Walter Valentine Churchill Longman – The Amazing Paulin(e) Family

St Louis Post Dispatch, 18 March 1914

From London comes the news of the formal announcement there of the engagement of Miss Sarah Talbot Kavanagh, daughter of Mr and Mrs William K Kavanagh of St Louis, to Walter Valentine Churchill Longman, son of the late HB Churchill Longman of London, England. Mrs Kavanaugh and her daughter went abroad last spring it was while they were visiting Sir Robert and Lady Hadfield and Lady Hadfield’s sister, Miss Lily Wickersham of Pittsburg, in London, that Miss Kavanaugh and Mr Churchill Longman met. Mrs Kavanaugh and her daughter, who have been in Berlin since August, are now in London, where Mr Kavanaugh and his son J Boggs Kavanaugh have joined them for the wedding, which will take place there in April.

St Louis Post Dispatch, 23 April 1936

Announcement has come from England of the engagement of Miss Valeria Churchill Longman of Ash, Canterbury, daughter of Major WV Churchill Longman and Mrs BC Moody, and Neil Abercrombie of Sandwich Kent, son of Prof and Mrs Patrick Abercrombie. Miss Churchill Longman is the granddaughter of the late William K Kavanaugh of this city, and is related to Mrs Taylor Bryan, 4346 McPherson avenue; Miss Mary, Miss Sunie and Miss Martha Clark, 5129 Washington boulevard, and Mrs Lee Hagerman of the Lucerne Apartments. The bride to be came to America several years ago to visit relatives, and stayed with her late grandfather in St Louis.

The Ottawa Journal, 18 Jun 1938

“Perfect Optimist” Loses L1,600 in a day

London – Walter Valentine Churchill Longman, 45 year-old ex-Major, walked out of the London Bankruptcy Court after his first meeting of creditors and said: “I am and always will be a perfect optimist.”

When Mr Churchill Longman was 31 and serving in the Regular Army in France – he inherited L20,000 from his father.

The war ended, and he received his first cheque. Within three years every penny had been lost in high living and gambling.

L70 Hotel Bills

“It was wonderful,” he said. “My hotel bills were never less than L70 a week.

“In those days in the West End I was considered a fine fellow. I was welcome at all the gambling parties. I lost as much as L1600 in a night on the turn of the cards.”

“Night after night I played for high stakes, and got back to my rooms with the milk in time for a bath and a quick breakfast in the morning. Then on to some fashionable gathering.

“I told the court that I had live a life of idleness for the past 15 years. I have, I suppose, but all the same I have tried to obtain work.

Failed in 1925

Mr Churchill Longman had also told the Assistant Official Receiver, Mr CT Newman,” that for the past 13 years he had been living on an allowance of L300 a year from his family.

He admitted a previous failure in 1925, with liabilities of L5000 and assets of L57.

The Assistant Official Receiver made an application for an adjudication in bankruptcy. Mr Churchill Longman opposed it, and said he hoped friends or relatives would settle his liabilities in full.

As he left Mr Churchill Longman said: “One of these days I shall be recognized again as a good spender. So why worry now?”

Dundee Courier 13 January 1934, page 5

Major Charged with Manslaughter

New Turn in Lady Doris Stapleton Case

“Only Woman I Love” Remark Recalled

Major Walter Valentine Churchill Longman (43) of Langs Road, Preston, Paignton, appeared before the Paignton magistrates yesterday in connection with the motor crash on December 20, in which Lady (Doris) Stapleton, wife of Sir Miles Stapleton, was killed.

Major Longman had been originally charged with being under the influence of intoxicating liquor while in charge of a car, but yesterday he was charged with manslaughter, and the final charges was adjourned sine die.

Mr. Lee Barber, prosecuting, pointed out that the inquest verdict should be no concern of the bench.

“Coroners’ juries sometimes do curious things,” he said. “In this case they saw fit to say that there was no culpable negligence by Major Longman, but the police think that there was.”

Dealing with the accident, which occurred in heavy but patchy fog, Mr. Barber commented: “The prosecution say that no one except a madman or a drunkard would have proceeded at anything more than a walking pace.”

Doctor’s Evidence

Dr Harold C Adams said that after the accident Major Longman was suffering from a considerable amount of shock and was also affected by having taken alcohol.

Mr. Fisher (for Major Longman) – Did you hear him use this expression – “I have killed the only woman in the world I love. I don’t care two hoots what happens to man, woman, or child, or to me. I am finished.”?

Witness – Yes.

I would not describe that as being hilarious; would you? – No

Constable Toms said that at the hospital Major Longman said – “It is all my fault. I killed her.”

The Court adjourned till Wednesday. Major Longman was allowed bail in the same surety as for the original charge.

Tag: Walter Valentine Churchill Longman

Marriage of Sarah Kavanagh and Walter Longman, 1914

Loses 1600 pounds in a day, 1938

Major Charged with Manslaughter, 1934