The Huxtable Family on Brook Street, Timberscombe
Title
The Huxtable Family on Brook Street, Timberscombe
Subject
Description
A photograph of the Huxtable family at their longtime home in Timberscombe. Huxtables have been recorded in Timberscombe at least since the 12th of September 1742 when Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary Huxtable, was baptised (1). The Huxtable family is known to have been at this property since the 1841 Census, when James and Maria Huxtable lived here with their children, Ann, Henry, Jane, and Sarah. The cottage was (and is) situated where the Old Dunster Road road, having approached Timberscombe from the northeast, curves in a southern direction toward the centre of the village. It is on the section of the old road later renamed the northeastern end of Brook Street.
According to the 1843 Tithe Map, James Huxtable was leasing the house and garden from Robert Blackmore, owner (and possibly the builder) of this property, as well as the semi-detached former Rose and Crown Inn and it's stables (later becoming Rosemont House and The Linhay) and the two cottages to their left (later Ivy Cottage and Berrowcote). All of these properties are possibly late 18th/ likely early 19th century in origin (2) .
The census, as taken in West Somerset in the 19th century, often did not indicate specific names and addresses of houses located in a village. A listing number assigned to a house could vary from census to census but in 1881 and 1901 the Huxtable's home was identified as Village House, No. 25. (However the Huxtable's House was No. 36 in 1871 and No. 62 in 1891. Because of it's location near The Rose and Crown--and the fact that it is always occupied by Huxtables-- the house is easier to ascertain than most.)
In 1881, John Huxtable lived here, with his wife, also named Maria (nee Webber), sometimes identified as Mary. By 1901, John and Maria's son, John was head of the household, with his wife, Ann (nee Coles) and their children, Mabel, William, Morley, Edith, Frank, Ethel and Ernest. There had been another daughter, Margaret, between Mabel and William, born in 1883 but who died in 1889. John and Ann both died in 1914 and were buried with Margaret at St Petrock's Church in Timberscombe (3).
Until 2021, Roger and Marion (nee Huxtable) Fewlass lived here. Mrs. Fewlass was the great grand-daughter of Frank Huxtable (the third son on the 1901 Census), great great grand-daughter of the younger John Huxtable and great great grand-daughter of the older John Huxtable. Possibly all three ancesters could be in this undated photograph.
In the early to mid-20th century, the area of the cottage that would be under the first two windows on left end of the right wing (the main facade seen in this photograph) will become Timberscombe's funeral home, where bodies were prepared for internment, later operated by Frank Huxtable (4), who also worked as wheelwright and a carpenter (5). Indeed Mr. Huxtable's professions, especially as carpenter, were a source of employment for others. On the 1921 Census, when Frank Huxtable was 32-years-old, seven other young men from Timberscombe worked for him in various capacities such as "builder" or "mason".
By around 1928, Frank's wife, Eva (nee Buttle) Huxtable was operating a motor spirit service station facing Brook Street (6), in front of the Huxtable house (as seen at SP-026). Inside, Mrs. Huxtable's shop sold nails, pyrex dishes, oil and paraffin (7) and outside, free-standing pumps provided petrol to passing motorists. During this time, unsurprisingly, the Huxtable's home became known as Pump Cottage. The pumps remained long after the service stopped (c. 1939), being removed probably in the later 1980's, after which the house was renamed Tiki Cottage (8).
The first storey windows of Tiki Cottage remain in the same positions as visible in the photograph and the wooden doorway, seen here beneath the curved metal porch, survived until the summer of 2019, when it was replaced with a new door and a porch made by Roger Fewlass. The wing to the left (where a ladder stands) will later be renovated to become Bamboo Cottage. The garden to Tiki Cottage, remains on the right front of the house, with the area where the shed stands in the photograph becoming a courtyard.
This photograph was donated by the Timberscombe School in 2019.
According to the 1843 Tithe Map, James Huxtable was leasing the house and garden from Robert Blackmore, owner (and possibly the builder) of this property, as well as the semi-detached former Rose and Crown Inn and it's stables (later becoming Rosemont House and The Linhay) and the two cottages to their left (later Ivy Cottage and Berrowcote). All of these properties are possibly late 18th/ likely early 19th century in origin (2) .
The census, as taken in West Somerset in the 19th century, often did not indicate specific names and addresses of houses located in a village. A listing number assigned to a house could vary from census to census but in 1881 and 1901 the Huxtable's home was identified as Village House, No. 25. (However the Huxtable's House was No. 36 in 1871 and No. 62 in 1891. Because of it's location near The Rose and Crown--and the fact that it is always occupied by Huxtables-- the house is easier to ascertain than most.)
In 1881, John Huxtable lived here, with his wife, also named Maria (nee Webber), sometimes identified as Mary. By 1901, John and Maria's son, John was head of the household, with his wife, Ann (nee Coles) and their children, Mabel, William, Morley, Edith, Frank, Ethel and Ernest. There had been another daughter, Margaret, between Mabel and William, born in 1883 but who died in 1889. John and Ann both died in 1914 and were buried with Margaret at St Petrock's Church in Timberscombe (3).
Until 2021, Roger and Marion (nee Huxtable) Fewlass lived here. Mrs. Fewlass was the great grand-daughter of Frank Huxtable (the third son on the 1901 Census), great great grand-daughter of the younger John Huxtable and great great grand-daughter of the older John Huxtable. Possibly all three ancesters could be in this undated photograph.
In the early to mid-20th century, the area of the cottage that would be under the first two windows on left end of the right wing (the main facade seen in this photograph) will become Timberscombe's funeral home, where bodies were prepared for internment, later operated by Frank Huxtable (4), who also worked as wheelwright and a carpenter (5). Indeed Mr. Huxtable's professions, especially as carpenter, were a source of employment for others. On the 1921 Census, when Frank Huxtable was 32-years-old, seven other young men from Timberscombe worked for him in various capacities such as "builder" or "mason".
By around 1928, Frank's wife, Eva (nee Buttle) Huxtable was operating a motor spirit service station facing Brook Street (6), in front of the Huxtable house (as seen at SP-026). Inside, Mrs. Huxtable's shop sold nails, pyrex dishes, oil and paraffin (7) and outside, free-standing pumps provided petrol to passing motorists. During this time, unsurprisingly, the Huxtable's home became known as Pump Cottage. The pumps remained long after the service stopped (c. 1939), being removed probably in the later 1980's, after which the house was renamed Tiki Cottage (8).
The first storey windows of Tiki Cottage remain in the same positions as visible in the photograph and the wooden doorway, seen here beneath the curved metal porch, survived until the summer of 2019, when it was replaced with a new door and a porch made by Roger Fewlass. The wing to the left (where a ladder stands) will later be renovated to become Bamboo Cottage. The garden to Tiki Cottage, remains on the right front of the house, with the area where the shed stands in the photograph becoming a courtyard.
This photograph was donated by the Timberscombe School in 2019.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
late 19th or early 20th century
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Tiki Cottage / Timberscombe / Brook Street
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Cottages / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2019
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10.5 X 16
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) "TIMBERSCOMBE PARISH REGISTERS", transcribed by T.L. Sloane, Harry Galloway Publishing, 1995 (2) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park (3) England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Record,1837-1915 and UK and Ireland, Find a Grave Index, 1300's-Current (4) as recalled in 2019 by Roger and Marion Fewlass of Tiki Cottage and as reported in the West Somerset Free Press, March 15th 1947 (5) as recalled in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable (the grandson of Frank Huxtable) of Ye Olde Malthouse and Kelly's Directories of 1894, 1987, 1906, 1910, 1914, 1919, 1923 (where Mr. Huxtable lists himself as "wheelwright") and 1931 and 1935 (where he is "carpntr") (6) in 2019, Maurice Huxtable believed that the service station began operation around 1928. It is listed on the 1931 Kelly's Directory of Somerset (7) "A Village History", a booklet researched, written and compiled by Richard Kelsey, Vicky Long, Megan Evans, Joseph Dare, Jade Webber, Tom Lamacraft, Joanne Fuller, Emily Catford, Joshua Smith and Christine Rich, schoolchildren at the Timberscombe School, 1998 (8) as recalled by Roger and Marion Fewlass
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-025
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “The Huxtable Family on Brook Street, Timberscombe,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 5, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3269.
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