Lewis George Spratt 1907 - 1987

A chief stage electrician and the 2nd of 6 children of Leonard Spratt (an agricultural labourer) and Rose Dennett, Lewis Spratt, the first cousin once-removed on the father's side of Nigel Horne, was born at Northdown, Margate, Kent, England on 13 Sep 19071,2,3,4,5 and was married twice, to Violet Tong (c. Nov 1929 in Thanet, Kent, England) and Barbara Parry (c. May 1945 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales)6. He had 1 child with Violet Tong, Vidal J.

During his life, he was living at 11 Grotto Road, Cliftonville, Kent on 2 Apr 1911, less than a mile from his grandfather John Spratt who was living at Nash Court Cottage, Nash Road, Margate, Kent, England1 and at 10 De Burgh Street, Cardiff on 29 Sep 19392.

He died in Oct/nov/dec 1987 in Thanet4.

Lewis Spratt was a stage electrician who was lighting head at the New Theatre Cardiff where he told me he had a run-in with Lawrence Olivier (as he then was) who one day after a performance of "King Lear" said to Lew, "Well Sparks, what didyou think of that?" Lew disliked the man and merely said that he thought John Gielgud had played in much better a few months before. Olivier could do nothing because he knew if he upset Lew (who had a notoriously short temper) that thespotlight would miss him in future performances. Lew then became Head of Lighting at The Coliseum London but eventually had to give up the work he loved because his eyesight had deteriorated so much. Lew ended up a window cleaner in Margate, he and his wife Beryl had their family at their home in 1953 to watch the Coronation on their 9" television.

Citations

1. 1911 England Census Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA), 1911. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.
2. 1939 Register - Findmypast (was recorded at this address)
3. England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 - Findmypast
4. England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2005 Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Cont
5. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Cont
6. England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005 Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Cont
7. 1911 Census for England & Wales - Findmypast (was age 3 and the son of the head of the household)

To be done

Listed in the residence for 29 Sep 1939, but spouse Violet Tong is not