OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth
Webpage created: May 02, 2021
Webpage updated: May 03, 2021

        

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

GORDON DAVIES / WILLIAM FREDERICK FLORENCE (1901-1944)

Gordon Davies was the adopted name of Mr William Frederick Florence, who was born at Ilford, Essex, on October 31st 1901.  He used this name because his father, also Mr William Frederick Florence (1878-1940), managed the Leven Theatre in Fifeshire, Scotland, under the adopted name of William Davies.

Mr William Frederick Florence junior married Miss Hilda Willoughby in 1923 at Hendon, Middlesex.

Mr Davies was the musical director at the New Palace Theatre of Varieties, Plymouth, from 1936 until his death in 1944.

During his life he had played or conducted at most of the principal theatres in the United Kingdom as well as those in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and |France.  He was the composer of a number of pantomime songs and re-arranged and orchestrated a number of West End comedies before they went on tour.

Both father and son were living in the Plymouth area in 1939.  Mr William Frederick Florence senior, with his wife, Mrs Susan Annie Florence (née Saunders), were living at 51 Headland Park, Plymouth, while Mr William Frederick Florence junior, a member of the Special Constabulary, with his wife, Mrs Hilda Florence, were living at "Alberta", Plymstock Road, Oreston, Devon.

Mr William Frederick Florence senior, a native of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, died in Plymouth on Tuesday January 16th 1940.  He had originally owned a firm of ironmongers, Messrs H J Bird, in Ilford, Essex.  After his four years in Scotland, he came to Devon because his wife was a Devonian.  At first he owned some shops at Bantham, Devon, but then moved into Plymouth and become an ironmongers' salesman.  During the War he had been a stretcher bearer at the Air Raid Precautions branch in East Stonehouse.  The funeral was held at the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Cemetery on Friday January 19th 1940.  Although attended by his son and members of the East Stonehouse ARP his widow and his two daughters, Mrs W Bulman, of Bunbury, Western Australia, and Miss Betty Florence, were not present.

Mr Gordon Davies, in reality Mr William Frederick Florence junior, died in Plymouth on August 27th 1944 at the age of 42 years.  The funeral was held on Friday September 1st 1944 at the Anglican Church of Saint Matthias the Apostle, Plymouth.  The service was attended by Mr and Mrs R Green, the manager of the New Palace Theatre of Varieties, who also represented the Theatre's owner, Mrs Hoyle; Mr J Freer, the musical director; Mr A C Petherick, the stage manager; and the entire Palace Theatre Orchestra and other staff.