James Edward Diprose (1861-1936) and Elizabeth (Audley) Diprose (1861-1945) had seven children:-
1 James Henry Diprose (1885-1918); killed during the 1st World War
2 John George Diprose.1887-1940; killed during the 2nd World War
3 William Diprose (Bill) 1890-1976
4 Edward Diprose 1892-1980
5 Alfred Diprose 1894-1970
6 Fredrick Joseph Diprose1901-1981
7 Elizabeth Mary Diprose 1905-1993. (daughter).
James Diprose married Elizabeth Audley from Chadwell. She was the daughter of James and Mary Ann Audley. They were married in 1885. James came to Tilbury around 1890. He started out as a scrap merchant dealer with a horse drawn cart. He then went on to be a successful removals and haulage contractor from Tilbury.
His eldest son (James Henry) served as a private in the Essex Regiment during the First World War, receiving the Victory and British War medals. He was killed on 24th August 1918 and is buried in the Albert Community Cemetery Extension in France. (His name is recorded on the West Tilbury war memorial in St James’s church. A photo of the memorial can be found on the West Tilbury Village Hall web site – ed.)
His sons Bill, Alfred, George and Fredrick later joined the business. It operated from Bryanstone Road, West Tilbury, which was a shanty, dirt track road in the 1900s.
When James died in 1936 the sons took over the business and added chicken and cattle farming to it, and Bill also took pea pickers to Kent to work on the fields in the summer time.
The pictures include two of the sons – Bill and Edward – working with a steam truck (with a contracted Trollope and Colls name on it) outside the Hole in the Wall off-licence in Tilbury.
John George was killed working in the Second World War at Epping aerodrome in a air raid whilst in the business.
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Hello Janet,
I have been involved in celebrating the Armistice at West Tilbury. We have commissioned a new memorial plaque honouring the parish fallen, James Henry Diprose being one of them. We have also installed a certificate to him and our other fallen in the Village Hall.
I also gave a talk in the Village Hall on the 10th November 2018 in their honour.
Hello, thank you for all your research. My adoptive mother was Olive Diprose, and was one of two daughters born to James Henry prior to him being killed in August 1918. I believe he married an Elizabeth who died not long after the girls were born, so my mother and sister were brought up by their grandparents, making nine children. I have been remembering him as it is now 100 years since his passing and my family wanted to know more too. Very best wishes Jan.
James Henry Diprose is remembered on the West Tilbury war memorial – see Thurrock’s Great War Memorials
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