Henry ('Harry') Thomas Warland (1864 - 1944)

Henry ('Harry') Thomas Warland (20 July 1864 - 7 January 1944) was the eldest child and son of Henry Warland (1830 - 1876), and Elizabeth Dodson (1835 - 1871). Henry Thomas Warland had three younger siblings, only two of whom survived:

For details of the life of Henry Thomas Warland before 1890, and the movements of his two brothers, go to this page

Note: Henry's brother, William Edward Warland, returned to the UK from Australia in 1891.

1897 - Henry Thomas Warland marries

Henry Thomas Warland (1864 - 1944) was a Builder's Clerk. In 1897 he married Alice Head (c.1867 - 10 January 1944 in Banbury, UK) in Brighton, England. They had two daughters:

1891 - Death of Anne Warland

Henry Thomas Warland's aunt Anne Warland died in the third quarter (Jul - Sep) of 1891. She had been living in the family home of 19 Buckingham Street until her death. Her will indicated that her nephew Henry Thomas Warland was to sell the property and then disburse the funds.

1901 census

The 1901 census shows that both Henry Thomas Warland and his brother William Edward Warland were living at in the area of Preston, Steyning, Sussex. The two family groups were listed as follows:

5 Stafford Road, Brighton: Henry T and Alice Warland and daughter Elsie, and a boarder, Adelaide E Gibbs (a shop assistant, 'fancy trade')

165 (plus 167? - the next house recorded is 169 and 167 appears to be joined with 165 in the census) Havelock Road, Brighton: William Edward Warland ('steam engine maker fitter), Fanny and family (Frances, Florence, Herbert, Ernest)

1911 census

The UK 1911 census shows that the two families were still living in the same area of Sussex.

1923 - Death of Fanny Warland, Albert Warland and daughters arrive in the UK

Fanny Warland, the wife of William Edward Warland, died on 7 May 1923, just before Albert and his daughters reached London.

Albert Warland and his two daughters arrived in the UK on 11 May 1923. They caught the train to Brighton on 12 May 1923 where they went straight to William's house. (See Albert's story for more information)

The brothers and their families in 1923. Left to right: ?, Ernest Warland, William Edward Warland, ?, ? , Albert John Warland, Lilian Warland, Henry Thomas Warland, Elizabeth (Bess) Warland.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Cicely Warland - 1925

A photograph of Cicely Warland published in newspapers after she vanished.

Cicely Warland went missing on Sunday 27 December 1925 at Hove. The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 05 January 1926, under the heading 'Hove Mysteries', ran the following article: 'Yesterday the body of Ruth Lampard, 16, who had been missing since Christmas Eve from Hove, was found on the beach at Newhaven. Another girl, Cicely Warland, 22, is missing from the same town'. According to the Portsmouth Evening News of 25 January 1926, there was still no solution to the mysterious disappearance of Cicely Warland. It noted however that some further facts had some to light - 'she was seen near the Central railway station, and it is not suggested that she may have taken a train to London. It is believed that Miss Warland had sufficient money in her possession to make the journey, altough her savings bank book as been found at her home. As Miss Warland was a Wolf Cub officer, local Boy Scouts have been actively engaged in the search. The Downs around Brighton have been thoroughly explored but without result.'.

Under the title 'Mystery of Girl Teacher's Disappearance', the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 28 January 1926 ran the following detailed article:

Scotland Yard have been asked to give consultant advice in connection with a diligent search which is being made for a girl teacher who has been missing from her home for over a month. Miss Cicely Warland, a charming girl, failed to reach home in Stafford Road, Brighton, one Sunday morning after she had been to a service in a church, in connection with which she has for several years done yeoman service amongst the children. For a long time, Cicely was an officer attached to the Wolf Cub branch of the Boy Scout movement, and this winter she was elected honorary secretary to the local Wolf Cub Football League. Receiving her education at a local secondary school, Cicely went to London for training, and eventually gained her teacher's certificate. She was unable to obtain a suitable situation at once, but her parents were fortunately in a position to allow of her remaining at home, and she decided to occupy part of her time in social service work amongst the poorer folk of the town.

The Last Time Cicely was Seen. On the day or her disappearance Miss Cicely left her home in Stafford Road soon after nine o'clock in the morning and that was the last time her family saw her. She is known to have attended an eleven o'clock service and to have been amongst those interested in a wedding which was held about midday. For over a fortnight that was the latest news one had regarding Miss Warland's movements, but recently further light on the mystery was given by two lady teachers who state that they were at the same service as Miss Warland and noticed her chiefly by reason of the green mackintosh she was then wearing. Later the same morning, on their way home for lunch, they were rather surprised to see the same lady clad in a green mackintosh on the Station Road. They added that the wearer of the mackintosh seemed in a great hurry, but could not definitely advise the police whether she turned towards the station entrance or continued along the road. They were confident the lady who passed them was Miss Cicely Warland, but, despite persistent inquiries, the authorities could not ascertain whether any ticket was issued from Brighton Station booking office on that afternoon to a lady wearing a green mackintosh. Detailed descriptions have been broadcast from all the stations of the B.B.C. at the request of the Brighton police, but without avail. "About ten days ago," said he missing girl's mother from Rottingdean (on the coast a few miles east of Brighton) that a black Russian boot had been washed ashore, and my husband went down to inspect the boot in the hope that there might be some mark by which it could have been identified. There was not any mark, however, and the finding of that boot has only deepened the mystery. It was new - a fact which would fit in with it being one of my daughter's - but I cannot believe that Cicely would have gone near the sea on any account. Although she has lived in Brighton most of her days, she simply hated the suggestion to go down to the beach for a bathe.

Is She is Scotland?"If she had been possessed of much money Cicely might have gone to Scotland if suffering from a temporary attack of lost memory. Two years ago our family went to Scotland for the summer holiday, and after spending a week in Edinburgh we went on to Fort-William, staying at the West End Hotel. Cicely was greatly taken with the district, and longed to pay another visit. As she had, however, only a few shillings it seems impossible that she could have reached Fort William. We have found a diary kept by my daughter indicating the nature of the 'daily good turn' she did each day on the lines of the little Cubs' code of service for others, and we know she had refused to go to Sheffield to spend Christmas with friends merely owing to its interfering with the arrangements for a local concert which was being given by the younger bosy. Yet when the time came for making the final arrangements Cicely was missing. Only those who have suffereed in similar fashion can realise the agony of the waiting hours. My husband is in a condition of being practically 'fit for nothing' and at times neither of us can obtain rest during the night. Then in the morning we hardly dare open our letters." At the time of her disappearance Miss Warland, who was twenty-three, was wearing a red felt hat with a green mackintosh over a light-coloured costume, black Russian boots, and brown gauntlet gloves. She was also wearing a gold wristlet watch and a Norwegian pendant. All her friends in the Cub and church work testify that Miss Cicely was happy and had no enemies.

The Sunday Post of 2 May 1926 ran an article about Cicely's disappearance, under the heading 'Vicar's Wife's Vision - Sees Missing Girl Cruelly Treated'. The new theory was simply the interpretation of a dream but provided no actual clues except to suggest that she may 'on some innocent pretext, have been enticed away for a purpose too terrible to contemplate'. The article repeated most of the background story above and suggested that the most likely solution were that either she took her own life or ran away, neither of which though was said to be consistent with the character, nature, and outlook on life of Cicely. It was also noted that 'no man had ever entered her life' and so it was unlikely she had eloped with anyone. The article noted that 'Mr and Mrs Warland are so stricken with grief that they have suffered greatly in health.

As Cicely's body was never found there was no Coroner's report. The police file on her disappearance was destroyed many years ago, according to Brighton and Hove Police in 2017.

1944 - Death of Henry Thomas and Alice Warland

According to the records of Coroner of the Borough of Brighton at the East Sussex Record Office (ESRO reference:COR 3/2/1944/5), Henry Thomas Warland, aged 79, of 5 Stafford Road, Brighton, formerly a builders clerk, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on 7 January 1944 as a result of 'carbon monoxide poisoning due to inadvertently inhaling coal gas from an unlit gas tap'. His death was declared to have been accidental. The 'accidental' nature of Henry's death must surely be in doubt as 14 Jan 1944 as, on 10 January 1944, Henry's wife Alice Warland died the same way three days after Henry died, on 10 January 1944. Despite the coincidence, Alice's death was also reported to be accidental. (ESRO Referece COR 3/2/1944/8)

1955 - Death of William Edward Warland

Henry's brother, William Edward Warland, died on 30 January 1955 in Brighton.

Page created 8 April 2013, updated 21 July 2018. Copyright © 2021 Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)