The Timberscombe Bellringers on an Outing, c. 1924-1930
Title
The Timberscombe Bellringers on an Outing, c. 1924-1930
Subject
Description
A photograph of a group of the Timberscombe Bellringers and their driver, on what has been identified as a 1924 outing to Cheddar (1). They are in a charabanc, a large open-topped motorized vehicle equipped with rows of crosswise benches facing forward, that became popular in England between World War I and World War II, especially for excursions (2).
This photograph appeared on the Timberscombe Village website, at timberscombevillage.com, which dates it as c. 1930. It is probably a bit earlier. A copy of this photograph was apparently donated to the West Somerset Rural Life Museum, possibly in the 1990's by Ms. Jennifer J. Inglis of Feltham, Middlesex, who was born at Timberscombe in 1941, the daughter of Frederick Andrew (Fred) and Constance Olive (nee Lyddon) Bond (3). Her father is in the centre of the charabanc, the fifth seated gentleman from the right. Fred Bond (1894-1963) was a gardener and after the mid-1930's, the Sub Postmaster of Timberscombe, when the post office moved to Little Farthings on the northeastern edge of the village (4). (Later Jennifer Inglis became Jennifer Hansford and known as Jenny, a valued donor of photographs and information to the St. Petrock's History Group.)
The fourth standing man from the right is labeled on the Rural Life Museum's photograph as William Slade, possibly William John Slade, a Market Gardener born in Cutcombe in 1890 (5), who lived in Timberscombe by 1891, partly growing up at Alders, northeast of the village and then on Great House Street in Timberscombe (6) and who died in 1973 at Watchet (7). However on the Timberscombe website's photograph, the same man is identified as Eddie Thorne, probably Edwin Thorne, one of the five sons of Sidney and Bessie Thorne in Timberscombe, as listed on the 1901 and 1911 Census. (Two of his brothers, Sidney and Reginald died in World War I and his brother Cecil died in 1922, when 17 years old. The only son who lived to old age was William, born in 1901 and died in 1987.) Born in 1903, Edwin Thorne also died in October of 1929 (8), which would date the photograph before 1930.
In the January before his early death, Eddie Thorne married Beatrice Gould (9), the younger sister of Edward (Ned) Gould (1893-1946), who is the first man standing on the right. Mr. Gould, worked as a general labourer (10), although by the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, he was living at No. 1 Council Cottage (later called Meadow View), listed as "incapacitated". He did marry Francis E. Howick, a housemaid who had worked at Knowle, five months before his death (11).
The tall man to the left of Mr. Gould has been identified as Fred Norman. It is not certain but he could be Frederick James Norman, born in 1885 in the Williton District (12) and who married Edith Hill. By the 1939 England and Wales Register, they lived at the Knapp on upper Church Street in Timberscombe. He died in 1947 and is buried with his wife at St. Petrock's Church (13). Another possibility is Frederick John Norman, born in Cutcombe in 1884, married Eveline Bessie Ridler Howe of Luxborough and later retired to Minehead where he died in 1966 (14). To Mr. Norman's left, with his right arm raised and apparently just having puffed a small cloud of smoke, is Sam Grabham (1887-1971), of the Grabham family that worked as wheelwrights and blacksmiths, both at Timberscombe's Old Forge and Cowbridge Mill (15).
Seated on the left by the back trunk, the young man identified as "Ern" Hooper on the Timberscombe website, is likely Ernest J. Hooper, born at Monksilver in 1912 and who married Gwendoline Audrey Burnett of Timberscombe in 1931 (16). They moved to Minehead and operated a Newsagent, Fancy Goods and Tobacco Shop (17). Mr. Hooper died at Bristol, Avon in 1979 (18). Standing to his right is Tom Elford, born in Timberscombe on December 31 1904 (although when he was admitted to the Timberscombe School in 1908, his birthday was listed as Christmas Day on the Admission Register). Working as a gardener, Mr. Elford lived at Veredale Cottage on Great House Street (19) and was buried at St. Petrock's in 1992 (20). To Mr. Elford's right is Issac Farmer. Born in Carhampton in 1891, he worked as a Roadstone Quarrier (21) and at his death in 1960, was buried at Grabbist Hill Cemetary, Dunster (22).
Seated towards the rear of the charabanc, with a white beard, is Charles Phillips, born in 1855 (23). The Phillips family, headed by Thomas Phillips worked at the Cowbridge Mill, just northeast of Timberscombe, arriving in the 1880's. Charles Phillips, son of James Phillips, had already founded the Exe Valley Wheel Works and moved his business from Dulverton to Cowbridge in 1909. His son, Henry A. Phillips, but known as Harry, was born in 1880 and is seated in the front seat with a cigarette. On the 1921 Census, Harry was living at Cowbridge Mill with Charles, as well as their respective mother and wife, Sarah Jane (nee Sayer) Phillips. Harry later had premises on Friday Street in Minehead, and was known as a specialist in the manufacture of waterwheels and in-barn threshers (24). He died in October 1936. His father outlived him by five years, dying in 1941 (25)
Seated directly in front of Charle Phillips is Walter ("Waltie") Yeandle, born in Timberscombe in 1878, who worked as a road contractor and lived on Great House Street. By the 1921 Census, Waltie and his wife, Bessie (nee Shire) Yeandle, had relocated to Cowbridge, probably where they lived at the time of this outing, later moving back to Timberscombe at No. 1 Jubilee Terrace (26). Mr. Yeandle died in 1954 (27). To his right, is William George Vaulter, born in Wootton Courtenay in 1902 (28). On the 1939 England and Wales Register, he was living in Williton, where he listed his occupation as "Farm Carter (Heavy)" . He died at Taunton in 1974 (29).
The driver of all of these bellringers, in the white and black cap, is identified as Peter Quinn. It appears that he lived in Minehead. Mr. Quinn was born in 1895 and served with the Army in World War I. Discharged because of a disability in 1917 (30), he died, still at Exmoor, in July of 1953 (31).
This photograph appeared on the Timberscombe Village website, at timberscombevillage.com, which dates it as c. 1930. It is probably a bit earlier. A copy of this photograph was apparently donated to the West Somerset Rural Life Museum, possibly in the 1990's by Ms. Jennifer J. Inglis of Feltham, Middlesex, who was born at Timberscombe in 1941, the daughter of Frederick Andrew (Fred) and Constance Olive (nee Lyddon) Bond (3). Her father is in the centre of the charabanc, the fifth seated gentleman from the right. Fred Bond (1894-1963) was a gardener and after the mid-1930's, the Sub Postmaster of Timberscombe, when the post office moved to Little Farthings on the northeastern edge of the village (4). (Later Jennifer Inglis became Jennifer Hansford and known as Jenny, a valued donor of photographs and information to the St. Petrock's History Group.)
The fourth standing man from the right is labeled on the Rural Life Museum's photograph as William Slade, possibly William John Slade, a Market Gardener born in Cutcombe in 1890 (5), who lived in Timberscombe by 1891, partly growing up at Alders, northeast of the village and then on Great House Street in Timberscombe (6) and who died in 1973 at Watchet (7). However on the Timberscombe website's photograph, the same man is identified as Eddie Thorne, probably Edwin Thorne, one of the five sons of Sidney and Bessie Thorne in Timberscombe, as listed on the 1901 and 1911 Census. (Two of his brothers, Sidney and Reginald died in World War I and his brother Cecil died in 1922, when 17 years old. The only son who lived to old age was William, born in 1901 and died in 1987.) Born in 1903, Edwin Thorne also died in October of 1929 (8), which would date the photograph before 1930.
In the January before his early death, Eddie Thorne married Beatrice Gould (9), the younger sister of Edward (Ned) Gould (1893-1946), who is the first man standing on the right. Mr. Gould, worked as a general labourer (10), although by the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, he was living at No. 1 Council Cottage (later called Meadow View), listed as "incapacitated". He did marry Francis E. Howick, a housemaid who had worked at Knowle, five months before his death (11).
The tall man to the left of Mr. Gould has been identified as Fred Norman. It is not certain but he could be Frederick James Norman, born in 1885 in the Williton District (12) and who married Edith Hill. By the 1939 England and Wales Register, they lived at the Knapp on upper Church Street in Timberscombe. He died in 1947 and is buried with his wife at St. Petrock's Church (13). Another possibility is Frederick John Norman, born in Cutcombe in 1884, married Eveline Bessie Ridler Howe of Luxborough and later retired to Minehead where he died in 1966 (14). To Mr. Norman's left, with his right arm raised and apparently just having puffed a small cloud of smoke, is Sam Grabham (1887-1971), of the Grabham family that worked as wheelwrights and blacksmiths, both at Timberscombe's Old Forge and Cowbridge Mill (15).
Seated on the left by the back trunk, the young man identified as "Ern" Hooper on the Timberscombe website, is likely Ernest J. Hooper, born at Monksilver in 1912 and who married Gwendoline Audrey Burnett of Timberscombe in 1931 (16). They moved to Minehead and operated a Newsagent, Fancy Goods and Tobacco Shop (17). Mr. Hooper died at Bristol, Avon in 1979 (18). Standing to his right is Tom Elford, born in Timberscombe on December 31 1904 (although when he was admitted to the Timberscombe School in 1908, his birthday was listed as Christmas Day on the Admission Register). Working as a gardener, Mr. Elford lived at Veredale Cottage on Great House Street (19) and was buried at St. Petrock's in 1992 (20). To Mr. Elford's right is Issac Farmer. Born in Carhampton in 1891, he worked as a Roadstone Quarrier (21) and at his death in 1960, was buried at Grabbist Hill Cemetary, Dunster (22).
Seated towards the rear of the charabanc, with a white beard, is Charles Phillips, born in 1855 (23). The Phillips family, headed by Thomas Phillips worked at the Cowbridge Mill, just northeast of Timberscombe, arriving in the 1880's. Charles Phillips, son of James Phillips, had already founded the Exe Valley Wheel Works and moved his business from Dulverton to Cowbridge in 1909. His son, Henry A. Phillips, but known as Harry, was born in 1880 and is seated in the front seat with a cigarette. On the 1921 Census, Harry was living at Cowbridge Mill with Charles, as well as their respective mother and wife, Sarah Jane (nee Sayer) Phillips. Harry later had premises on Friday Street in Minehead, and was known as a specialist in the manufacture of waterwheels and in-barn threshers (24). He died in October 1936. His father outlived him by five years, dying in 1941 (25)
Seated directly in front of Charle Phillips is Walter ("Waltie") Yeandle, born in Timberscombe in 1878, who worked as a road contractor and lived on Great House Street. By the 1921 Census, Waltie and his wife, Bessie (nee Shire) Yeandle, had relocated to Cowbridge, probably where they lived at the time of this outing, later moving back to Timberscombe at No. 1 Jubilee Terrace (26). Mr. Yeandle died in 1954 (27). To his right, is William George Vaulter, born in Wootton Courtenay in 1902 (28). On the 1939 England and Wales Register, he was living in Williton, where he listed his occupation as "Farm Carter (Heavy)" . He died at Taunton in 1974 (29).
The driver of all of these bellringers, in the white and black cap, is identified as Peter Quinn. It appears that he lived in Minehead. Mr. Quinn was born in 1895 and served with the Army in World War I. Discharged because of a disability in 1917 (30), he died, still at Exmoor, in July of 1953 (31).
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
c. 1924-1930
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Timberscombe Bellringers / Timberscombe
Acquisition Date
2020
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Organizations / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named /Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named /Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
12 X 20
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) a copy of the photograph, believed to have been donated, possibly in the 1990's, by Ms. Jennifer Inglis of Feltham, Middlesex, the daughter of Fred and Constance Olive Bond, to the West Somerset Rural Life Museum, is labeled indicating this is a 1924 photograph and the destination of the excursion was Cheddar (2) worldwidewords.org/ weird words (3) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 2016-2007 (4) 1939 England and Wales Register, Kelly's Directory of Somerset, 1935 and UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (5) the 1891 England Census (6) the 1891 England Census, TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk and 1939 England and Wales Register (7) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (8) "TIMBERSCOMBE'S FALLEN OF WORLD WAR 1", compiled by Harvey Grenville, produced for St. Petrock's Church and the parish of Timberscombe, 2014, England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 and findmypast.co.uk, forebears.io/ England& Wales Deaths 1837-2007 (9) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2015 (10) England & Wales, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 and the 1911 England Census (11) Thompson Family Tree, Tree Search, Edward Gould, 1893-1946, Ancestry.com (12) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 (13) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (14) 1911 England Census, 1939 England and Wales Register and England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1995 (15) TimberscombeVillage.com/ The History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ Cowbridge Mill, written by Lesley Webb and as listed on the Sam Grabham gravestone at St. Petrock's Church, Timberscombe (16) Littlefield-Hooper Family Tree, Tree Search, Ernest J. Hooper. 1912-1979, Ancestry.com (17) 1939 England and Wales Register (18) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (19) 1939 England and Wales Register, England & Wales National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administration) 1858-1995 and a c.1914 Herbert J.(Bert) Hole photograph of Timberscombe School children, donated by Sue Copping on 23 May 2019, came in an original envelope indicating it had once been the property of Mr. Tom Elford of Great House Street (20) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index (21) 1939 England and Wales Register (22) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (23) Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (24) TimberscombeVillage.com/ Cowbridge Mill (25) findmypast.co/uk/ England and Wales Deaths 1837-2007 (26) the 1911 England Census, TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS and 1939 England and Wales Register (27) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (28) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 (29) England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (30) UK, WW I Pension Ledger and Index Cards, 1914-1923 (31) England & Wales Death Index, 1916-2007
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-068
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “The Timberscombe Bellringers on an Outing, c. 1924-1930,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 14, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3164.
Comments