The Timberscombe Village Post Office, c. 1909
Title
The Timberscombe Village Post Office, c. 1909
Subject
Description
Two copies of a photograph, dated c. 1909, taken outside of the first post office of Timberscombe, during the time it was at the cottage called Berrowcote. It is situated on Brook Street, at the northern edge of the village and is the first cottage of a row, seen on the right side of the photograph. Two women stand in the road, probably being Eva Jane Floyde and her mother, Alice Floyde, who owned Berrowcote. Mail was dropped off into a post office box built into an enclosed window on the right end of the cottage facing the road, as seen at SP-022.
On the 12th of July 1844, James Thomas, a carpenter born in Timberscombe, was appointed the village's first Post Master, swearing an oath to Thomas Luttrell, acting as Magistrate for the County of Somerset (1). On the 1843 Tithe Map, Berrowcote was owned by Mr. Robert Blackmore and it was listed as occupied by Issacs (as spelled) Thomas, father of James Thomas. However the 1841 Census suggests that James and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Moody) Thomas, were already living here, with their 6-year-old daughter, Mary and two boys, John aged 4 and 7-month-old Henry (2). By the 1851 Census, James was listed as head of the household at Berrowcote and his father is a "lodger".
It appears that Elizabeth did much of the postal work while her husband concentrated on his carpentry work (3). In 1858, their daughter, Mary Thomas, who had been working as a dressmaker, married Thomas Lyddon, a tailor originally from Dunster (4).
James Thomas died in 1878 and Mary and Thomas Lyddon moved into The Post Office, as it was mostly addressed by now, to run the post office. Mary's mother, Elizabeth Thomas ,continued living here until her passing in 1884, listed on the 1881 Census as "Formerly Sub-Post Mistress." Before coming to The Post Office, the Lyddons had lived at the Turnpike Gate House, opposite Cowbridge Mill, where Mary had been the Toll Collector (5).
A Deed of Conveyance, dated December 30th 1899, shows that the ownership of The Post Office had been assumed by the Floyde family (6). Alice Floyde, born in Timberscombe in 1853 and recently widowed, was living in the cottage called The Retreat (later renamed Ivy Cottage), semi-detached to the left of The Post Office, with her son, William Floyde, 22-years-old. The new Deed has Alice Floyde named "the first part of the Vendor, Mr. William Floyde, the second part and Eva Jane Floyde, the third part". Eva Jane was William's sister, older by two years.
It does not appear that the Floyde family ever lived at The Post Office. Mary Lyddon, also recently widowed, continued as Sub Post Mistress until her death in 1913 (7). Alice Floyde worked as a sick nurse (8) until her death in 1917 (9) and lived at Rose Cottage, directly behind The Post Office. (It has been said that Alice was struck and killed by an early car stepping out of The Post Office but that is probably not correct). Eva Jane lived at and worked as a domestic at Knowle Manor (10), and by the 1911 Census had moved to Oxfordshire, also working as a domestic. In later years Eva Jane returned and also lived at Rose Cottage, listing herself on the 1939 England and Wales Register as a "Post Office Deliverer"--the only indication of a Floyde doing post office work. Mr. William Floyde worked as a mason, living with his wife at Hill View (11), a cottage that he built himself at the end of Great House Street (called Duck Lane at the time), opposite Hole's Square. Maurice Huxtable, a longtime resident of Timberscombe, in 2019 remembered Floyde living there. It was later demolished, with another cottage, Willow Cottage, built on the site. As a boy, Maurice Huxtable also remembered Eva Jane at Rose Cottage, where she made and sold ice-cream. Eva Jane still partially owned Berrowcote, "formerly used as a Post Office", when she signed a Deed of Release on the 18th of October 1947, received £50 and exonerated and discharged the property back to her brother (12). Two days later, William Floyde sold Berrowcote to a retired farmer, John Land, formerly of Hillway Farm on the Dulverton Road He remained there until his death in 1961 and his wife, Elizabeth Jane (nee Cowling) Land lived until 1976. It was a good thing Mr. Floyde sold to Mr. and Mrs. Land quickly, as he died before 1947 ended (13). It is likely Eva Jane remained living at Rose Cottage (it is made clear on the Deed of Release that it was not part of Berrowcote), until her death between July and September, 1949 (14) . Berrowcote was renamed Burrow Cottage by 1977 (possibly to sound more modern), when it was sold to Geoffrey and Ann Toze, who moved there, coming from Church Street in Dunster (15).
Mary Lyddon raised two boys and two girls while living at The Post Office. Both of her sons, Thomas and Hedley, became Rural Postmen. Hedley died as a young father and his daughter, Gertrude Mary Lyddon came (at the age of eleven months) to live with her grandmother and grew up assisting running The Post Office (16). One of Mary's daughters, Elizabeth Mary, was living next door, at The Retreat (17). Elizabeth Mary's husband, John Coles, Junior, became "assistant overseer" at The Post Office, aiding the now elderly Mary Lyddon (18). After Mrs. Lyddon died in 1913, Elizabeth Mary Coles assumed the position of sub-postmistress, as she was listed on the 1921 Census and the 1931 Kelly's Directory of Somerset. It is likely Mr. and Mrs. Cole worked in The Post Office, returning to their cottage next door at the day's end--conceivably how The Retreat got its name. Also on the 1921 Census, Gertrude Mary was still living at The Post Office (or had come back to it), now there with her husband, William Harold Down, a "Fir Planter" for the Forestry Commissioner and their three-year-old son, Leslie and three-month-old daughter, Doreen.
Mary Lyddon's older son, Thomas, also had a daughter, Constance Olive Lyddon. In 1922 she married Fred Bond (19). By the 1935 Kelly's Directory, he was listed as Sub-Postmaster, living and running the new post office up the road at Little Farthings. After almost 90 years, The Post Office reverted to being Berrowcote (or was sometimes called the Old Post Office).
It is not certain the women pictured are Eva Jane and Alice Floyde. In 1909, Eva Jane would be 32 and Alice would be 56, seemingly appropriate ages for these women. Born in 1934, Mary Lyddon would be older and her granddaughter and Mrs. Coles would be younger. As owners of the property, it is more likely the Floyde women might have been photographed here. In 2021, Maurice Huxtable again recalled purchasing ice-cream from an older Eva Jane Floyde and believed she was the younger woman in this photograph.
In this 1909 photograph, Berrowcote is rendered on its right side but in the 1960's its red sandstone was exposed. The main entranceway, is on the building's right side, as seen here with a curved stone arch, later covered with a curved metal porch (20). In later 20th century, the doorway's top was levelled off (the outline of the arch is still visible) and the metal porch was replaced with a wooden one, made from the pews being replaced at St. Petrock's Church (21). Next door, The Retreat (later Ivy Cottage), at times the home of Alice Floyde and the Coles, is hardly visible at the angle taken in this c. 1909 photograph. On the 1843 Tithe Map, The Retreat was part of Berrowcote and may have been incorporated with it at other times. Past it, a pub sign is visible. While not readable in the upper photograph, the lower photograph is clear enough to indicate that this was The Rose and Crown, established by 1825. It's license was not renewed in 1915 but it may have remained opened awhile, serving non-alcoholic refreshments before closing. By late 1917 or in 1918, it became an apartment house called Rosemont (22). At the end of the row (and at the time of this photograph), are the stables of the Rose and Crown, that will be converted to The Linhay, a private house in the 20th century. All of this row is likely early 19th century, possibly later 18th century (23) and appeared on the 1843 Tithe Map.
The road pictured was the main northeastern entry road to Timberscombe, becoming Brook Street. Here it can be seen beginning to turn toward the right, where it comes to the village centre. Timberscombe did not get a bypass until 1989, when it was finally connected to the A396 (24). Only then, the stretch of road in this photograph was narrowed and partially became a pavement and to the left, the hedge will be cleared and a village green is established, becoming Brewers Green, named after the Brewer family, who donated the land (25).
The upper photograph was the property of Alan Hines and Tom Sperling who purchased Burrow Cottage in 2007 and renamed it Berrowcote on 26 July 2022. They believed that the photograph was labeled on the bottom left as "THE VILLAGE & POST OFFICE". In 2021, the lower photograph was donated to the St. Petrock's History Group by John D. Jones of Monmouthshire. His aunt, Mrs. Mary Wright had been Head Teacher at the Timberscombe School from 1976 to 1985 and Mr. Jones found this photograph in a file of items from her time at Timberscombe. More clear, the lower photograph not only revealed "THE ROSE AND CROWN" on the pub sign but also that the label extended into the road, reading "THE VILLAGE & POST OFFICE, TIMBERSCOMBE , 1599"--indicating this image was part of a series of c. 1909 village photographs, including one featuring the Brook Street shop known as Poole's (labeled "1596" and seen at SP-034) and a view taken from the western end of Timberscombe (labeled "1598" and seen at SP-064).
On the 12th of July 1844, James Thomas, a carpenter born in Timberscombe, was appointed the village's first Post Master, swearing an oath to Thomas Luttrell, acting as Magistrate for the County of Somerset (1). On the 1843 Tithe Map, Berrowcote was owned by Mr. Robert Blackmore and it was listed as occupied by Issacs (as spelled) Thomas, father of James Thomas. However the 1841 Census suggests that James and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Moody) Thomas, were already living here, with their 6-year-old daughter, Mary and two boys, John aged 4 and 7-month-old Henry (2). By the 1851 Census, James was listed as head of the household at Berrowcote and his father is a "lodger".
It appears that Elizabeth did much of the postal work while her husband concentrated on his carpentry work (3). In 1858, their daughter, Mary Thomas, who had been working as a dressmaker, married Thomas Lyddon, a tailor originally from Dunster (4).
James Thomas died in 1878 and Mary and Thomas Lyddon moved into The Post Office, as it was mostly addressed by now, to run the post office. Mary's mother, Elizabeth Thomas ,continued living here until her passing in 1884, listed on the 1881 Census as "Formerly Sub-Post Mistress." Before coming to The Post Office, the Lyddons had lived at the Turnpike Gate House, opposite Cowbridge Mill, where Mary had been the Toll Collector (5).
A Deed of Conveyance, dated December 30th 1899, shows that the ownership of The Post Office had been assumed by the Floyde family (6). Alice Floyde, born in Timberscombe in 1853 and recently widowed, was living in the cottage called The Retreat (later renamed Ivy Cottage), semi-detached to the left of The Post Office, with her son, William Floyde, 22-years-old. The new Deed has Alice Floyde named "the first part of the Vendor, Mr. William Floyde, the second part and Eva Jane Floyde, the third part". Eva Jane was William's sister, older by two years.
It does not appear that the Floyde family ever lived at The Post Office. Mary Lyddon, also recently widowed, continued as Sub Post Mistress until her death in 1913 (7). Alice Floyde worked as a sick nurse (8) until her death in 1917 (9) and lived at Rose Cottage, directly behind The Post Office. (It has been said that Alice was struck and killed by an early car stepping out of The Post Office but that is probably not correct). Eva Jane lived at and worked as a domestic at Knowle Manor (10), and by the 1911 Census had moved to Oxfordshire, also working as a domestic. In later years Eva Jane returned and also lived at Rose Cottage, listing herself on the 1939 England and Wales Register as a "Post Office Deliverer"--the only indication of a Floyde doing post office work. Mr. William Floyde worked as a mason, living with his wife at Hill View (11), a cottage that he built himself at the end of Great House Street (called Duck Lane at the time), opposite Hole's Square. Maurice Huxtable, a longtime resident of Timberscombe, in 2019 remembered Floyde living there. It was later demolished, with another cottage, Willow Cottage, built on the site. As a boy, Maurice Huxtable also remembered Eva Jane at Rose Cottage, where she made and sold ice-cream. Eva Jane still partially owned Berrowcote, "formerly used as a Post Office", when she signed a Deed of Release on the 18th of October 1947, received £50 and exonerated and discharged the property back to her brother (12). Two days later, William Floyde sold Berrowcote to a retired farmer, John Land, formerly of Hillway Farm on the Dulverton Road He remained there until his death in 1961 and his wife, Elizabeth Jane (nee Cowling) Land lived until 1976. It was a good thing Mr. Floyde sold to Mr. and Mrs. Land quickly, as he died before 1947 ended (13). It is likely Eva Jane remained living at Rose Cottage (it is made clear on the Deed of Release that it was not part of Berrowcote), until her death between July and September, 1949 (14) . Berrowcote was renamed Burrow Cottage by 1977 (possibly to sound more modern), when it was sold to Geoffrey and Ann Toze, who moved there, coming from Church Street in Dunster (15).
Mary Lyddon raised two boys and two girls while living at The Post Office. Both of her sons, Thomas and Hedley, became Rural Postmen. Hedley died as a young father and his daughter, Gertrude Mary Lyddon came (at the age of eleven months) to live with her grandmother and grew up assisting running The Post Office (16). One of Mary's daughters, Elizabeth Mary, was living next door, at The Retreat (17). Elizabeth Mary's husband, John Coles, Junior, became "assistant overseer" at The Post Office, aiding the now elderly Mary Lyddon (18). After Mrs. Lyddon died in 1913, Elizabeth Mary Coles assumed the position of sub-postmistress, as she was listed on the 1921 Census and the 1931 Kelly's Directory of Somerset. It is likely Mr. and Mrs. Cole worked in The Post Office, returning to their cottage next door at the day's end--conceivably how The Retreat got its name. Also on the 1921 Census, Gertrude Mary was still living at The Post Office (or had come back to it), now there with her husband, William Harold Down, a "Fir Planter" for the Forestry Commissioner and their three-year-old son, Leslie and three-month-old daughter, Doreen.
Mary Lyddon's older son, Thomas, also had a daughter, Constance Olive Lyddon. In 1922 she married Fred Bond (19). By the 1935 Kelly's Directory, he was listed as Sub-Postmaster, living and running the new post office up the road at Little Farthings. After almost 90 years, The Post Office reverted to being Berrowcote (or was sometimes called the Old Post Office).
It is not certain the women pictured are Eva Jane and Alice Floyde. In 1909, Eva Jane would be 32 and Alice would be 56, seemingly appropriate ages for these women. Born in 1934, Mary Lyddon would be older and her granddaughter and Mrs. Coles would be younger. As owners of the property, it is more likely the Floyde women might have been photographed here. In 2021, Maurice Huxtable again recalled purchasing ice-cream from an older Eva Jane Floyde and believed she was the younger woman in this photograph.
In this 1909 photograph, Berrowcote is rendered on its right side but in the 1960's its red sandstone was exposed. The main entranceway, is on the building's right side, as seen here with a curved stone arch, later covered with a curved metal porch (20). In later 20th century, the doorway's top was levelled off (the outline of the arch is still visible) and the metal porch was replaced with a wooden one, made from the pews being replaced at St. Petrock's Church (21). Next door, The Retreat (later Ivy Cottage), at times the home of Alice Floyde and the Coles, is hardly visible at the angle taken in this c. 1909 photograph. On the 1843 Tithe Map, The Retreat was part of Berrowcote and may have been incorporated with it at other times. Past it, a pub sign is visible. While not readable in the upper photograph, the lower photograph is clear enough to indicate that this was The Rose and Crown, established by 1825. It's license was not renewed in 1915 but it may have remained opened awhile, serving non-alcoholic refreshments before closing. By late 1917 or in 1918, it became an apartment house called Rosemont (22). At the end of the row (and at the time of this photograph), are the stables of the Rose and Crown, that will be converted to The Linhay, a private house in the 20th century. All of this row is likely early 19th century, possibly later 18th century (23) and appeared on the 1843 Tithe Map.
The road pictured was the main northeastern entry road to Timberscombe, becoming Brook Street. Here it can be seen beginning to turn toward the right, where it comes to the village centre. Timberscombe did not get a bypass until 1989, when it was finally connected to the A396 (24). Only then, the stretch of road in this photograph was narrowed and partially became a pavement and to the left, the hedge will be cleared and a village green is established, becoming Brewers Green, named after the Brewer family, who donated the land (25).
The upper photograph was the property of Alan Hines and Tom Sperling who purchased Burrow Cottage in 2007 and renamed it Berrowcote on 26 July 2022. They believed that the photograph was labeled on the bottom left as "THE VILLAGE & POST OFFICE". In 2021, the lower photograph was donated to the St. Petrock's History Group by John D. Jones of Monmouthshire. His aunt, Mrs. Mary Wright had been Head Teacher at the Timberscombe School from 1976 to 1985 and Mr. Jones found this photograph in a file of items from her time at Timberscombe. More clear, the lower photograph not only revealed "THE ROSE AND CROWN" on the pub sign but also that the label extended into the road, reading "THE VILLAGE & POST OFFICE, TIMBERSCOMBE , 1599"--indicating this image was part of a series of c. 1909 village photographs, including one featuring the Brook Street shop known as Poole's (labeled "1596" and seen at SP-034) and a view taken from the western end of Timberscombe (labeled "1598" and seen at SP-064).
Creator
Anonymous
Date
c.1909
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Village Post Office / Timberscombe / Brook Street
Acquisition Date
2020
2021
2021
Acquisition Method
Gift
Gift
Gift
Category
PLACES: Post Offices / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling, 2020 and 2024
Condition Date
2020
2021
2021
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
11.5 X 17.5
12.5 X 19.5
12.5 X 19.5
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) in 2019 a copy of this document was discovered among papers at the Timberscombe School and was donated to the St. Petrock's History Group (2) as cottage names and addresses are not listed in earlier censuses (usually just listed as "in village") identities can be hard to ascertain. These cottages are easier to place because of their position close to the usually identifiable The Rose and Crown, and they are also distinct on the 1843 Tithe Map. "P.O." is also lettered next to Berrowcote on the 1822-1844 Ordnance Survey Map / Somerset England, Church of England, Baptisms, 1818-1914 (3) Mr. Thomas continues to list himself as "Carpenter" on the 1851, 1861 and 1871 England Census. Mrs. Thomas is identified as caring for the post office or as Post Mistress. (4) 1851 England Census, Somerset, England, Church of England Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 and Somerset England, Church of England, Baptisms, 1813-1914 (5) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 and 1871 England Census (6) the Deed of Conveyance is in the possession of Alan Hines and Thomas Sperling, owners of Burrow Cottage in 2020 (7) Family History Resources, forebears.co.uk./ Deaths (8) 1911 England Census (9) Family History Resources/ Deaths and Alice Floyde's death date is also evident on the Deed of Release, 18th of October 1947 (10) 1901 England Census (11) 1911 England Census (12) Deed of Release in possession of Alan Hines and Thomas Sperling, 2020 (13) Family History Resources/ Deaths (14) England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index (15) 17th October 1977, Bridgewater Building Society, Legal Charge of Burrow Cottage, Timberscombe, Minehead, Somerset, in possession of Alan Hines and Thomas Sperling, 2002 (16) 1911 England Census and 1939 England and Wales Register (17) the 1939 England and Wales Register has Mr. and Mrs. Cole's address as The Retreat (18) TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk (19) Family History Resources/ Marriages (20) as recalled in 2019 by Marion Fewlass of Tiki Cottage, next door to Burrow Cottage (21) as recalled by Roger Fewlass of Tiki Cottage--who actually built the porch (22) Victoria County History.ac.uk and in late 1917 or 1918, Mr. Robert Baker moved his family into Rosemont, after their previous lodging, Heber Vale was sold at the 1916 Knowle Estate Auction, Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 1897-1944, No. 317 (23) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park (24) as recalled in 2018 by Wendy Hellewell of The Bracken, Hole's Square, Timberscombe (25) VCH and as recalled in 2018 by Sarah Hill, of Minehead and who grew up in Timberscombe
Storage Location
Str. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
2021
2021
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-021
Technique
Copies
Citation
Anonymous, “The Timberscombe Village Post Office, c. 1909,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 6, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3161.
Comments