A Morning Gathering of the Timberscombe Friendly Society at Bickham Manor, when Home of the Morel Family
Title
A Morning Gathering of the Timberscombe Friendly Society at Bickham Manor, when Home of the Morel Family
Subject
Description
Two photographs that are both taken at Bickham Manor, located on the southwestern end of Timberscombe. This was the usual meeting place of the Timberscombe Friendly Society, on the morning of either the first Tuesday or Thursday of every June (1), as a starting point of the yearly procession known as the Timberscombe Club Walk. As can be seen in the upper photograph, men, women and children would gather to watch the beginning of an annual event.
Bickham Manor was built on the grounds of an earlier medieval house. An L-shaped plan, it was reconstructed in the 17th century, with an 18th century wing added (2). It was part of Knowle Estate, broken up and sold at the 1916 auction, at which time Bickham Manor was purchased for £1700 pounds by Mr. William Gibbs Morel, a shipowner from Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales (3).
All of the Society's healthy (and male) members that lived within a 15 mile radius of Timberscombe were expected to gather here, likely for some introductory food and drink (4), to then proceed from Bickham into the village. Traditionally a breakfast would be served around 10 AM, likely at St. Petrocks Church, that the men would pay for, with all proceeds going to finance the Friendly Society (5). The money was used for social support, such as care for the ill or insane, to aid local families with burial costs or to provide loans, insurance, or pensions to those in need.
Friendly Societies began appearing in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, surging around 1760. They had their origins in the Middle Age guilds which would provide social and mutual assistance to fellow workers in the same trade (6). Timberscombe's Society had formed in 1827 (7).
The men are seen gathering at Bickham Manor, lined up in front of the house with tall staffs adorned with flowers, foliage and ribbon which will be carried during the march. Flags can be seen that had been provided by the Minehead Friendly Society in 1876 (8). On the left edge of the upper photograph, a member of a brass band can be seen, which would sometimes accompany the processions. After the traditional breakfast, an afternoon fair might be held and sports would be played at the club field (9). Drinks were certainly being served at the Lion Inn and the Rose and Crown, before the latter closed down in 1915. The march would eventually continue, traditionally ending at Duddings, on the northeastern end of the village (10).
The clothing, especially of the surrounding onlookers, suggest the 1930's. The lower photograph depicts a man and woman with a baby (and dog) at the morning event and it has been suggested that they were the hosts, Mr. Morel and his wife, Mary Edith.
This is not likely. William Gibbs Morel was born 18 September 1871 at Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales (11). His wife was born Mary Edith Jacks, 29 October 1885 at Bristol, Glamorgan, Wales (12). They married in 1906 at St. George's Hanover Square in London (13).
The woman in the photograph is possibly one of their daughters. Pansy Yvonne Morel was born 6 July 1914, died in 1995 and was buried at Carhampton (14). It is more probable that this is her older sister, Mary Bettina Morel, born 17 October 1907 (15). In 1934 she married Arthur Essex Edgeworth Reade in London (16).
By the 1939 England and Wales Register, Mary Bettina Reade had become a Barrister- in-Law, but was living back at Bickham with her parents. At the same time, Mr. Reade was also a Barrister-in-Law, but living in London (17). At Bickham, on the 1939 Register, "Reade" is crossed out as Mary Bettina's surname, with "Beal" written over it in blue ink. While some parts of the register are blacked out, no child is mentioned but the only other inhabitants at Bickham Manor are Dorothy Cleverley. a cook and Eva Maud Buck, a "child's nurse".
Even if this is Mary Bettina, it is not clear if the gentleman is Mr. Reade or Mr. Beal, if either. Mary married Dr. John Hugh Bruce Beal in October 1946. Arthur Reade married Cynthia Fowler in July 1948 (18). Mary Bettina Beal, now a Barrister, died at Chelsea, London in 2006 (19).
Her father, William Gibbs Morel had died in 1951 at Minehead, living in the Mount Royal Nursing Home (20). Three years after his death, Mary Edith Morel signed a Trust Deed to set up a new village hall in Timberscombe. Listed as a widow, she lived at Bickham Cottage. located on the Bickham estate. The deed was also signed by Alexander Dru, having become the owner of Bickham Manor (21). Mrs. Morel lived until 1970 and was buried at St. Petrock's Churchyard in Timberscombe (22).
By the end of 1910, David Lloyd George had completed a study of a State Insurance Program, after a national unemployment insurance had been proposed in 1908 by Winston Churchill (23). In 1911 the National Health Insurance Act was passed (24), which included primary care and by 1948, National Health Service was provided (25). Although Friendly Societies remain in existence, by 1930's there were only around sixty members of the The Timberscombe Friendly Society (26). It appears that the last Club Walk was in 1939 (27) and the Society was disbanded by 1948 (28).
Bickham Manor was built on the grounds of an earlier medieval house. An L-shaped plan, it was reconstructed in the 17th century, with an 18th century wing added (2). It was part of Knowle Estate, broken up and sold at the 1916 auction, at which time Bickham Manor was purchased for £1700 pounds by Mr. William Gibbs Morel, a shipowner from Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales (3).
All of the Society's healthy (and male) members that lived within a 15 mile radius of Timberscombe were expected to gather here, likely for some introductory food and drink (4), to then proceed from Bickham into the village. Traditionally a breakfast would be served around 10 AM, likely at St. Petrocks Church, that the men would pay for, with all proceeds going to finance the Friendly Society (5). The money was used for social support, such as care for the ill or insane, to aid local families with burial costs or to provide loans, insurance, or pensions to those in need.
Friendly Societies began appearing in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, surging around 1760. They had their origins in the Middle Age guilds which would provide social and mutual assistance to fellow workers in the same trade (6). Timberscombe's Society had formed in 1827 (7).
The men are seen gathering at Bickham Manor, lined up in front of the house with tall staffs adorned with flowers, foliage and ribbon which will be carried during the march. Flags can be seen that had been provided by the Minehead Friendly Society in 1876 (8). On the left edge of the upper photograph, a member of a brass band can be seen, which would sometimes accompany the processions. After the traditional breakfast, an afternoon fair might be held and sports would be played at the club field (9). Drinks were certainly being served at the Lion Inn and the Rose and Crown, before the latter closed down in 1915. The march would eventually continue, traditionally ending at Duddings, on the northeastern end of the village (10).
The clothing, especially of the surrounding onlookers, suggest the 1930's. The lower photograph depicts a man and woman with a baby (and dog) at the morning event and it has been suggested that they were the hosts, Mr. Morel and his wife, Mary Edith.
This is not likely. William Gibbs Morel was born 18 September 1871 at Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales (11). His wife was born Mary Edith Jacks, 29 October 1885 at Bristol, Glamorgan, Wales (12). They married in 1906 at St. George's Hanover Square in London (13).
The woman in the photograph is possibly one of their daughters. Pansy Yvonne Morel was born 6 July 1914, died in 1995 and was buried at Carhampton (14). It is more probable that this is her older sister, Mary Bettina Morel, born 17 October 1907 (15). In 1934 she married Arthur Essex Edgeworth Reade in London (16).
By the 1939 England and Wales Register, Mary Bettina Reade had become a Barrister- in-Law, but was living back at Bickham with her parents. At the same time, Mr. Reade was also a Barrister-in-Law, but living in London (17). At Bickham, on the 1939 Register, "Reade" is crossed out as Mary Bettina's surname, with "Beal" written over it in blue ink. While some parts of the register are blacked out, no child is mentioned but the only other inhabitants at Bickham Manor are Dorothy Cleverley. a cook and Eva Maud Buck, a "child's nurse".
Even if this is Mary Bettina, it is not clear if the gentleman is Mr. Reade or Mr. Beal, if either. Mary married Dr. John Hugh Bruce Beal in October 1946. Arthur Reade married Cynthia Fowler in July 1948 (18). Mary Bettina Beal, now a Barrister, died at Chelsea, London in 2006 (19).
Her father, William Gibbs Morel had died in 1951 at Minehead, living in the Mount Royal Nursing Home (20). Three years after his death, Mary Edith Morel signed a Trust Deed to set up a new village hall in Timberscombe. Listed as a widow, she lived at Bickham Cottage. located on the Bickham estate. The deed was also signed by Alexander Dru, having become the owner of Bickham Manor (21). Mrs. Morel lived until 1970 and was buried at St. Petrock's Churchyard in Timberscombe (22).
By the end of 1910, David Lloyd George had completed a study of a State Insurance Program, after a national unemployment insurance had been proposed in 1908 by Winston Churchill (23). In 1911 the National Health Insurance Act was passed (24), which included primary care and by 1948, National Health Service was provided (25). Although Friendly Societies remain in existence, by 1930's there were only around sixty members of the The Timberscombe Friendly Society (26). It appears that the last Club Walk was in 1939 (27) and the Society was disbanded by 1948 (28).
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
likely 1930s to 1940s
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
The Timberscombe Friendly Society at Bickham Manor and possibly Mary Bettina Morel Reade Beal / Timberscombe / west of Timberscombe
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Organizations / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named (possibly) / Timberscombe
EVENTS: the Timberscombe Club Walk
PEOPLE: Named (possibly) / Timberscombe
EVENTS: the Timberscombe Club Walk
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10 X 15.5
8.5 X 12
8.5 X 12
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Club
Notes
(1) Victoria County History News Letter, Spring/Summer, 2014 states that the Timberscombe Club Walk occurred on the first Tuesday in June, while B. L. K. Henderson and G. O. E. Henderson, authors of " THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE ANF ITS CHURCH", published by E. Goodman & Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955, write that it was held on the first June Thursday (2) British Listed Buildings. co.uk. (3) as seen at SP-XXX , VCH/ BICKHAM and Kelly's Directory of Somerset 1918 (4) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH (5) Victoria County History.ac.uk (6) Encyclopedia Britannica. britannica.co,/friendlysociety (7) VCH (8) VCH (9) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH" (10) VCH, as seen as SP-113 and recalled in 2018 at Duddings Holiday Cottages (11) 1939 England and Wales Register and Guerett Coyne V1 Tree Search, William Gibbs Morel 1871-1951, Ancestry.com (12) England & Wales , Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 (13) England & Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 (14) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 and UK and Ireland, Find Grave Index, 1300s-Current (15) 1939 England and Wales Register (16) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (17) 1939 England and Wales Register (18) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (19) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (20) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (21) TimberscomeVillage.com/ Timberscombe History/ Other Historic Structures/ Village Hall History, written by Lesley Webb (22) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (23) Spartacus Education. com (24) www. dippan.ac.uk/ eppi/ documents (25) national archives.gov.uk (26) VCH (27) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH" (28) VCH
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrocks History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-106
Technique
Copies
Collection
Citation
Anonymous, “A Morning Gathering of the Timberscombe Friendly Society at Bickham Manor, when Home of the Morel Family,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 15, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3216.
Comments