Fravigars Celebrate Golden Wedding
Source: Skegness Standard 1931
For the second time within the space of a few weeks the “West End” of Skegness has the distinction of housing a couple who have achieved fifty years of married life, and who like a familiar advertising figure, are still “going strong.”
The fine couple depicted are Mr. and Mrs. Francis Fravigar, of Rose Tree House, 2, Alexandra Road,. Skegness, who celebrate their golden wedding on Saturday next (May 30th).
They were married at the Boston R.C. Church in 1881, the bride being Miss Mary Ann Rear.
Both are Bostonians, Mr. Fravigar being born in Norfolk Street, while his wife went to the “Stump” town as quite a young child.
Although the couple only left Boston to take up permanent residence at Skegness at the close of the war, their associations ‘with the resort go back a matter of 40years. They travelled backwards and forwards to do business during the summer months and made Boston their home throughout the winter period.
As ice-cream vendors on the beach and elsewhere they have been familiar and respected figures to residents and holiday-makers throughout their long connection with Skegness.
Mr. and Mrs. Fravigar have had a family of twelve, of which three sons and four daughters are living. With the exception of one, all the surviving members of the family live at Skegness.
Mr. Fravigar is 78, and his wife is eight years his junior.
We join with their many friends and acquaintances in congratulating the couple upon the celebration this coming week-end and trust that we may have the pleasure of chronicling their diamond wedding ten years hence.
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Feb 14th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Hello Angela, I was amazed to see the above article. I have been trying to research my family history for some time with little success on my late mother’s side of the family. I eventually got a copy of my grandmother’s birth certificate and her parents were the Mr. & Mrs Fravigar above! Her name was Louise and she married Arthur Basketter in 1919. They had three children, Francis (known as Frank) Tom and Rose (known as Ada) who was my mother. The information you gave will be a great help in going back past Francis. On my grandmother’s 1886 birth certificate Francis Fravigar’s occupation is given as ‘Itinerent Musician’ on her marriage certificate in 1919 his occupation is ‘ice cream vendor’, quite a change of job! As for Francis’ wife, I wonder if was intentional that her parents named her Diary Rear! Sadly, considering the unusual name I have been unable to find her birth details with the information you had. Anyway, I won’t bore you any more, just to say thank you for the story which I was delighted to find, Kind regards Allan Hawkins.
Feb 14th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Hi Allan, glad to have been of some help.
If you care to email me at angelagooch@btinternet.com I will send above pic/article at large size and without logo.
Also I can send what census reports I can find.
On closer inseption of the newspaper article, I find that the bride’s name is actualy MARY Ann Rear - the mistake occured during transcription.
I’ve found the couple on the 1891 census and Francis is listed as a ‘travelling musician’ - the old-style handwriting can be quite difficult to decipher! Contrary to the newspaper article, Mary was born in Heckington, Lincolnshire. Sleaford Reg District Dec Q 1861 7a 438
Kind Regards
Angela