Clifford Schwabe (1874 – 1947)

Clifford Schwabe was born in 1874, the son of Louis and Blanche (Hartwright) Schwabe. He married May Littledale on 12 August 1913 at St. John’s, Chester. Below, the engagement announcement dated 18 July 1913:

Clifford Schwabe Engagement July 18 1913

Manchester Courier – Friday 18 July 1913: A marriage has been arranged, and will take place very quietly early in August, between May, youngest daughter of the late J. B. Littledale, and Clifford Schwabe, of Arden, Ashley, Altrincham.

Below, the marriage announcement dated 21 August 1913: 

Clifford Schwabe Marriage Aug 21 1913

Clifford died on 09 November 1947 Cuddington Grange, Northwich, Cheshire.

Clifford Schwabe death notice  Nov 12 1947

Winsford Chronicle – Saturday 15 November 1947:
CLIFFORD SCHWABE. We regret to announce the death. which occurred on Sunday of Mr Clifford Schwabe, Cuddington Grange, Sandiway. Mr Schwabe, who was 74, had lived in Sandiway for 5 years and came to this neighbourhood from Ashley, where he had been engaged in farming for many years. In addition to his agricultural interests, Mr. Schwabe was well known in Manchester business circles. The country and country pursuits had a great attraction for him, and he was an old member of the Cheshire Hunt and rode regularly with hounds until 1939. Mr. Schwabe leaves a wife and two daughters. The funeral took place privately at Manchester Crematorium on Thursday.

Manchester Evening News – Tuesday 11 May 1948: Mr. Clifford Schwabe, of Cuddington Grange, Northwich, formerly of Arden House, Ashley, near Altrincham (£53,556 net)

The children of Clifford and May (Littledale) Schwabe are:

  1. BETTY (born 19 October 1915)
  2. MAUD (below her birth announcement)
Clifford Schwabe Dau birth Wednesday, April 21 1915
Clifford Schwabe on 1901 census
clifford schwabe Gil Nettie for web

Clifford appears on the 1901 census. The pictures (below) show Clifford on the right on a visit to Gilbert Schwabe (1887 – 1971) and his wife Sara (1893 -1977) in Canada, probably in the mid 1940’s. Gilbert was the son of Walter. Gilbert and Clifford were second cousins.

clifford schwabe2


At the Harland and Wolff archives in the Belfast Public Record Office there is a record of apprentices which includes an entry for Clifford Schwabe starting as a gentleman apprentice on Monday 23rd June1890. Clifford would have been 16 years old.

Clifford Schwabe robate

MAUD SCHWABE and THE LEGARD FAMILY.

The engagement is announced in May 1946.

Maud Schwabe Marriage May 15 1946

Major Antony Ronald Legard was born on 17 January 1912.1 He was the son of Brig.-Gen. d’Arcy Legard and Lady Edith Margaret Emily Mary Foljambe.2 He married Maud Schwabe, daughter of Clifford Schwabe, on 28 May 1946.1 He died on 22 August 2004 at age 92.1 He was educated at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire, England. He graduated from Trinity College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) He fought in the Second World War. He was appointed Member, Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in 1940.1 He gained the rank of Major in the Royal Engineers. He was with ICI.

Children of Major Antony Ronald Legard and Maud Schwabe:

  • Simon Littledale Legard b. 20 Oct 1947
  • Diana May Legard b. 28 Apr 1950
  • David Antony Legard b. 10 May 1953

From Wikipedia:

Antony Ronald Legard (17 January 1912 – 22 August 2004), nicknamed Loopy, was an Indian-born English cricketer who played 36 first-class matches, mostly for Oxford University in the 1930s. He also played twice for Free Foresters and had one match each for Worcestershire, the Europeans in India and MCC.

Legard made his first-class debut for Oxford against Leicestershire at The University Parks in May 1932; he took four wickets, including that of Alan Shipman in both innings.[2] He played consistently that season, including against the South Americans (on their only first-class tour) when he scored 38, the only time he ever passed 20.[3] Later in the year he was selected for the Varsity Match against Cambridge University at Lord’s, where he took six wickets in a drawn match.[4]

Legard played for much of the 1933 season, but was not selected for the Varsity Match, and did not appear at all in 1934.[5] However, 1935 saw him once again picked for the Lord’s game, and once again perform excellently: he obtained career-best figures of 7–36 in the second innings with what his Wisden obituary called a “devastating” opening spell of swing bowling.[5] Even so, a powerful Cambridge side won the game by a wide margin.[6]

That game marked his last appearance for Oxford, but less than a fortnight later he played his one and only County Championship match, appearing for Worcestershire at Northampton. He took no wickets, but his 18 from number eleven in the first innings was a useful contribution to Worcestershire’s eventual 30-run victory.[7]

The remainder of Legard’s first-class career consisted of four matches spread over almost a decade: one for Europeans against Hindus in the Bombay Pentangular — the Europeans were thrashed by an innings and 209 runs, but Legard claimed four wickets[8] — two appearances for Free Foresters against Cambridge University, and finally (aged 40) a one-off appearance for MCC against Ireland in Dublin.[9]