Vol 12.18 William Ray Coryton

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
Post Reply
Les1949
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

This article was in the programme for the postponed Tonbridge Angels game

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 18 William Ray Coryton
Vice-President in 1921

Some more digging into the people involved in the setting up of Hampton FC in 1921 has unearthed William Ray Coryton (1875-1949).

W R Coryton was born in Sheffield, however by 1891 he was living in Hornsey and was described as a Horticulturist. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this area of South West Middlesex was a thriving area of Marker Gardens and Nurseries so it isn’t surprising the in 1901 William turns up in 1901 living in Rosalind Terrace as a Nurseryman.

By 1911 he had moved into Chester Lodge in Nightingale Road, and then in the early 1920 was living in Hollybush House, Hollybush Road. So, what was the connection with Hampton FC that persuaded William to become a Vie-President. Well, if you have been a reader of previous articles regarding the club’s formation you should have picked up the ‘Nursery Gardens’ connection. Bert Bowell, first Chairman, connected with Hampton Nursery Workers FC and with the number of players who switched from HNW to HFC, it is perhaps no real surprise that Bert recruited a fellow businessman to the cause.

We can pick up William again in November, 1924 when he appeared in court as a victim in a possible fraud. A Mr Knight, having got friendly with him and his wife, offered to buy the Coryton’s ‘extensive’ market garden for around £6,000. Then came the sting, asking to ‘borrow’ £1,200 to enable Knight to carry on the business whilst negotiations were carrying on (apparently Knight was ‘due’ a substantial legacy).

Needless to say, Knight also involved the use of a ‘moneylender’ to make it all look legitimate. At some stage, the penny dropped for the Coryton’s and the it all ended up in court and the Coryton’s got their money back.

By the early 1930s the Coryton’s had sold up and moved to a farm in Marlow Bottom and by 1939 had fetched up in Weymouth described as a retired Nurseryman. William died in Dorset in 1949.

The Coryton’s Market Garden, just like all the others, now lie under the Nurserylands Housing Estate with just a lone boiler chimney left to mark the site.




The Old Historian
Last edited by Les1949 on Mon Mar 07, 2022 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jamie
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:51 am

Great detective work again Les!
Post Reply