syble", he was a boarder, he was, above, at Toye's House, and he was 16 and born in Tunbridge Wells, Sussex (sic).  [And the transcription by Quinetic of this half rubbish is perfectly correct, for a change!]

Feb 2007, TFPL: I found his entry in the Pupil list for Wellington College and he was indeed there from (if I remember correctly) 1898 to 1903.
__________________________________________________________

TFPL, March 2003: I have seen his entry in the record books of the College of Arms, London.
__________________________________________________________

TFPL, May 2004: In the 1891 census he was aged 6 (correct) and living with his mother, step-father and siblings at The Bungalow, Burghfield, Nr Newbury, Berks.
_______________________________________________________

Dec 2004, TFPL: Aileen Grant (his and my distant relation) has found these entries from Ottawa directories:

I think I found your Richard!   There was nothing in the old Ottawa directories
under Powys, so I looked up Lybbe on a hunch.  The Brighton Street address was vacant but he may have just been there for a few months as he apparently moved quite frequently.  The name appears sometimes as Richard P and sometimes as Richard B, but both make sense.  I wonder how he fared in the Great Depression.

Ottawa Street Directory:

1924:  54 Brighton vacant
1925:  54 Brighton vacant
1926:  54 Brighton vacant

Ottawa Alphabetical Directory:

1923:  Richard P. Lybbe   sls mgr  Gray-Dort Motor Cars. h. 2, 507 Besserer.

1924:  Richard P. Lybbe  Ottawa Oakland Motors  h. 87 Clarendon Ave.

1925:  Richard Lybbe slsm Capital  Motors   (no home address listed)

1926:  Richard B. Lybbe vice pres and sec.  Buffalo-Rouyn Sales Corp Ltd. h. 172 Belmont Ave.

1927: Richd B. Lybbe slsmn Royal Auto Sales. h. 442 McLeod.

1928:  RB Lybbe slsmn Intl Harvester Co Ltd.  h. 317 McLeod.

I checked this name from 1919 to 1922 but his first appearance was 1923, which is consistent with his arriving around 1921.  After 1928 (the great crash!)  I couldn’t find the name in Ottawa but didn’t check past 1934.  He is the only Lybbe in the directories.

Out of curiosity I google-searched “Gray-Dort”.  This company went belly-up in 1924.
_________________________________________________________

In the TNA Medals archives, he has the Victory British Star. He was a Lt, served in France and was in the RASC.  TNA Ref: WO/372/12, Image Ref 36615.
_________________________________________________________

Jan 5th 2005 ex Aileen Grant: It is highly likely that these records of burials in Ottawa are his and possibly also a second wife:

Family Name  First Name  Cemetery  County  Township  Reference
POWYS - LYBBE Mary Beechwood Cemetery Carleton Ottawa 96-08
<http://www.ogsottawa.on.ca/cemeteries/info.php?ID=140220>;
POWYS - LYBBE Richard Beechwood Cemetery Carleton Ottawa 96-08
<http://www.ogsottawa.on.ca/cemeteries/info.php?ID=140221>;

All we need now is a date.
_________________________________________________________

Jan 6th 2005, also ex Aileen Grant:  I revisited the street directories today but did not check every year.  Richard seeems to have been absent through much of the 30's and 40's (checked under Lybbe and Powys-Lybbe) but I did find this:

1940:  Lybbe, Richard B.   slsmn Bank St garage

1951:  Powys-Lybbe, Richard B.  h A, 66 John
1954:  Powys-Lybbe, Richd, protective staff H of C. h 2, 672 Gilmour
(likely H of C = the House of Commons in Ottawa)
1955:  identical to 1954
1956:  identical to 1954
1957:  no entry under Powys-Lybbe or Lybbe
1958:  no entry.

So perhaps he died or retired in 1957 but at least it appears certain he lived
that long.  Death records are not readily available under the vital stats
indices past 1933.
__________________________________________________________

Jan 7th, finally ex Aileen Grant (Bingo!): A quick phone call to the Beechwood cemetery proved very fruitful.

Death dates:

Richard Powys-Lybbe:  Dec 10, 1956
Mary "   "         :  April 5, 1956
Katherine Powys-Herbert:   Nov 3, 1941
Harry Powys-Herbert:  June 9, 1968 ( they have him on record as Harry not
Henry).

Should be able to do a look-up in the Ottawa paper today for an obit; the old issues are easy to access at the library.

There is a 70 year closure placed on some records like wills and death certificates but I believe there is some way around this.  Will enquire. Canada will never release any census information past 1901 (citizens were promised perpetual privacy) but there is quite a legal battle happening over it.
_________________________________________________________

Jan 9th 2004, a coup-de-grace from Aileen Grant:

Well I found the obituary easily enough for Dec 11, 1956 in the Ottawa citizen (Lybbe is mispelled in it):

R. B. Powys-Libby

Boer, First War Veteran Passes

The death of Richard Barrington Powys-Libby of 672 Gilmour Street, a veteran of the Boer War, occurred Monday following a long illness.  He was 72.

Mr. Powys-Libby was born May 9, 1884 in Tunbridge Wells, England, son of the late William Reginald Powys-Libby and Sarah Bartholomew. He served in both the Boer and First World Wars with a commission. From 1921 to 1939 he was in the motor car business in Ottawa and from 1939 to the end of the Second World War he was an inspector in the Department of Munitions and Supplies. From 1945 to 1955, when he retired, Mr. Powys-Lybbe was a member of the protective staff of the House of Commons.

His wife, the former Mary Baird, died last April.

The funeral was held today in the chapel of Hulse and Playfair Limited, 315 McLeod Street.  Rev. Dr. Robert Good officiating.  Burial was in Beechwood Cemetery.

So it doesn't mention any new children after all.  I looked for Mary's obit but there wasn't one; also looked for Harry Powys-Herbert but the films were out to another library.
________________________________________________________

From what Aileen has found, he seems to have lived in Ottawa all his life after arriving in Canada.
1923: 507, Besserer, Ottawa
1924: 87 Clarendon Ave, Ottawa
1925: 54 Brighton Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1926: 172 Belmont Ave. Ottawa
1927: 442 Mcleod, Ottawa
1928: 317 Mcleod, Ottawa
1840: Ottawa somewhere
1951: 66 John, Ottawa
1954: 672 Gilmour Ottawa.
_________________________________________________________

While in Ottawa all the records found to date show that he worked as a car salesman unil 1939.  Then during WW2 he was a government inspector for Munitions and Supplies and finally from 1945 to his retirement in 1955 he was on the protective staff of the Canadian House of Commons.

I wonder if he had also been a car salesman from 1908, when he resigned his first army commission, to 1914 when he rejoined the army?
________________________________________________________

Medical history

In WW1 he served in the Army Supply Corps, specifically the horse-drawn part of same.  Most of the papers held by The National Archives are concerned with this and the medical problems he had from 1915 on:

Medical boards, the first held on 18th Dec 1915, reported:

Nov 20 1915: At Amiens, France he reported sick with a right femoral hernia.
Dec 4 1915: Operated for this at London General Hospital, Wandsworth.
Dec 18 1915: Given three months sick leave.
10 April 1916: On light duties, without riding
Aug 19 1916: Found to be fit
Jul 13 1818: Unfit
Jul 19 1919: Fit again
Nov 8 1818 in Salonika
Dec 31 1918: Discharged from hospital (why? He had had lumbago and asthma.)
Mar 26 1919: Applied to resign commission
May 31 1919: Transferred to reserves with rank of Captain.
________________________________________________________

Military service:

c. 1901: In 3rd Batt Royal Sussex Regt. Served in South African War.
1908 (or 1907 in another letter from him) Was then a Captain and resigned his commission
In fact this was in the London Gazette on 5th May 1908: “3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, Captain Richard B. Powys-Lybbe resigns his Commission.  Dated 6th April 1908.”
Oct 1914 Rejoined as Lt in R A S C.  It appears that he asked to join a Motor Transport corps as there is a note on his records " '...Mechanical Engineer of little experience and not considered suitable for M.T. unit' vide card from E.F."  So he was assigned to Horse Transport unit.
1914-1915  Served in France and Belgium.
Dec 1915 Invalided to hospital with femoral hernia.
1916-mid1918: In England, mostly on light duties
30 May 1918: Went to Randalstown, Ireland.
30 Aug 1818: At Portsmouth and his wound was certified to have healed soundly.

In Dec 1918 there was an exchange with G Miller, drapers, of Bedford about an unpaid debt of £3 7s 0d.

On 9th Nov 1918 he departed Southampton for Cherbourg.
On 20th Nov 1918 he started an overland (train, it seems) route to Salonika, arriving on 25th Nov 1918.

In Jan 1920 there was an exchange with a W H Day solicitor who was chasing a bounced cheque to a fellow officer, earlier in the war.  Eventually the War office released to Day his last known address.

On 4th Jan 1919 he wrote from the No 3 Base H.T. Depot, Salonica to resign his commission:

"Sir,
"With reference to G.R.O. No 2513 dated 29th Nov /18 I have the honour to request that you will forward & accept this my application to resign my Commission.
"I have very grave and serious family troubles at home for which I am expecting to be called back to England to attend to.
"I was gazetted to the A.S.C. (TF) in October /14, served in France & Belgium in 1914 & 1915, returned home invalided on Nov 30th /15, to undergo an operation for a sudden rupture, which is documented inc from noting ever since.
"Previous to my service n the A.S.C. I held a commission in the 3rd batt. Royal Sussex Regt, having served with my battalion in the South Africa war.  I resigned my commission in 1908, then holding the rank of Captain.
"I have now served through the four years of the war, and am still a lieutenant; as I do not see any further prospects of promotion and together with the serious (?) troubles I have at home, I beg, sir, you will grant this my application to resign my commission.
"I have the honour
"to be, Sir
"Your obedient servant
"Richard B Powys-Lybbe, Lieut A.S.C."

On 5 Feb 1919, This was forwarded on by  Brigadier General.
On 11 Feb 1919, The general C-in-C at Constantinople forwarded it to the War Office, London with his recommendation to consider the application.
On 30 Mar 1919, a Major in War Office wrote back to the General in Constantinople to say that RBP-L should be offered to transfer to the Territorial Forces Reserve and if agreeable should be sent home forthwith.
On 19 May 1919 RBPL departed Constantinople.
On 31 May 1919 he arrived at Johnstown (where?), England (or UK?).
On 24th June 1919, his appointment to the Territorial Forces reserve was announced in the London Gazette.  (There are notes elsewhere that he also had entries in the London Gazette on 8 Dec 1914, 20 May 1915 and 23 Oct 1917.)

On 16 Jun 1919 he started a correspondence to claim some war allowance for his service in an army of Occupation in Bulgaria from 1 Feb 1919 to 1 Apr 1919.
_____________________

Emigration to Canada:

10 Mar 1921, he wrote to the War Office: "I beg to apply to you for an application form for permission to proceed overseas.  My destination being POINT ALEXANDER ONTARIO, CANADA; going out under the New Free passage scheme Overseas Settlements for In Service men."

A capt in the War Office said OK but please keep the war office informed of his address.

TFPL, Aug 2008: Jane Nantais has found on the UK Embarcation records - on FreeBMD - his entry for leaving on the ship Megantic from Liverpool on 7th May 1921 for Quebec, though the ship was also going to Montreal.  He travelled third class on his own.  He said his occupation was ‘farming’ and that he was 36 (correct) and his English address was Stodmarsh Court, Nr Canterbury (in fact where his sister Olga Mary Collard lived).
_____________________

His birth surname on FREEBMD is down as:  Ly__e or as Powys-Lysse.  I’ve sent in corrections.
_____________________

From the London Gazette:

3 Jan 1902: “3rd Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment, Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe, Gent, to be Second Lieutenant. Dated 22nd December, 1901.”

3 Feb 1903:  “3rd Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment: The undermentioned Second Lieutenants to be Lieutenants:— ... R. B. Powys-Lybbe. Dated 4th February, 1903.”

10 Feb 1905: “3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, The undermentioned Officers ; resign their Commissions:— Lieutenant R. B. Powys-Lybbe. Dated llth February, 1905. ...”

3 Nov 1905 “Militia:  3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment; Honorary Second Lieutenant in the Army Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe (late Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment), to be Captain. Dated 4th November, 1905.”

5 May 1908: “Militia:  3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, Captain Richard B. Powys-Lybbe resigns his Commission. Dated 6th April, 1908.”

23 Oct 1914: “ARMY SERVICE CORPS.  Lowland Mounted Brigade, Transport and Supply Column. The undermentioned to be Second Lieutenants. ... Dated 24th October, 1914: —   Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe (late Captain, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment).”

8 Dec 1914: “THE ARMY SERVICE CORPS.   The undermentioned Officers of Army Service Corps Territorial Force are granted temporary rank. Dated 9th December, 1914: ... — As Second Lieutenant— Second Lieutenant R. B. Powys-Lybbe..”

19 Oct 1917: “ARMY SERVICE CORPS.   Lt. J. McG. M'lntoeh to have pay and allnces. of the rank of Lt. 1st July 1917. The undermentioned to be Lts., with precedence as from 1st June 1916. 1st July 1917: — . ... 2nd Lt. (temp. Lt., A.S.C.) R. B. Powys-Lybbe, and to remain seconded.”

24 Jun 1919: “ROYAL ARMY .SERVICE CORPS.   Lt. R. B. Powys-Lybbe, from Home Counties Divnl. Train, to be Lt. 31st May 1919.”
________________

In the 1911 census, the transcription says he was “Richard Barrington Powys Lyble” though is definitely handwritten as ‘Lybbe’.  Curiously he was also described as ‘Visitor’s servant’ when I think it clear that he was ‘Visitor’  He was staying at the Pavilion Hotel Folkestone.  The rest of his family for that census were in east London with some maiden aunts.
________________

July 2018, TFPL: His emigration to Canada:

Name                    Richard Powys-Lybbe
Event Type              Immigration
Event Date              May 1921
Event Place             Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Gender                  Male
Age                     35
Birth Year (Estimated)  1886
Birthplace              England
Ship Name               Megantic

On the passenger list for the Megantic stated that his previous and intended occupation was farming.
________________

April 2021, TFPL:  From the Police Gazette of Friday June 24, 1921, p. 11:

     INFORMATION RECEIVED GOING TO PRESS—9.30 am

              APPREHENSIONS SOUGHT
. . . .
                HAMPSHIRE
97—Fareham (Co).—For obtaining a banker’s cheque for £15 by false pretences, in February, 1921.—Richard Lybbe, b. 1881 to 1891, about 6ft, well built, c.dk., h. dk (parted in centre), e.grey, clean shaven, one front tooth gold filled; dress, grey suit, stiff collar, bowler hat or skull cap, respectable appearance.  Was until recently employed as sales manager by a firm of motor engineers, and may be found in similar employment.
  Warrant issued.
  Inf. to Supt. Know, Farnham.
________________

From Copy of an Entry of marriage, copy made on 24th June 1925:

Register No 76. by Licence, Registrar: L. Liversidge, Superintendent Registrar: T.A.Marsh.
Witnesses: Leslie Legge Frye
William Ransthorne Frye
Sophia Ransthorne Frye

Father of groom: Reginald Lybbe Powys-Lybbe (deceased)
Father of bride: William Ransthorne Frye, Artist (Painter)

Age of groom: 24 years, bachelor, of independent means, of 37 Lillyville Road, Fulham
Age of bride: 22 years, spinster of 50 Beaconsfield Rd, St Margaret's, Twickenham.

From the Sealed Copy of the Divorce Decree Absolute:
Marriage between Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe and May Mathilde P-L (then Rawsthorne-Frye spinster)
Co-Respondent: E. MC LEOD
Decree NISI on: 18th December 1919
Decree Absolute: 5th July 1920
Judge: Sir Henry Edward Luke
Court: High Court of Justice, Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division, in Royal Courts of Justice, Middlesex
Registrar: W.T. Barnard
Reason for Divorce: Adultery between M M P-L and E McLeod.
__________________________________

The National Archive has the divorce record:

Item details J 77/1407/3217











Context
: quick reference
J  Records of the Supreme Court of Judicature and related courts
Division within J  Records of the Family Division and predecessors
J 77  Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files
Subseries within J 77  
J 77/1407  

Record Summary
Scope and content
Divorce Court File: 3217. Appellant: Richard Barrigton Powys-Lybbe. Respondent: May Mathilde Powys-Lybbe. Co-respondent: E McLeod. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
Covering dates 1918
Availability Open Document, Open Description, Normal Closure before FOI Act: 30 years
Held by The National Archives, Kew
________________________________

The information found by Jane nantais on the microfilm is:

Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924 about Richard Barrington Powys  
Lybbe
Name: Richard Barrington Powys Lybbe, bachelor
Birth Place: Tunbridge Wells England
Age: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Father Name: Reginal Cecil Powys Lybbe
Mother Name: Mary Bartholomew
Spouse Name: Mary Wylie, widow
Spouse's Age: 37
Spouse Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Spouse Birth Place: Paisley Scotland
Spouse Father Name: William Baird
Spouse Mother Name: Isabella Grey
Marriage Date: 22 Nov 1921
Marriage Place: Carleton
Marriage County: Carleton
Family History Library Microfilm: MS932_571

I know nothing about Mary Wylie’s, née Baird, late husband.
________________________________________