Susan Prowse-Tako's July Prowse Highlights

Sue Prowse-Tako
Jul 1
14 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

1 Jul 1916: Battle of the Somme in which Brig-General Charles Bertie Prowse, DSO, aged 47, was killed on the first day – the most senior officer to be killed on that day. This five-month long battle was fought largely by British troops with French support against the Germans, with the British suffering 458,000 casualties and losses. On this first day (July 1, 1916) of the battle, the British army suffered higher casualties than on any other day in its history - the horrific bloodshed spilled becoming a metaphor for futile and indiscriminate slaughter. Prowse was mortally wounded in the back by a German machine-gun after moving his brigade HQ into the former German front line trench. He died later that day. He took part in many earlier battles of WWI and lent his name to a war cemetery – Prowse Point Cemetery at Ploegsteert Wood, near Ypres (the only cemetery in the Salient to be named after an individual), which Bill & Vee Sweeney took Laurie Littledike (from Utah, USA) and myself to visit in 2013. Charles Bertie Prowse is buried in Louvencourt Military Cemetery, which we also visited.(see pp. 10-12 in my book, “In Search of Our Ancestors”)

No fewer than 4 members of our Prowse/Prouse family died in that battle on July 1,1916 – Brig-General Charles Bertie Prowse (commanding the 11th Infantry Brigade); George Prowse (of the 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment), age 31; James Reuben Prowse (of the 70th Company Machine Gun Corps Infantry) age 19; and Charles Prouse (of the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment) age 29.(see pp 233-268 in my book, “Those in Peril” & on pp. 173-178 in my “Prowse Family History Book, 3rd edition)

1 Jul 1935: Birth date of Dave Charles Prowse, aka Darth Vader and also The Green Code Man, who sadly passed away on 28 November, 2020. Dave attended several of our International Prowse Reunions in the UK. ( p.202 my Prowse Family History Book, 3rd edition)

4 Jul 1706: Barnes Prowse, age 46, husband of Deborah Kimball and father of 2 girls, went missing after an Indian attack on the town of Amesbury in Massachusetts. A letter written that day reported “Barnes Prowse missing; we fear killd all at one time, as neer as we can judg.... We think to be about 30 Indians.”

5 July 1835: Birth of Richard Thomas Prowse (1835-1921), brother of James Ferris Prowse (see June 1, 1857 Battle of Fatshan entry in June Highlights) and great uncle of Martin Prowse and his brothers, who worked in the Customs Service and became the Surveyor-General and then Secretary to the Board of Customs from 1888-1891. He was one of my grandfather, ABP's, original letter writers and contributed an enormous amount of family history information. (see p. 198, my 'Prowse Family History Book', 3rd edition).

9 Jul 1873:, Death of The Honorable Rachel Emily Irby, daughter of the Right Honorable Sir George Irby, 3rd Baron Boston of Hedsoe (Buckinghamshire), and wife of Capt. William Jones Prowse, R.N., who patrolled around the island of St. Helena in HMS Conqueror in 1819 while Napoleon was held prisoner there. She was aged 68 years.

9 Jul 1984: York Minster Cathedral struck by lightning causing a fire which destroyed the South Transept of the 700 year-old building. Granville and Elizabeth Sharp's grandfather, John Sharp, was Archbishop of York. Elizabeth (1733-1810) married George Prowse (1737-1767) of Wicken Park, North Hampshire. Granville Sharp, known as the “Father of the Anti-Slavery Movement” in Britain, died, age 79, on July 10, 1813. (See pp. 181-185 in my “Prowse Family History Book. 3rd edition”).

10 Jul 1940 - 31 Oct 1940: Battle of Britain – in which our Royal Air Force pilot, Harry A.R. 'Keith' Prowse, not only took part but survived. He flew both Hurricanes and Spitfires, joining 266 Squadron in September 1940, and then moved to 603 Squadron at Hornchurch in October of that same year. On July 4, 1941, he was shot down over St. Omer, in northern France after destroying 2 Bf 109s. He crash-landed in a field and set his Spitfire alight with his Verey pistol before being captured and spending the next 4 years as a POW of the Germans in Stalag-Luft 111, 100 miles SE of Berlin near the town of Sagan (then Germany, now Poland). (see pp. 313-332 in my book, “Those in Peril”)

10 Jul 1947: Unveiling of the Battle of Britain Memorial Window in Westminster Abbey by King

George V1, on the 7th anniversary of the 1st day of that battle. Both 266 and 603 squadrons that H.A.R.'Keith' Prowse served in, are memorialized in that beautiful stained glass window.

12 Jul 1191: Surrender of Acre to Richard the Lionheart during the 3rd Crusade. Richard was accompanied by 3 Prowse brothers, William, Peter and Roger de Preaux, who were all distinguished knights. And all three were nephews of Walter Probus, the first owner of Gidleigh Castle in Devon. Roger died on the battlefield and a 14th century painting of his death is kept in the Bibliotheque National in Paris, France. William saved Richard's life and was imprisoned by the Saracens until Richard left the country. Peter was the Royal Standard-Bearer.

13 Jul 1888: National Armada Memorial Foundation Stone is laid on the 300th anniversary of the first sighting of the Spanish Armada from Plymouth Hoe* (Note: various dates are given for this sighting!). Captains Young and Prowse set the fireships against the Armada whilst it was anchored in Calais Harbor on August 6th of that year. In the famous painting by Seymour Lucas of “Drake Playing Bowls at Plymouth Hoe Before the Arrival of the Spanish Armada”, Albert Samuel Whitchurch Prowse (1856-1950) posed as Sir Francis Drake for this painting. ASWP emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with his son, Dr. Ernest Prowse in 1909.

14 Jul 1888: Arthur Bancks Prowse (ABP) wrote to family members requesting donations/funds for the National Armada Memorial Prowse Shield. He raised the princely sum of ten guineas and today, our Prowse family shield of 3 Rampant Lions still hangs proudly on Plymouth Hoe on the Armada Memorial.

15 Jul 1099: Jerusalem fell to the First Crusaders. Three Probus brothers, William, Osbert and Michael went on this Crusade, perhaps because the Pope (Urban) declared that all Crusaders would be forgiven their past sins! But William lost his life in the Siege of Jerusalem and his brothers were granted land in Daccombe and Wille in Devon by their overlord, Richard de Espeke, in his memory. (see p. 54 in my book, 'Those in Peril').

15 Jul 1941: A. S. 'Keith' Prowse, my father, was appointed an officer (Lieutenant) in the Auxiliary Force (India) – Assam Valley Light Horse Regiment. He served as Medical Officer. The Japanese came within 150 miles of our home and were defeated at the battle of Kohima (4 April – 22 June, 1944) – recently named the most decisive battle in all of British history. (see pp 175-198 in my book, “First Do No Harm”)

19 Jul 1821: William Prowse of HMS Sirius became a Rear-Admiral. During his distinguished naval career, he was in eight general actions with fleets of the enemy and assisted at the capture of 32 sail of the line. He is buried in a mass grave in the Crypt at St. Pancras Church in London. Thomas Guenther, an American (and avid Royal Naval enthusiast of the Nelson era, but no relation to any Prowse) designed a lovely Memorial to William Prowse which hangs in the Crypt near his grave. The reason for William's burial in a mass indoor grave was to avoid his body being stolen from an outdoor cemetery by grave-diggers who sold bodies to medical schools. (see p. 183 in my book, “Those in Peril”)

20 Jul 1875: Adelina Wait Prowse, age 6, the first of three children of William Prowse (1825-1917) and Elizabeth Skardon (1829-1898), my great-grandparents, to die of scarlet fever within a week. The other two were: Edward Soady Prowse, age 1 year, who died on July 24th, and Gertrude Annie Prowse, age 9, who died on July 28th. All three are buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.

20 Jul 1972: Death of Alan William Bayly Prowse (1903-1972), father of Martin, Roger, and Richard Prowse. He amassed a wealth of family history information in his lifetime which he generously shared with my uncle, Dr. David C. Prowse, son of ABP.

21 Jul 1846: Death of James Prowse, Surgeon of Bristol and the founding father of my branch of the Medical Prowses. His medical descendants included 2 sons, 3 grandsons, 3 great-grandsons, 1 great-great-grandson and 2 great-great-granddaughters (see p. 43 in my “First Do No Harm' book). James, wife, Mary Anne Philpott, was also born in July – on the 22nd, 1795.

21 Jul 1910: Dorothy M. 'Dot' Prowse born: She was awarded an MBE for services to education in 1971, the third member of her immediate family to be so awarded, the first to her father, Albert Edward Prowse (born 1880) – an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his work with the Belgian Elizabethville community during WWI; the 2nd was to Dot's brother, Lt. Col. William 'Arthur' Prowse (1907-1981), first Master of Van Mildert College at Durham University, who was awarded an O.B.E. (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire). Arthur died on July 14, 1981. (see pp.106, 107 in my book, 'First Do No Harm')

24 Jul 1896: Arthur Bancks Prowse (ABP) married Margaret Winter Mitchell, youngest daughter of George Mitchell of Larkhall, Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. Four of her uncles and two of her brothers emigrated to the USA, starting in 1820, and settling in New Haven, Connecticut and Yonkers, New York, starting the first ingrain carpet manufactory in the USA.

28 Jul 1866: Birth of Beatrix Potter, the author, illustrator and creator of 'Peter Rabbit', whose father, Rupert Potter, was a 'good friend' of Sir John Millais and who took photographs of Millais' 5 year-old grandson, William James Prowse*, so that Millais could complete his famous painting of “Bubbles”. The connection between the Millais and Prowse families occurred when John Millais's granddaughter, Esme Edith Millais married Charles Anthony Stanley Prowse (1904-1981), the son of Brig-Gen Charles Bertie Prowse. They had one daughter, Thea, who married the Revd. Desmond Parsons, parents of Benedict (our family reunions' photographer) and Katherine. (see p. 312 & pp. 365/366 in my book, “Those in Peril”)

29 Jul - 9 Aug 1588: The Spanish Armada attempts an invasion of England. (see July 13 & 14 entries).

31 Jul 1872: Captain Edward Bedlake Prowse, Master Mariner, died on board the ship he commanded, the Siamese Barque 'Denmark'. His brother, Captain Nicholas Prowse, of SS Great Eastern fame, visited his grave and laid a memorial stone in 1878 in the Happy Valley Cemetery in Hong Kong.

31 Jul 2010: Death of Harry A.R. 'Keith' Prowse, our Battle of Britain pilot, in Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force did a Fly Past at his funeral in his honor. (see July 10 entry) (See also the March 24 and May 2 Highlights entries)

AND ALSO REMEMBERING - THE PROWSE/PROUSE WAR DEAD:

Prowse, Charles Bertie: Cdg. 11th Infantry Bde. General Staff late 1st Bn. Somerset Light Infantry - Louvencourt Military Cemetery, Somme, France – Brigadier General, Army, British. DSP. Died 1 July, 1916, age 47. Son of Captain George James William Prowse, J.P., & Emmeline Lucy Prowse of Bromham, Wiltshire. Born at West Monkton, Taunton, Somerset. Husband of Violet Stanley Prowse of Bromham, Fleet, Hampshire. (Plot 1, Row E, Grave 9).

Prowse, George: 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) – Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Private #9450. Army. British. Died 1 July, 1916, age 31. Son of the late Thomas & Esther Prowse, husband of Jane Prowse of 13 Pan Yard, West Holburn, South Shields. (Pier and Face 2A, 2C and 2D).

Prowse, James Reuben: 70th Coy. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) – Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Private #5718. Army. British. Died 1 July, 1916. (3rd Prowse to die on this First Day of the Battle of the Somme).Age 19. Son of Mr. & Mrs. Prowse of 68 Lower Park Rd., Peckham, London. (Pier & Face 5C & 12C)

Prowse, Thomas Henry: 17th Coy. Royal Army Medical Corps – Torquay Cemetery and Extension, Devon, England. Private #142033. Army. British. Died of phthisis 15 July 1919, age 21. Son of John & Lucy Prowse of 45 Carlton Rd., Torquay. (E. 9. 6335). (phthisis = consumption/pulmonary tuberculosis)

Prowse, William George: 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment – Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Private #20967. Army. British. Died 20 July, 1916. (Pier and Face 1.C).

Prouse, Charles: 2nd Bn. Devonshire Regiment – Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Lance Corporal #15075. Army. British. Died 1 July, 1916 (with 3 others on this fateful First Day of the Battle of the Somme), age 29. Son of James & Mary Ann Prowse of 48 The Terrace, Hartland, Devon. (Pier and Face 1 C).

Prouse, William: Plymouth Bn. Royal Navy. Div. Royal Marine Light Infantry – Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. Private #PLY/11698. Navy. British. (Naval died ashore) 13 July, 1915, age 31. Son of Mary Prowse of Hartland and the late James Prouse; husband of Elsie Ada McCuan (formerly Prouse) of 202 School Rd., Yardley Wood, Birmingham. (Panel 2 to 7).(These last two entries must have been brothers).

Prowse, Albert Harry: Royal Army Service Corps – Enfidaville War Cemetery, Tunisia. Serjeant. #171225. Died July 22, 1943. Son of Arthur & Mabel Prowse of Sidmouth, Devon. Husband of Margaret Amelia Prowse of Sidmouth.

Prowse, Frederick James Morgan: 2nd Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment – Hottot-Le-Bagues War Cemetery, Calvados, France. Private #14673640. Army. British. Died 30th July 1944, age 18. Son of John Henry Morgan Prowse & Winifred Prowse, nephew of Louisa Ann Slade of Stoke, Devon. (111.E.10).

Prowse, John Charles: S.S. Prescodoc (Fort William, Ontario). Canadian Merchant Navy – Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia, Canada. Master. Canadian. Died July 28, 1942. Age 37. Husband of Mrs. John Charles Prowse of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Prowse, William Howard: 4th Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment – Bayeux Memorial, Calvados, France. Private #5625203. Army. British. Died 10 July 1944, age 28. Son of Mr. & Mrs. S. Prowse of Frogmore, Devon; husband of W.P. Prowse of Kingsbridge, Devon (Panel 15, Column 3). Also Sir Thomas-A-Becket churchyard, Dodbrooke, Devon, England.

Prowse, William Patrick: 1st Battalion Royal Newfoundland Regiment – Etretat Churchyard, Seine-Maritime, France. Private #925. Army. Canadian. Died of wounds 18 July 1916, age 23. Son of Charles & Catherine Prowse of St. John's, Newfoundland.

Prowse, William Stanley: Royal Sussex Regiment – Leytonstone (St. Patrick's) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Essex, England. Private #45814. Army. British. Died 6 July, 1917, age 18. Son of Arthur & Marie Elizabeth Prowse of 22 Bridge Rd., Stratford. Born at Hackney, London. (X1. A. 3. 25).

Prowse, Leslie: Royal Australian Engineers – Mount Thompson Crematorium, Australia. Sapper #18409. Army. Died July 25, 1966. Of Gooman, QLD (Queensland, Australia).

Prowse, Robert Lavers – H.M.S. Devonshire – Salcombe Cemetery, Devon, England. RN (no rank given). British. Died 30 July 1908, age 24.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY - BIRTHDAYS IN JULY

1 Jul: Birthday of Daisy Madeline Prowse., daughter of John & Holly Prowse., and granddaughter of Laurie & Jo Prowse.

2 Jul: Marriage of Anthony Barrington Prowse & June Colville.

3 Jul: Birthday of Aliina, daughter of Paul & Debbie N and granddaughter of Hilary Prowse-Newton.

7 Jul 1973: Death of Margaret Winter Prowse, daughter of ABP & Margaret Winter Mitchell. (see also July 24)

11 Jul 1964: Marriage of Virginia Mary Barrington Prowse (1940-2018) to David Shankland.

13 Jul: Birthday of Marley Skye Prowse, daughter of Mike & Krista Prowse., and granddaughter of Laurie & Jo Prowse.

13 Jul 2004: Death of John Clifford Causton, husband of Alison Winter Prowse.

13 Jul 1968: Marriage of Sandor & Sue Prowse Tako.

15 Jul: Birthday of Freddy C, son of Alice & Simon C., and grandson of Barbara & Jonathan Prowse.

19 Jul 1958: Marriage of Hilary Prowse to Brian N.

20 Jul: Birthday of Logan Olivia T, daughter of Nick T & Lorisa M., and granddaughter of Sandor & Sue T.

21 Jul 1846: Death of James Prowse, MRCS, Patriarch of the Medical Prowses branch of the family.

22 Jul 1795: Birth of Mary Anne Philpott, wife of James Prowse (1792-1846) (see July 21 entry here)

22 Jul: Birthday of Claudine C, wife of Andrew C, son of my sister Anne Prowse C.

24 Jul 1896: Marriage of Arthur Bancks Prowse (ABP) (1856-1925) & Margaret Winter Mitchell(1860-1921).

26 Jul: Birthday of Nancy Marigold Prowse, wife of Nicholas W and daughter of Barbara & Jonathan Prowse.

29 Jul 1972: Marriage of Martin & Isobel Prowse. Martin being the prolific family historian who has imparted so much information to our branch of the family.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

*William James Prowse (1881-1973), grandson of the artist, Sir John Everett Millais, (see July 28th entry), who posed for the famous portrait of “Bubbles”, grew up to be a British naval commander, politician and author and played an integral part of the Naval Intelligence Division in its early years. During the First World War he served as executive officer aboard the battle-cruiser, HMS Queen Mary, leaving that ship a day before she sailed to her doom at the battle of Jutland with the loss of 1,275 men, including her captain, Cecil Irby Prowse, of the Kingston Manor branch of our family. James went on to several prestigious commands and in 1938 became a full admiral. He was honoured with a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1929. In 1940 he commanded the evacuation of British troops from Brittany and Normandy, a parallel operation to the Dunkirk evacuation.

He was elected in 1943 as a Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of Portsmouth North, which he held until 1945. He retired from the Navy in 1944, and dedicated his retirement to writings mostly on aspects of British naval history. His most notable non-Naval publication was “The Order of Release, the story of John Ruskin, Effie Gray and John Everett Millais told for the first time in their unpublished letters” (1947)”, a collection of family letters detailing the romance between his grandparents. His grandmother, Effie Gray, had been married to John Ruskin when she fell in love with Millais. Her first marriage was annulled, due to non-consummation. James was the first to publish the full details of these events and to vindicate his grandmother, whose victimization by the Ruskin family he documented. James's book has been the inspiration for at least 2 plays.

He retired to the Scottish seaside village of Elie & Earlsferry, in the Kingdom of Fife, the only 'Kingdom' remaining in the UK (and where my parents had also retired to) and was active in support for ventures relating to seafaring, supporting clubs like the Elie & Earlsferry Sailing Club, which named their dinghy 'Bubbles' in his honour!

Because James (in his 80s) and I (a young teenager!) shared the same birthday, he would always appear on our doorstep that morning with a posy of flowers for me – a truly charming and gallant family member – although I was not aware at that time that we shared a family history!

FOR MY TAKO FAMILY:

9 Jul 1969: My husband, Sandor & I entered the USA as legal immigrants at Lake Champlain, on the Canadian/USA border, after spending two idyllic months in Montreal. One week later, on 16 Jul Apollo 11 lifted off with Commander Neil Armstrong and astronauts, Michael Collins & 'Buzz' Aldrin, on their quest to the Moon. And on 20 Jul, Neil Armstrong became the First Man to step onto the Moon. An incredible introduction to this country and a great pity that it has gone downhill so rapidly since that glorious day!!!

31 Jul 2017: Death of Tony Tako, my husband's cousin and friend, who came to the USA as a teenager, by himself, after the failure of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, not speaking a word of English. He never graduated from High School and never went to college/university and instead went to work for a local Chicago company and several years later not only became the CEO of that company, but of others as well. He became a multi-millionaire and carried on the Tako name – a true American success story and an inspiration to his family.

ALSO REMEMBERING A MEDICAL HERO OF MINE!

A favorite (non-family!) physician of mine – Dr. Ignatius Semmelweis (1818-1865), was born in Hungary on July 1, 1818. He was a real medical hero whose simple life-saving ideas were rejected by his own medical community in Vienna, Austria, and who was largely ignored, rejected, ridiculed and mocked for his observations that the women in the obstetric clinics were dying needlessly because medical students were coming straight from dissecting cadavers into examining pregnant women without ever washing their hands! (His story is told in my “First Do No Harm” book about all of our many medical ancestors on page 412.)