John Basil Lee Jellicoe was the eldest son of the Reverend Thomas Harry Lee Jellicoe of St Peter’s Church, Chailey and Bethia Theodora Jellicoe (nee Boyd). His uncle, Arthur Hamilton Boyd, who was also a clergyman in civil life, would have a distinguished career in the
army during the First World War.
Basil, as he was known, was born on 5th February 1899. He first gets a mention in Chailey Parish Magazine’s
roll of honour in March 1917 where he is noted as Jellicoe, J B L, Univ OTC, Oxford. By December 1917 he is noted as serving with the
RNVR and in March 1918 is noted as assistant paymaster with the RNVR. This information
is then repeated monthly up to and including the final published roll call in July 1919.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University
Press, 2004) has this to say about John Jellicoe:
Jellicoe, (John) Basil Lee (1899-1935),
housing reformer and Church of England clergyman, was born on 5 February 1899 at Chailey, Sussex, the elder son of
Thomas Harry Lee Jellicoe, rector of Chailey, and his wife, Bethia Theodora, youngest daughter of Sir John Boyd, of Maxpoffle,
Roxburgh, lord provost of Edinburgh from 1888 to 1891. His father was a cousin of J. R. Jellicoe, first Earl Jellicoe.
A few months before the end of the First World War he left Oxford to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served for a short
time in the Mediterranean.
This rather spare and stuffy review does not appear to do justice
to the man. In the 1920s he campaigned successfully to replace the Somers Town slums in Camden, north London with decent housing
and was a colossus in the neighbourhood as well as a firm favourite with the residents. He founded what later became
the St Pancras Housing and Humanist Association and helped set up similar groups throughout England. He worked tirelessly
for the benefit of poorer communities and must have been sorely missed when he died
at the young age of 36.
The following information was published in The Times:
August 26 1935
THE REV. J. B. L. JELLICOE
SLUM CLEARANCE IN ST. PANCRAS
The Rev. John Basil Lee Jellicoe
died on Saturday in a nursing home of pneumonia in his thirty-seventh year. He will be remembered for his remarkable work
as the chairman and organizer of the St. Pancras House Improvement Society, Limited, which has demonstrated that the improvement
of slum areas by private enterprise is a sound financial proposition. The elder son of the Rev. T. H. L. Jellicoe, of Sullington
Warren, Pulborough, Jellicoe took his degree from Magdalen College, Oxford, and
after preparation at St. Stephen's House was appointed in 1922 head of the Magdalen College Mission and curate of St. Mary's,
Somers Town. He resolved that he would not rest till his people had homes fit to live in, and the rehousing schemes started
by his society have already provided many excellent flats with gardens, trees, ponds, swings for the children, and other amenities.
Although the rents charged are not more than what the tenants paid for the old slums, the loan stock receives 2 per cent.
and the ordinary shares 3 per cent. In 1929 Messrs. Whitbread entrusted the control of the rebuilt publichouse in Stibbington
Street to Father Jellicoe. It was licensed to sell beer but not spirits, and was provided with a roof garden, a restaurant,
and various games. When it was proposed to form a college for publicans, to bc conducted by Church of England clergymen, Father
Jellicoc said it was hoped "to attract young men of the best type who would regard the office of publican as a grcat and honourable
profession. They should regard it also as a magnificent opportunity of social service by providing decent and happy recreation
for their fellow-men." The progress of the society was steady, with the support of the Prince of Wales, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the late Minister of Health (Sir Hilton Young, now Lord Kennet), and others, and more blocks of flats were opened.
But, as a letter in The Times last June showed, the society still needs at least £150,000 in loan stock and Ordinary shares
to rebuild three verminous and overcrowded sites in Somers Town already in its possession. Last year Father Jellicoe moved
to St. Martin-in-the-Fields as curate.
Three days later, The Times published details of his funeral:
1935 August 29th
THE REV. J. B. L. JELLICOE
The funeral of the Rev. Basil Jellicoe took place at Chailey
Parish Church yesterday. The service was conducted by the Bishop of Dover, assisted by the Rev. H. J. Boyd and the Rev. H.
H. Matravers. The choir boys of St. Mary's of the Angels Song School, under the Rev. Desmond Morse-Boycott, took part in the
service. The principal mourners included:–
Mrs. Jellicoe (mother), Lieutenant-Commander C. J. L. Jellicoe (brother), Mrs. I. L. Murray (aunt), the Rev. John and Mrs. Murray, Mr. Felix St. H. Jellicoe, Mr. St.
Alban Jellicoe, Miss Jellicoe, Mrs. Jellicoe and the Rev. Arthur H. Boyd and the Rev. Halbert J. Boyd (uncles).
Among others present were:-
Mrs. Madge Waller (representing the Under 40 Club), Mr. Eric
Beetham and Mr. R. D. Just (representing the Fellowship of St. Christopher). the Rev. N. Scott, Miss E. Terry, Mr. R. L. Atkinson,
Mr. L. Day and Mr. Ian B. Hamilton (representing St. Pancras House Improvement Society), the Rev. J. C. Nankivell (representing
the Isle of Dogs Housing Society), the Rev. N. G. Powell (representing Canon Carr, St. Michael's Housing Society, Penzance),
Mr. Donald G. Pelly (Strichard Housing Society).
The Rev. C. P. Shaw (representing the Church Union Housing
Association), the Rev. Percy Maryon-Wilson and the Rev. Lorimer Reece (representing the Magdalene College Mission), the Rev.
H. W. Grepe, the Rev. W. T. Norburn, the Rev. Hampden Thompson, Canon H. L. Pass (representing the Dean and Chapter of Chichester
Cathedral), the Rev. C. W. Handford, the Rev. A. R. H. Faithfull, the Rev. C. E. B. Neate, the Rev. F. G. Fincham, the Rev.
Montague Cox, the Rev. Donald V. Beckingham, the Rev. W. A. C. Ullathorne, the Rev. B. Thackeray, the Rev. E. I. Frost, the
Rev. C. P. Orr, the Rev. C. G. Earmaker, Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Blencowe, Mr. and Mrs. I. Blencowe, Miss Blencowe, Mrs. Morse-Boycott.
Mrs. Maryon-Wilson, Miss Bartlett Blake, Elsie Lady Shiffner,
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Boyd, Lieutenant-Commander and Mrs. E. B. Martino, Mr. Alan L. Todd, M.P., Miss Margerson, Mr. and the
Hon. Mrs. Maryan-Wilson, Mrs. Hampden Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Basil Henriques, Lady Kenderdine, and Mrs. Reginald M. Mason.
A memorial service was held at St. Mary the Virgin, Somers
Town, yesterday for the Rev. John Basil Lee Jellicoe. The Rev. Percy Maryon-Wilson officiated, assisted by the Rev. H. L.
O. Rees and the Rev. T. M. Parker.
Among those present were:-
Mrs. D. G. Morris, Mr. Halliday McCartney, Miss Critchley,
Mr. S. Rundle, Mr. and Mrs. John Gillard, Mr. W. H. Sheppard, the Rev. Langtry Williams (New York). the Rev. Eric Bailey (All
Saints', Margaret Street). The Rev. T. A. S. Marsden, Mr. P. Henniker Heaton, Mr. A. J. Stewart, Miss Hunt, Mrs. Kightley,
Mrs. M. White, Mr. John F. Dell, Mr. L. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Toop, Miss E. Miller, Miss S. G. Saunders, Mr. Charles Low, Miss
E. M. Evans, Miss Oaker.
Miss F. A. Day, Mrs. M. P. Leonard, Mr. W. L. Cooke, Miss
Packer, the Rev. L. Jones, the Rev. J. W. E. Hooton, Mrs. A. Clark (St. Mary's Schools). Mrs. Ayrton, Mrs. Davidge, the Rev.
Adam Fox (representing Magdalen College).
Miss Collet, Sister E. Armstrong, Miss De Rougemont, the
Rev. Nigel Scott (representing St. Pancras House Improvement Society), Councillor F. Howson (former Mayor of St. Pancras),
Mr. E. Ormnan, Mrs. Hunt, Mr. W, Bell, Miss Crowe, Miss Gedge, Miss E. Ayr, Miss E. Perry, the Rev. Norman
Haigh, Mrs Henley Chater.
The Rev. J. A. Gorton, Brother Kenneth (B.S.F.A.), Mr. H.
E. Howell (All Saints', Margaret Street), Sister Gent, the Rev. M. Le Marrino, Father Biggart (representing the Community
of the Resurrection), Mrs. W. Sharp, Father Ferguson, the Rev. C. D. Horsley, the Rev. A. Swift, Mrs. E. A. Taylor, Miss Horsley.
Miss Edith Neville (chairman of the St. Pancras House Improvement
Society) was unable to be present owing to absence abroad, and Lady Warren was unable to be present owing to serious illness.
In 2003, Jellicoe - The Musical, scripted by veteran
writer and Somers Town resident Ron Inglis, brought Father Basil Jellicoe back to life when it was staged at The Shaw Theatre
in London. The photo reproduced on this page is lifted from the Camden New Journal website and shows Basil Jellicoe right, in the Hope and Anchor pub in 1930. Prince George, The Prince of Wales stands in between
him and the pub's manager.
Basil Jellicoe's younger brother Christopher Theodore Jellicoe is also noted in Chailey’s Parish Magazine as serving his King and Country.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- Fred Williams for his assistance
with Jellicoe in particular and WW1 naval service records in general
- Camden New Journal
- My grateful thanks to Robert
Lowe in New Zealand for sending me Basil Jellicoe's obituary and funeral details from The Times.
