Laycock Richard
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1856 |
| Date of death | 1941 |
Richard William Laycock (1856-1941) arrived in South Australia in 1858 on the ship “General Hewitt” with his father Richard Laycock, mother Jane Laycock, and older brother Frederick James (1854-1940). The family settled in Adelaide and Richard Laycock senior established a successful monumental masonry business there.
Richard William Laycock moved to Gawler, but it is not clear if he did so before he married Elizabeth Ann (‘Lizzie’) Riggs (1856-1916) of Gawler on 19 June 1879. H.E. Coombe in his book “History of Gawler” (1908) states that “monumental mason Mr R. Laycock has carried on business for the last 20 years.” Lizzie was the daughter of John Riggs of Gawler. Over a period of 22 years, Richard and Lizzie had 12 children: Richard Allan Laycock (1881-1964), Leslie John Laycock (1884-1958), Frederick Osmond Laycock (1886-1918 - died as Prisoner of War WWI), Leonard Scott Laycock (1889-1970 - served WWI), Howard Roy Laycock (1891-1962), Clifford Arnold Laycock (1895-1990), Francis Kingsley Laycock (1897-1978 - served WWI), and the twins Oliver Keith Laycock (1900-1901) (who died aged 1 year old) and Charles Bertram Laycock (1900-1901) (who died aged 3 months old).
It is thought that Laycock plied his marble works trade at the rear of 27 Murray Street, with a large proportion of the monumental work in the Willaston Cemetery being done by him. He later moved back to Adelaide where he died on 19 June 1941. His remains were interred in the family burial plot in Willaston Cemetery. Originally a blacksmiths’ shop, the Murray Street premises were gradually enlarged over the years with the front being extended as a shop about 1906. Laycock’s sons ran a family business called "Laycock Brothers". They were complete home furnishers and also coach, motor cycle and motor car body builders, repairers and painters, house painters, wallpaper hangers and decorators, signwriters, importers of farm machinery, and agents for several other businesses.
Richard Laycock’s monumental masonry business in Gawler continued in his name after his death until 1957.
Compiled by Rita Bogna
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