William & Harold Tice

W B Tice published a small booklet Reminiscences of Old Yateley by a Septuagenarian. He also left a small scrapbook into which he had stuck newspaper cuttings reporting his personal appearances over many years at 'entertainments' in and around Yateley. From the example of the press notices we have reproduced it is apparent that he must have had a cheerful character, and a good voice.

W B Tice was born the illegitimate son of Charlotte Burrows Tice, and was christened on 20 Sep 1860. Eight years later Charlotte married Joseph Meddings Winter, a labourer, and they had another six children. In 1871 William Burrows Tice was living with his grandfather, a 77 year old Ag Lab with exactly the same name. The elder William Burrows Tice also seems to have been illegitimate; his Burrows second name being his mother's surname. In 1881 at the age of 21 the census records that the younger William was living in the household of William T Gadd at Chaddisbrooke as a grocer's assistant, a trade he pursued for the rest of his life.

By 1891 W B Tice had started his own business as a baker. His bakery was attached to his house, now part of Goose Green Cottage. His eldest son, Harold Ernest, was 3 years old. In 1901 W B Tice gave his occupation as baker & groom and his place of work "at home", still at Goose Green. Harold Tice eventually owned Tyler's Stores and, in 1928, purchased from Ernest Webley the old business of Gadd & Co at Chaddisbrooke. William Burrows Tice was part of a singing group called the "Snowflakes", probably appearing with blackened faces and specialising in `plantation songs'. He also seems to have been very popular as a soloist.

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Page written by Peter Tipton for the Yateley Society's 2003 Exhibition: Adult Education in Yateley mounted in Yateley Library during Local History Month, for which the theme was Adult Education. This exhibition was held in conjunction with Yateley Workers Education Association (WEA) -- now in 2008 defunct. Pages may have been updated as a result of recent research.

(C) The Yateley Society, 2003 and 2008