Herbert Walter Hayball

  General Notes:

"... Clerk. Youngest son and 14^th child. Married Ada Emily Weeks, Daughter of Thomas Byers Weeks, Civil Engineer, who was sent to India by the English Government to build the first railways there (as engineer in charge) and his wife Jane Smith, daughter of George Smith, saddlers to the King. His family made the gold-plated harness for the Royal Family. This business was ruined by the advent of the motorcar.
Herbert was educated at Brighton Grammar School and then apprenticed to a family connection, John Felstead of Brunswick - proprietor of a large drapery and general store (a brother of Wlliam Felstead of Beath, Schress and Felstead). From there he went to Robertson and Moffatt of Bourke St. Still a lad, he had a roving commission to serve in any department because the ladies who shopped there liked to be attended by him. He was, however, interested in figures (mathematics) for which he had a gift and went to his father's business (later his brother's) as accountant and manager of the office where he remained until he quarreled with them. He was in his early forties at the time and, naturally, it was difficult for him to start life again. He has expected to inherit his elder brother's share of the business, but Edwin, dying, was persuaded to make over his share to Robert and William and much bitterness ensued. However, Herbert became adjuster of accounts Credit Manager to Barnet Glass Rubber Merchants of Swanston St. where his wide acquaintance and intimate knowledge of people and affairs stood him and the firm in good stead. After some years he went into business on his own account, his clientele comprising most of Collins St., doctors and dentists.

He was a man of ready wit and humour and was noted for his anecdotes. Particularly interested in politics he was very friendly with the Prime Minister (Mr Lyons) and the Premier (Mr Dunstan) and many of the other members of the Cabinet of that day. He was a member of the Commercial Traveller's Club and met these people every day at lunchtime when laughter was long and happy. His little circle was known as the "Masonic Corner". He was a Freemason and both the P.M. and the Premier gave him letters for his daughter, Doris when she went abroad. This happy state of affairs was brought to a close when the Second World War broke out and all lights were dimmed.

As well as his gift for figures he was an excellent penman and excellent at writing topical verse. He was a particularly fine public speaker with a beautiful singing and speaking voice - light baritone. He died at the age of 81 and 4 months at Christmas time at their residence, 22 Rockbrook Road, East St Kilda. His wife (a noted beauty and singer) survived him by 2 years and 9 months and died 4 days before her 83^rd birthday of a stroke - 30^th September 1949.

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In my father's young day, Brighton was half country half seaside. They had a kangaroo for pet, an opossum, cats, dogs, white mice, a magpie, pigeons, parrots, canaries, fowls, a cockatoo , horses, carriages, carts - all the apertenances [sic] of country life; as indeed we did in my own childhood, though not the kangaroo, the magpie or the white mice.
My father (the youngest of the family) was a great horseman - he both rode and drove and horses and dogs were very dear to him. As a boy he had a pet opossum that went everywhere with him - in a pocket when a dog approached, but up his arm and onto his cap when the coast was clear.
His tales of his dogs were the delight of my childhood - "Gyp" who went everywhere with him - to the beach where he would bury his walking stick in the sand and when they had returned home he would say to the dog "Oh, I have lost my stick - go and get it Gyp" and Gyp would race back, dig it up (although he was apparently not watching when it was buried) and rush home with it to lay it in happy triumph at his thoughtless young master's feet!

A dog he had when he was somewhat younger also went everywhere with him. When sent by his mother to get butter she would give him a basin covered by a cloth in a basket to carry it in. After getting the butter from the shop he would hand the basket to the dog instructing him to take it home while he himself went off to play cricket with other boys.

On one occasion his mother was waiting for the dog in the garden when she saw a much larger dog attack "Jock". Jock carefully put the basket containing the butter down by the side of the road and turned on his attacker, giving him a thrashing he would long remember. Then, the foe defeated, he picked up the basket again and, jumping the fence, dropped it at my little grandmother's feet with a wagging tail, to receive her praise, then darted off over the fence again to join his young master in the game of cricket. He always retrieved the ball which he refused to give up to anyone except his owner!"

This short biography was written by Doris Hayball in about 1964 - copy held by Brighton Historical Society in their "Hayball" file accessed Aug 2006

  Chronology:

He attended school in Brighton Grammar School. ⁸

He worked as an Apprenticed to John Felstead about 1880. ⁸ JF was proprietor of a large drapery and general store and a brother of William Felstead of Beith Schress and Felstead [sic]

He worked as a Shopman in Robertson and Moffat, Bourke St.

He resided from about 1890 to 1910 in "Normanby", 11 Manor St, Brighton. ⁹

He worked as a HW Hayball, Chaff, Grain & Fuel Merchant from 1913 to 1914 and resided at 148 High St, St Kilda. ¹⁰

He worked as a Residence or business? from 1913 to 1914 and resided at H W Hayball, Railway Siding, St Kilda. ¹⁰

Herbert married Ada Emily Weeks, daughter of Thomas Weeks and Jane Elizabeth Smith, on 10 Sep 1890 in St Johns, Brighton?.^{1 2} (Ada Emily Weeks was born in 1866 in Gravesend, Kent (reg) ^{2 11} and died in 1949 in E St Kilda ¹².)

  Marriage Notes:

Witnesses: Alfred H Hayball Alfred (Shaw?)