<The following article appeared in the Surrey Advertiser on 25^th July 1903>

WEYBRIDGE

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MARRIAGE OF MR. A.W. STOLLERY

An interesting wedding was solemnised at St. Mary Abbots, Kensington, on Thursday of last week, the contracting parties being Miss A. E. Penn and Mr. A.W. Stollery, of Weybridge. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. J.E. Tarbat (vicar of Fareham). The bride was attired in a dress of spotted grey canvas cloth, and picture hat trimmed with Paxted roses, and wore a gold lattice bracelet, the gift of the bridegroom. The bridegroom was supported by Mr. A.F. Harvey as best man.

The presents, which were very handsome and numbered over 80, included: Mrs. Oakley, Kensington, silver tea service; St. Michael’s clergy, organist and choir, marble clock; Mr. and Mrs. Stainton, cheque; Stainton’s staff, oak writing cabinet; Rev. J.E. Tarbat, stereoscope; Rev. T. H. Waller and family, Waldingfield, Suffolk, silver breakfast cruet; Mrs. And Miss Stollery, standard lamp and breakfast services; Mrs. And Mrs. Capelin, oak table and family Bible.

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<The following article appeared in the Woking News and Mail 18^th July 1953>

FORMER COUNCIL CHAIRMAN’S GOLDEN WEDDING

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Mr. & Mrs. A.W. Stollery Remember “A Wonderful Life”

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One of the most liked and respected couples in the district, Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Stollery, of East Beacon, Pyrford Road, West Byfleet, celebrated their Golden Wedding yesterday (Thursday). Mr. Stollery was chairman of the Woking Council from 1936 to 1938, Mrs. Stollery is a descendant of the famous William Penn, Quaker founder of the American State of Pennsylvania.

Aged 79, Mr. Stollery was born in Suffolk, one of a family of eleven. His father died at the age of 45 leaving his mother to bring up the eleven children all under 17, with one earning 6/- a week. Mr. Stollery left school when he was 12 and obtained an apprenticeship at Woodbridge where he also attended evening classes.

After his apprenticeship Mr. Stollery went to London, which he reached with 9/- in his pocket. He found a post but his 9/- did not last him through the first week and he had to get “a sub” to buy food. He spent nearly all his spare time, while in London, studying at Kensington Art School and with West End firms.

In 1903 he married Miss Alice Penn and nine years later came to live at West Byfleet. On his first Sunday there, Mr. Stollery played the organ in the “tin” parish church. The 29-voice choir which sang at the dedication of St. John’s Church was formed by Mr. Stollery.

One of the highlights of Mr. Stollery’s long career of public service has been his interest in youth. He helped to form a St. John’s Boys’ Club with Capt. Cyril Frisby, V.C. Within the club he formed a pierrot troupe to earn funds. He was also a founder member of Byfleet Tennis League and West Byfleet Football Club.

Mr. Stollery joined Woking Council in 1933, as one of the Byfleet representatives when the village came into the Urban District. Three years later he was elected chairman. Previously he had represented Byfleet on the Chertsey Rural District Council.

WIDE PUBLIC AND SOCIAL WORK

In Byfleet Mr. Stollery covered almost every aspect of local life. He was chairman of the Byfleet National Savings Committee, secretary of the Chamber of Trade and Ratepayers’ Association, secretary of Byfleet Parish Day for 14 years and of the Benevolent Committee for seven years.

While on Woking Council Mr. Stollery was chairman of the Public Health and Housing Committees. He was one of the keenest supporters of Mr. Conrad Samuel in providing a swimming pool in Woking. Mr. Stollery retired from the Council and also gave up most of his public responsibilities in 1943 when his upholstery business demanded too much his time to give him the opportunity to perform as many duties as before. He has been a lay reader in the Guildford Diocese for 18 years.

Mr. Stollery’s hobby is sailing and he was Commodore of the Democratic Sailing Club at Waldinfield, Suffolk for 21 years. His son has been national champion in 15ft dinghies and a champion of the world for canoes.

Mr Stollery, although now enjoying a well-earned retirement, has still a great interest in education. He has been chairman of the Governors of the West Byfleet and Pyrford Schools for 16 years and latterly in the last few years, the preparations for the Sheerwater and Fullbrook Schools have occupied much of his time.

After paying tribute to the grounding given to him by his parents, Mr. Stollery said of his wife, who is one of a family of five children, that she was the “axle” of his life. He said that no man could be a success in public life without the backing of his wife, and Mrs. Stollery had always given him 100 per cent support.

Mr. Stollerty has one piece of advice to give to the present generation from the wealth of his experience. It is this: “Today people imagine that they will achieve successes and live lives of pleasure and leisure without striving for it. There is not a single thing worth having without sacrificing and striving to get it”. “A wonderful life” was the way Mr. Stollery summed up his activities.

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< The following article appeared in the Woking News and Mail in February 1959>

DEATH OF MR. A.W. STOLLERY

Devoted Life to Welfare of Community

A man who was devoted to the welfare of the community, Mr. Alfred William Stollery, of Last Beacon, Pyrford Road, West Byfleet died on Friday at Heathside Hospital, Milford. He was 88.

Born in Waldingfield, Suffolk in 1878, Mr. Stollery was one of a large family. He left school at 12 to do farm work and came to Surrey at the end of the last century. In 1903 he married Alice Penn, ascendant of the famous Buckingham Quaker founder of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Stollery died in 1956. Mr. Stollery leaves a son and a daughter.

Always interested in local affairs, Mr. Stollery started the West Byfleet Football Club as well as the first Boys’ Club in West Byfleet, helped to form Byfleet Tennis Club and was largely responsible for the revival of Parish day after the 1914-18 war. He saw this day grow to be a major event in the Parish and his work as secretary and organiser was recognised by a public presentation after 14 years service.

A keen sailor, Mr. Stollery, was a founder member of Waldingfield Sailing Club, which grew to have over 600 members. His son has been national champion in 15ft dinghies and champion of the world for canoes. A keen cricketer, Mr. Stollery played with St. Michael’s Cricket Club Oatlands Park. He refereed for football and was well known at local concerts as a comedian.

Mr. Stollery was first elected a member of a local authority in the days of the Chertsey R.D.C. He was a member of Byfleet Parish Council from 1931 to 1933 and of Chertsey R.D.C. from 1930 to 1933. When Byfleet and Pyrford came to Woking Mr. Stollery represented Byfleet ward on Woking Council and was a member from 1933 until 1946. He was Council chairman in 1936 and 1937. He served as chairman of the Housing Committee and the Public Health Committee, besides leading the fire-watching at Rosemount and playing a leading part in the big savings campaigns. He saw two of his favourite projects come into being – the car park in Commercial Road and the Swimming Pool, but failed in his valiant efforts to help secure Incorporation for the town.

He remained a School Governor. After the war the vast increase in the local school population led to heavy responsibilities. He also accepted voluntary duties that took up much of his time and these gave him an interest on his retirement.

Throughout his life Mr. Stollery was a devoted churchman. As a boy he became an organist. On coming to Surrey, he became choirman and deputy organist at St. Michael’s Oatlands Park. Weybridge.

At West Byfleet he was the first organist at the Church of St. John and formed a choir for the church’s dedication service by house-to-house canvassing. He was later organist at Pyrford Church for several years. Mr. Stollery became a Parochial Lay Reader fir the Church of England and later a Diocesan Reader. He acted as Bishop’s chaplain on several occasions. He often took three services on a Sunday and continued to take services until he became ill. In August he assisted the Bishop of St. Edmondsbury and Ipswich and the Rector of Waldingfield in a memorable open-air service where thousands congregated, conducted from a boat moored off-shore.

When Mrs. Stollery died in 1956, Mr. Stollery made this the moment to retire from business, since when he devoted himself to the church and the schools. He vigorously supported the appeal for funds for the new Parish hall at West Byfleet, and it was this most fervent wish during his illness that he would live to see it opened.

He was greatly touched by all the kind gifts and greetings that were sent him, particularly by those of the school children and a gift of fruit from Stirling Moss.

On the occasion of his golden wedding anniversary in 1953, Mr. Stollery had one piece of advice to give the present generation, that there was not a single thing worth having without sacrificing and striving to get it.

The funeral service was at St. John’s, West Byfleet, on Wednesday, followed by cremation. The ashes will be interred in the family grave at Walringfield

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< The following article appeared in the Woking News and Mail in 30^th November 1945 giving a further insight to the background of A. W. Stollery>

A BLOW TO BYFLEET

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Mr. Stollery to Retire From Public Work

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The “News and Mail” is able to announce on the best authority that Mr. A.W. Stollery, of Rosemount, West Byfleet, has decided to retire from his work ion the Woking Council and all his other public activities in the near future. This news will come as a great blow, not only to Mr. Stollery’s fellow residents at Byfleet – where no one has devoted himself more to work for the welfare of the community – but also to the people in other parts of the Woking Urban District, where Mr. Stollery is held ion equally high esteem.

Though he would not have been due to seek re-election until 1947, Mr. Stollery is resigning from the Woking Council next March and is going to relinquish all his numerous other public activities at the same time. Having passed the age of 70, he feels that the time has come when he should give an opportunity to younger people to carry on. With attendance at meetings every day and almost every evening, often until 10.30pm., public work has lately thrown a great strain on Mr. Stollery, who is now anxious to devote more time of rebuilding his business, following the ravages of war. He will give up his public work with great reluctance, but it is has assumed such proportions that he finds he cannot possibly carry on. Accordingly he has notified the Byfleet and Pyrford Ratepayers’ Association, whom he represents on the Woking Council, of his intention to resign.

FORMER CIVIC HEAD

It is questionable whether anyone has given greater public service to Byfleet than Mr. Stollery, since he took up residence there in 1912. He is one of the original Byfleet representatives who came to Woking Council in 1933 (when Byfleet was amalgamated with Woking), having previously represented Byfleet on the Chertsey Rural District Council. Three years later he was elected chairman of the Woking Council, a position he held for two years. He is the only Byfleet member to have held office of chief citizen, though Mr. H.S. Cawsey, the present vice-chairman, will, in all probability, be similarly honoured next April.

Mr. Stollery is chairman of the Public Health Committee and is also on the Evacuation, Housing, Town Planning, Library, Staffing and Finance Committees. He is a member, too, of the Woking School Managers, as well as being chairman of the governors of West Byfleet and Pyrford Schools, and of the Canteen Committee.

In Byfleet Mr. Stollery’s public work has covered almost every aspect of local life. He has been chairman of the Byfleet National Savings Committee all through the war, a member of the Byfleet Chamber of Trade and the Ratepayers’ Association, of which he was secretary for 14 years, and is still secretary of the Benevolent Committee. He is actively associated with such movements as the West Byfleet Boys’ Club, the West Byfleet Football Club (both of which he helped to found), Recreation Ground (of which he was for eight years superintendent), the Byfleet Conservative Association, the Village Boat Club and numerous other organisations. He was also chairman of the Byfleet and Pyrford Ratepayers’ Association for ten years, and is a licensed lay reader in the diocese of Guildford.

While his many friends in Byfleet and Woking will regret Mr. Stollery’s decision to retire from public work, most will agree that he has more than don his bit for the community among whom he lives, and will wish him well in the enjoyment of a little more heard earned leisure.

< The following article appeared in the Woking News and Mail in 11^th January 1946 giving a further insight to the background of A. W. Stollery>

MR. STOLLERY RESIGNS

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Council Tributes to Excellent Work

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The resignation of Mr. A.W. Stollery of Byfleet, whose intention to resign was exclusively announced in the “News and Mail” last November, came before the Woking Council on Tuesday, and was received with regret.

The chairman (Major C.H. May) read a letter from Mr. Stollery, in which he tendered his resignation as a member of the Council with deep regret. The years had been very happy, Mr. Stollery wrote, starting with a kindly welcome given by Mr. A.D. Campbell and increasing each year in volume. In this he included the officials of the Council.

He left behind him only one regret so far as the working of the Council was concerned, and this was a big one – the slow, but sure, manner in which the autocratic officialdom of Whitehall was strangling their efforts, pushing all kinds of work on to the Council and hamstringing them with every conceivable red tape. It was being done so slowly that they had not, up to the moment realised it. He sounded a note of warning to the returning Servicemen and youth of the area to watch out in the coming years, or the time would come when all would have to fill in a form to use the lavatory!

The Chairman said there was no one from whom they had a greater respect than Mr. Stollery. He remembered him as an excellent chairman, and his work on the Public Health Committee had been praiseworthy beyond words. He was a jolly good fellow and they would miss him terribly.

SERVED THE WHOLE DISTRICT

Mr. Cawsey said he had known Mr. Stollery in public work more than any one in the Council Chamber – for some thing like 20 years. Mr. Stollery had been interested in education in West Byfleet, and connected with the Byfleet Village Hall Charity, and was willing to continue with these if the Council was willing to continue if the Council agreed. He was also one of the stalwarts of the Byfleet British Restaurant, and if it was possible they would like him to continue with this also.

Mr. Derisley said Mr. Stollery and Mr. Cawsey had done the donkey work for the Byfleet British Restaurant, which he thought must be the most successful restaurant in Britain.

As one of the oldest members of the Council, Mr. Dalgleish said he realised what Mr. Stollery had done for Woking generally. Not only had he served Byfleet; he had served the whole district. They had around them in the Council Chamber evidence of his beneficence. The seats they sat on, the scheme of decoration, the curtains, pelmets and the carpets, were all provided by Mr. Stollery. It was a wonder how he had been able to carry on his business in view of the vast amount of time he spent on work for the community. He was alwass ready to give of his best, and it was a sad feeling that they were not going to see him again in the Council Chamber.

Mr. Campbell, as chairman who welcomed Mr. Stollery, said the happy relationship which existed between Byfleet and the rest of the urban district was largely due to Mr. Stollery’s personal influence.

Messrs. Calver and Westgate also added tributes.

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Historical note: There is a possibility that Mr. Stollery served with the 2^nd Battalion Royal Lancashire regiment (rank: sergeant major) and then the fledging Royal Air Force during WW1