J. Walter Royston
Epithet: Amateur filmmaker (1894-1961)
Record type: Biographies
Biography: J. Walter Royston was born in 1894. His father, Joseph Royston, was a dentist from the Isle of Man who owned "The Hermitage" dental surgery in Douglas, where J. Walter Royston was born.
He followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to become a dentist himself, working predominantly in Rodney Street, Liverpool. Some years before the Second World War J. Walter Royston came back to the Isle of Man to retire. He died at his home, "Sunnyside", in Douglas on the 3 February 1961, aged 67. He left behind a widow, Josephine Cunningham (known as Ina), and two adult children who lived in England.
He was particularly known for his work as a member of the Airports Board from 1943 onwards, and was connected with the founding of the Air Training Corps on the Island, of which he was President up until his death. He had been a member of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and served as part of the Home Guard in the Second World War. He was a member of Noble's Trustees, the Douglas Licensing Bench and also on the committee of the Children's Home for a long period of time.
Mr Royston was also a keen amateur filmmaker, capturing footage of the Isle of Man in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Occupation / profession: Dentist
Nationality: Manx
Gender: Male
Date of birth: 1894
Place of birth: Douglas
Date of death: 1961
Place of death: Douglas