SRA’s first president in 1957
Rex was born at Richmond on 7 June 1882, son of Philip and Helen Ormiston who in 1891 lived at 4, Petersham Road The Paragon, Lower Road, Richmond. The Ormiston family ran Ormiston Wire, one of Britain’s longest running family businesses. The company was formed in 1793 by Philip Ormiston in the city of London, and is still going strong under the stewardship of his sixth-generation descendant Mark Ormiston. Reg did not follow in the family business but instead became a stock jobber.
He and some friends purchased a bungalow called The Follies between Laleham and Chertsey where he stayed during the summer months. In August 1908 he was sleeping in an outhouse and left some valuables including a watch and gold coins on his table within reach of an open window. By chance a week or so later, he spotted the chain in a pawnbrokers window in Victoria. Harold Fassnidge, a fishmonger of Pimlico was later arrested for the crime and other thefts in the area and was sentenced to 9 months in October.
Rex was a member of the SRA committee from 1909.
He married Marguerite Anicia Breton at Richmond on 10 August 1911. He remained a stock jobber but in 1917 he was clerk at the Royal Garrison Artillery, Richmond
He was 5’ 9” and weighed 10 st 8 lb . In 1939 he and his wife were living at Brierley Dumsey Eyot , Chertsey Surrey. He was a special constable and was awarded a service medal at a Surrey parade in July 1939.
He became the SRA’s first president in 1957 serving just over 2 years he died in the 2nd quarter of 1959.
Several members of the Ormiston family were members of the Skiff Club, including Rex’s nephew Jack