The Bellringers Meeting at Timberscombe, 1922
Title
The Bellringers Meeting at Timberscombe, 1922
Subject
Description
A photograph of bellringers taken on the 13th of May 1922, at a Ringers Meeting held at Timberscombe. Behind the assembly, the tower of St. Petrock's Church is visible. The group is gathered on what was called "the Club Field" (1), part of the rectory Glebe lands. They are likely on the elevated area where the Village Hall carpark was later built. The white building to the left, down a slope, is the Timberscombe Reading Room, which had been erected in 1913, built by a Mr. Harrison (2). It will be accidentally burned down in February 1944 by a boy, George Milton, playing with matches (3).
The photograph is a bit blurred and it is difficult to recognize individuals, but three are identified with two others probable. Standing on the left end of the first row is Charles Phillips, born at Exton in 1855 (4). A wheelwright, he founded the Exe Valley Wheel Works in Dulverton and moved his business to Cowbridge Mill in 1909, where his father, James Phillips, also a miller, carpenter and wheelwright (1814-1882) and his son, Henry Arthur Phillips (1880-1936)--but known as Harry-- also worked (5). Harry is likely in this photograph, as he also was a bellringer at St. Petrock's (6). On the 1921 Census -- just before time of this gathering-- Charles Phillips and his wife, Sarah Jane (nee Sayer) Phillips, lived with their son, Harry, at Cowbridge Mill. SP-012 is a photograph of Harry in front of the Old Forge, the blacksmith's shop in the village centre of Timberscombe. There is a sign over the door stating "C. PHILLIPS & SON, GENERAL SMITHS", so seemingly this forge was also part of the family ventures. The Phillips family was also involved with the Bridgetown Mill (7). Before 1921, Charles had kept Bridgetown as his main address. He and Sarah Jane had previously lived at the Bridgetown Post Office, where she was the Post Mistress (8). Charles Phillips died in 1941 (9).
In April 2020, Alan Hines, a current bellringer at Timberscombe was contacted by Rachel Meek, from central Scotland. Her great uncle is the seated gentleman, wearing a white cap, just to the right of Mr. Phillips. He was Thomas Ferris, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Bowdon) Ferris, born and baptized in late 1876 at Dulverton (10). In 1900 he married Eliza Mitchell (11) and by the 1901 Census they were living at Ford Cottage in Timberscombe, where Tom listed himself as "Ordinary Farm Labourer." Eliza died in 1904 and was buried at St. Petrock's (12). Mrs. Meek is the great grand-daughter of Edward Ferris, a younger brother of Tom, born in 1882 and who moved to Bristol. Mrs. Meek remembers visiting Tom Ferris and his second wife, Alice, formerly Slocombe, the local district nurse, at Gammins Cottage in Wheddon Cross.
Standing on the far right edge of the photograph, appears to be Walter (Waltie) John Yeandle (1877-1954), a lifelong resident of Timberscombe (13). He worked as a Road Contractor and he and his wife, Bessie (nee Shire) Yeandle, lived on Great House Road (14), By the 1939 England and Wales Register, they had moved to No. 1 Jubilee Terrace and Walter had promoted his job description to Road Foreman.
The tallest man on the right end of the back row has been identified as Fred Norman. He is possibly Frederick James Norman, a jobbing gardener born in 1885 in the Williton District (15) and who later lived with his wife, Edith, at the Knapp on Church Road, Timberscombe (16). He died in 1947 and was buried at St. Petrock's (17). Concurrently there was also Frederick John Norman, born at Cutcombe in December 1884 (18), lived in Dunster working as a bricklayer and married Eveline Bessie Ridler Howe of Luxborough (19). He died in 1966, living on Blenheim Road at Minehead (20).
Easier to identify is the white-haired vicar, in the centre of the front row, being the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell, who served at St. Petrock's from 1900 to 1933 (21).
The photograph is labeled "RINGERS MEETING, TIMBERSCOMBE 13/5/22" It was donated in 2019 by Elisabeth Powls, the current Tower Captain of the Timberscombe Bellringers.
The photograph is a bit blurred and it is difficult to recognize individuals, but three are identified with two others probable. Standing on the left end of the first row is Charles Phillips, born at Exton in 1855 (4). A wheelwright, he founded the Exe Valley Wheel Works in Dulverton and moved his business to Cowbridge Mill in 1909, where his father, James Phillips, also a miller, carpenter and wheelwright (1814-1882) and his son, Henry Arthur Phillips (1880-1936)--but known as Harry-- also worked (5). Harry is likely in this photograph, as he also was a bellringer at St. Petrock's (6). On the 1921 Census -- just before time of this gathering-- Charles Phillips and his wife, Sarah Jane (nee Sayer) Phillips, lived with their son, Harry, at Cowbridge Mill. SP-012 is a photograph of Harry in front of the Old Forge, the blacksmith's shop in the village centre of Timberscombe. There is a sign over the door stating "C. PHILLIPS & SON, GENERAL SMITHS", so seemingly this forge was also part of the family ventures. The Phillips family was also involved with the Bridgetown Mill (7). Before 1921, Charles had kept Bridgetown as his main address. He and Sarah Jane had previously lived at the Bridgetown Post Office, where she was the Post Mistress (8). Charles Phillips died in 1941 (9).
In April 2020, Alan Hines, a current bellringer at Timberscombe was contacted by Rachel Meek, from central Scotland. Her great uncle is the seated gentleman, wearing a white cap, just to the right of Mr. Phillips. He was Thomas Ferris, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Bowdon) Ferris, born and baptized in late 1876 at Dulverton (10). In 1900 he married Eliza Mitchell (11) and by the 1901 Census they were living at Ford Cottage in Timberscombe, where Tom listed himself as "Ordinary Farm Labourer." Eliza died in 1904 and was buried at St. Petrock's (12). Mrs. Meek is the great grand-daughter of Edward Ferris, a younger brother of Tom, born in 1882 and who moved to Bristol. Mrs. Meek remembers visiting Tom Ferris and his second wife, Alice, formerly Slocombe, the local district nurse, at Gammins Cottage in Wheddon Cross.
Standing on the far right edge of the photograph, appears to be Walter (Waltie) John Yeandle (1877-1954), a lifelong resident of Timberscombe (13). He worked as a Road Contractor and he and his wife, Bessie (nee Shire) Yeandle, lived on Great House Road (14), By the 1939 England and Wales Register, they had moved to No. 1 Jubilee Terrace and Walter had promoted his job description to Road Foreman.
The tallest man on the right end of the back row has been identified as Fred Norman. He is possibly Frederick James Norman, a jobbing gardener born in 1885 in the Williton District (15) and who later lived with his wife, Edith, at the Knapp on Church Road, Timberscombe (16). He died in 1947 and was buried at St. Petrock's (17). Concurrently there was also Frederick John Norman, born at Cutcombe in December 1884 (18), lived in Dunster working as a bricklayer and married Eveline Bessie Ridler Howe of Luxborough (19). He died in 1966, living on Blenheim Road at Minehead (20).
Easier to identify is the white-haired vicar, in the centre of the front row, being the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell, who served at St. Petrock's from 1900 to 1933 (21).
The photograph is labeled "RINGERS MEETING, TIMBERSCOMBE 13/5/22" It was donated in 2019 by Elisabeth Powls, the current Tower Captain of the Timberscombe Bellringers.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
13 May 1922
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
1922 Bellringers / Timberscombe / Village Centre
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Organizations / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10.5 X 18.5 (original donation)
16.5 X 29
16.5 X 29
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) TimberscombeVillage.com/ History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ The Reading Room, compiled by Lesley Webb (2) TimberscombeVillage.com/ The Reading Room (3) as recalled in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable, a lifelong resident of Timberscombe and "50 Years Ago", West Somerset Free Press, Friday, February 18th 1994 (4) the 1881 and 1901 England Census (5) TimberscombeVillage.com/ History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ Cowbridge Mill, written by Lesley Webb (6) Harry Phillips is pictured at SP-068 on a Timberscombe Bellringer's outing (7) on the 1921 England Census, Edwin Thorne of Timberscombe, lists his profession as "Blacksmith", working for H. Phillips at Cowbridge and Timberscombe and TimberscombeVillage.com/ Cowbridge Mill (8) the 1901 and 1911 England Census (9) findmypast.co.uk, forbears.io/ England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007 (10) Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 and Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (11) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 (12) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (13) the 1911 England Census and England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (14) TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead online. co.uk (15) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 (16) 1939 England and Wales Register and Somerset & England, Marriages, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 (17) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (18) 1911 England Census and 1939 England and Wales Register (19) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (20) England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1995 (21) The Timberscombe School MINUTES BOOK, 15 July 1903-11 October 1929 and The Timberscombe School MINUTES BOOK 3 April 1930-2 April 1974
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group- ORIGINALS
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-067
Technique
Copies
Citation
Anonymous, “The Bellringers Meeting at Timberscombe, 1922,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 15, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3163.
Comments