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the Mastel and Appleby families

First generation (grandparents)

Walter Francis Appleby – later known as John (Jack) Mastel

The family knew that John Mastel’s original surname was Appleby, and assumed that his birth name was John Appleby.  Indeed, in the 1901 census, the child who is the correct age to be John Mastel is named as John Appleby.  However, in the 1891 census, in the same family the child who is the correct age is called Walter Francis and there is no John mentioned.   Much to the surprise of all the family, we have found that his name was indeed Walter Francis Appleby, although he seems always to have been know as John or Jack.

Walter Francis Appleby was born 17 Jun 1888 at 21 St Thomas Place in Hackney.  His father was John Appleby, occupation Tin Plate Worker, and his mother Charlotte Appleby, formerly Lowry. (source birth certificate)

In 1910, Walter Francis travelled to China, to serve in the Shanghai Municipal Police  (records show a WF Appleby serving from 1910 to 1911 – (http://mail.bris.ac.uk/~hirab/smp2.html) further info requested on 25.11.04 from collator of this report)

After his spell in Shanghai, he then went to Canada, supposedly to work for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

John Appleby sailed from Southampton on the SS Ausonia, arriving Portland Maine on 11 feb 1913 en route to Stratford, Ontario.  He gave his occupation as tool setter and his next of kin was named as John Appleby (his father) of 29 Sedgewick Street, Homerton.  (Note: Sedgwick St is the address where John’s mother Charlotte died in 1926)  His fare had been paid by Globe-Wernicke of Stratford Ontario, which is also the address he gave as his final destination.  It appears that the Globe-Wernicke furniture factory in Stratford Ontario was owned by a cousin, James John Mason, the son of John Mason and Ann Waggett

However, it seems he didn’t stay long in Canada; according to a story told by his brother Ernest he arrived in the Canadian winter wearing a thin coat and thin gloves.  He thought it was a terrible country and went to the United States, possibly to Detroit.  Next thing Ernest heard he was back in England and had joined the ‘Services’.  Ernest knew nothing of his change of name, and in fact John Mastel sent a letter to Ernest’s family in Canada in 1960 signing himself ‘Uncle John Appleby’.  Ernest apparently told his grandson that ‘he never trusted his brother Walter’.

He changed name to John Mastel in ~ 1914/15, but was known as Jack.

According to family recollections, at the start of the Great War,  Walter joined the Canadian Armed Forces (or perhaps it was the American Armed Forces?) and was posted back to UK where he changed his name to John Mastel in order to join the Royal Flying Corps.   No-one has yet been able to discover why he chose the name Mastel, perhaps he had been lodging with a family of that name in Canada or the States (there were Mastel families living in both countries around 1900 – many of them Russian refugees). He hoped to become a pilot like his brother Harry, however he became a winch operator for observation balloons in Mesopotamia.  (see http://www.official-history-ww1.com/other_theatres/aboutcd2.htm#7 for info about this).   The photo right shows John Appleby (standing right), Rosetta (seated) at the marriage of their daughter Rita to Andrew.  Their son Royston John was best man.

 John Mastel was married on 30 dec 1916 to Rosetta Caroline Gorton (Rose) at the Register Office in Lambeth– at the time of their marriage, his address was 248 Kennington Rd, Lambeth, and Rose Gorton’s address was 30 White Hart Street, Kennington.  The marriage certificate states that his father’s name was John Mastel, motor mechanic deceased (although we know it was actually John Appleby) and Rose’s father was Silas George Gorton, ‘Clay Miner’ (I think this is meant to read r’way miner, as according to 1901 census his occupation was miner, electric railway company).  Witnesses were S G Gorton, E E Gorton and A J Girdlestone. (source marriage certificate)  See “Gorton Family” for notes about Rosetta Gorton and her ancestors.

After the war John worked for Dotteridge Car Hire in Clerkenwell Road as a chauffeur driving American tourists around Britain.  On Sundays, his wife Rose would take the Americans to Petticoat Lane.   Later he worked in Laidlers Hardware Store, which belonged to his brother Harry.  Rose and John parted at the end of the 1940s.  Interestingly, even though she was very close to the family, Rose’s sister Jean also knew nothing of John Mastel’s change of name, but did think he was a bit of ‘a man of mystery’! 

John Mastel died in University College Hospital, St Pancras on 18^th July 1966 of polycythaemia (the same condition as his brother Ernest) and Myelofibrosis.  He was 78 years of age and his occupation was Shopkeeper (retired) of 142 Vicarage Road, Leyton.  The death was reported by R J Paterson, daughter, of 3 Glaister Place, Kettering, Northants. (source death certificate)

Children:   Royston John Mastel (b1917 Tottenham) and Rita Mastel (b1919 in Hackney)

Rosetta Caroline (Rose) Gorton

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