Fred Andrews Bond, Dairyman, Cowman, Grenadier Guard, Gardener and Sub Postmaster, 1894-1963.
Title
Fred Andrews Bond, Dairyman, Cowman, Grenadier Guard, Gardener and Sub Postmaster, 1894-1963.
Subject
Description
The top photograph is of Frederick Andrews Bond, identified as a dairyman delivering milk around Timberscombe, c. 1910 (1). Fred (as he was called) would be a young dairyman, probably about 15-years-old, as he was born 17 October 1894 in Roadwater (2). According to a caption written when this photograph was published, Fred used copper or aluminum measures to serve half pints, pints or quarts of fresh creamy milk, "often with a spoonful over ". The curving, double-sided sign, across the top of the rather elegant churn, reads "W & D Case Glasses Farm Roadwater ". William and David Case were brothers, both born in Old Cleeve and were the young proprietors of Glasses Farm (3). With its' 16th century Grade II listed farmhouse (4), Glasses remains in operation.
Fred was the son of Frederick (also Fred) Inkerman Bond, a carpenter born in Old Cleeve (5) and Emily Amelia (nee Pearl) Bond, a Dressmaker, baptised in Ipswich, Suffolk (6). The younger Fred appears to have been their only surviving son--an older brother, Tom Bond, was born in 1893 but lived only five days (7). Both boys were born between two older sisters, Pearl and Clare Lily and two younger sisters, Kate Victoria Mary and Violet Annie (8). The above photograph may have identified Fred as a Dairyman but on the 1911 Census, at the age of 16 years, he listed himself as a Cowman. On the 15th of December 1915, when he was 21, Fred also named his occupation as "Cowman" when he joined the Grenadier Guards, part of the Army Reserve, for the duration of World War I ---although he also wrote, when he enlisted, that he was hoping for the R.A.F. (9). Fred is pictured as a Grenadier Guard in the second photograph which was mounted on postcard backing and mailed to his sister, Pearl. (Later she wrote on the reverse "My brother, Fred-World War I-Somehow this came through & was not censored".)
In 1922, Fred married Constance Olive Lyddon (10), known as Connie or Con. Born 13 March 1898 (11), Constance likely knew Fred when they were both children. She was born in Nettlecombe (12) but by 1911 she lived in Roadwater, where her father, Thomas Lyddon, was the Rural Postman (13). His brother, Hedley Lyddon, was also a Rural Postman. Their mother (and Constance's grandmother) was Mary (nee Thomas) Lyddon, Sub Post Mistress beginning probably in 1878, when her father, James Thomas, died. Mr. Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Moody) Thomas were the first Post Master and Post Mistress of the first Timberscombe Post Office, founded in July 1844 (14). It was located at theThomas home, the cottage called Berrowcote (later known as Burrow Cottage and renamed as Berrowcote in 2022), situated on what later would become Timberscombe's village green.
Hedley Lyddon died at the age of 26 (15) and both of his daughters, Gertrude Mary Lyddon and Elizabeth Mary Lyddon, lived much of their childhood at the Timberscombe Post Office. Their grandmother, Mary Lyddon died in 1913 (16) and Elizabeth Mary Lyddon, now Mrs. John Coles, assumed the position of Sub Post Mistress. She and her husband lived at The Retreat (later known as Ivy Cottage), next door to Berrowcote and continued to run the Post Office until the 1930's (17).
By the 1930's, Fred and Constance Bond had a smallholding near Timberscombe and he was a fiddle player in local orchestras (18). He was also a bellringer at St. Petrock's Church, pictured at SP-068 on a bellringer's outing and in the 1950's was Captain of the bellringers. Fred listed his occupation around this time as Gardener (19) but by 1935, he and Constance had taken over the running of the post office, moving it up the road to the cottage known as Little Farthing (20). The post office remained here until 1967 (21). Postal work may have dominated his wife's family but by 1939, Fred was listed as the Sub Post Master (22) . Constance (and both of them, of course) would have had other concerns. In 1923, they had a daughter, Leonora, who died in 1929 (23). In 1936, another daughter, Barbara, was born, followed by Jennifer in 1941 (24).
In January 2022, Jennifer, now Jenny Hansford and living in Dorchester, recalled that her mother, Constance, was trained in postal duties under the guidance of her aunt, Mrs. Coles (which was ironic as they were not fond of each other). At that time Fred and Constance were living at Berrowcote, which is where Leonora died in 1929. Constance's intension was to apply officially for the position of Sub Postmistress. The Bonds were advised that as an ex-serviceman, Fred might more easily be appointed Sub Postmaster--which they did, with Fred turning most postal work over to his capable wife. Besides he was fully employed as a gardener and caretaker at Crossways in Wootton Courtenay.
Fred Andrews Bond died 12 January 1963. Constance died 4 September1988. They are buried together, with Leonora, at St. Petrock's churchyard (25).
The postcard below the photograph was donated in January 2022 by Chanelle Singleton of The Brackens at Hole's Square in Timberscombe. The house seen on the bottom foreground of the postcard is Little Farthing, at the time it was the Post Office and Fred Bond was the Sub Postmaster. It is situated alongside the former Old Dunster Road, by now being the A396. The postcard is addressed to Mrs. M. Clatworthy in Torquay and the sender is Fred Bond himself. Jenny Hansford identified the recipient as May Clatworthy, Mr. Bond's sister. After thanking Mrs. Clatworthy for sending fresh plants, he wrote, concerning the front of the postcard, "This is our house you know".
The next sentences are also of interest, being "Have you seen the case in London of Timberscombe foot path? Hollands have lost. Love to you all there, Yours, Fred."
Fred Bond is referring to the Hollands, a gipsy family (as written and spelled at the time) living at Hill Cottage on Hole's Square in Timberscombe. An ongoing and violent feud with a neighbouring family, the Slades, had led to national coverage by the press and on the BBC. That case, one of many, was decided on the 4th of January 1951 against Trinet and John Holland, being fined £15 or three months (26). Trinet, born in 1913 was a "Dealer in Waste Materials", with her brother, John Holland, born in 1918, assisting her (27). Also in court, at around the same time, was the case of the road running from Great House in Timberscombe to Hole's Square and continuing on to Croydon Farm, being blocked by scrap metal dumped by the Hollands, which also obstructed a footpath coming from Timberscombe Common. This would be what Fred Bond is referencing.
The reverse of Fred Bond's postcard is also shown, The date on the postmark (probably stamped by Constance Bond) is not clear, but a "5" appears visible. After Trinet and John Holland lost the dumping case, it took a long time for the metal to be removed and the former road became a bridleway (28).
The bottom photograph was sent in February 2022 by Jenny Hansford, identified as "Fred and Constance Bond 1935", with Little Farthing behind them and the "TIMBERSCOMBE POST OFFICE" sign visible. In 2022 this remains the village post office of the childhood memories of many Timberscombe residents. In 2023, Jenny Hansford also donated the photograph of her father in his Grenadier Guard uniform
Fred was the son of Frederick (also Fred) Inkerman Bond, a carpenter born in Old Cleeve (5) and Emily Amelia (nee Pearl) Bond, a Dressmaker, baptised in Ipswich, Suffolk (6). The younger Fred appears to have been their only surviving son--an older brother, Tom Bond, was born in 1893 but lived only five days (7). Both boys were born between two older sisters, Pearl and Clare Lily and two younger sisters, Kate Victoria Mary and Violet Annie (8). The above photograph may have identified Fred as a Dairyman but on the 1911 Census, at the age of 16 years, he listed himself as a Cowman. On the 15th of December 1915, when he was 21, Fred also named his occupation as "Cowman" when he joined the Grenadier Guards, part of the Army Reserve, for the duration of World War I ---although he also wrote, when he enlisted, that he was hoping for the R.A.F. (9). Fred is pictured as a Grenadier Guard in the second photograph which was mounted on postcard backing and mailed to his sister, Pearl. (Later she wrote on the reverse "My brother, Fred-World War I-Somehow this came through & was not censored".)
In 1922, Fred married Constance Olive Lyddon (10), known as Connie or Con. Born 13 March 1898 (11), Constance likely knew Fred when they were both children. She was born in Nettlecombe (12) but by 1911 she lived in Roadwater, where her father, Thomas Lyddon, was the Rural Postman (13). His brother, Hedley Lyddon, was also a Rural Postman. Their mother (and Constance's grandmother) was Mary (nee Thomas) Lyddon, Sub Post Mistress beginning probably in 1878, when her father, James Thomas, died. Mr. Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Moody) Thomas were the first Post Master and Post Mistress of the first Timberscombe Post Office, founded in July 1844 (14). It was located at theThomas home, the cottage called Berrowcote (later known as Burrow Cottage and renamed as Berrowcote in 2022), situated on what later would become Timberscombe's village green.
Hedley Lyddon died at the age of 26 (15) and both of his daughters, Gertrude Mary Lyddon and Elizabeth Mary Lyddon, lived much of their childhood at the Timberscombe Post Office. Their grandmother, Mary Lyddon died in 1913 (16) and Elizabeth Mary Lyddon, now Mrs. John Coles, assumed the position of Sub Post Mistress. She and her husband lived at The Retreat (later known as Ivy Cottage), next door to Berrowcote and continued to run the Post Office until the 1930's (17).
By the 1930's, Fred and Constance Bond had a smallholding near Timberscombe and he was a fiddle player in local orchestras (18). He was also a bellringer at St. Petrock's Church, pictured at SP-068 on a bellringer's outing and in the 1950's was Captain of the bellringers. Fred listed his occupation around this time as Gardener (19) but by 1935, he and Constance had taken over the running of the post office, moving it up the road to the cottage known as Little Farthing (20). The post office remained here until 1967 (21). Postal work may have dominated his wife's family but by 1939, Fred was listed as the Sub Post Master (22) . Constance (and both of them, of course) would have had other concerns. In 1923, they had a daughter, Leonora, who died in 1929 (23). In 1936, another daughter, Barbara, was born, followed by Jennifer in 1941 (24).
In January 2022, Jennifer, now Jenny Hansford and living in Dorchester, recalled that her mother, Constance, was trained in postal duties under the guidance of her aunt, Mrs. Coles (which was ironic as they were not fond of each other). At that time Fred and Constance were living at Berrowcote, which is where Leonora died in 1929. Constance's intension was to apply officially for the position of Sub Postmistress. The Bonds were advised that as an ex-serviceman, Fred might more easily be appointed Sub Postmaster--which they did, with Fred turning most postal work over to his capable wife. Besides he was fully employed as a gardener and caretaker at Crossways in Wootton Courtenay.
Fred Andrews Bond died 12 January 1963. Constance died 4 September1988. They are buried together, with Leonora, at St. Petrock's churchyard (25).
The postcard below the photograph was donated in January 2022 by Chanelle Singleton of The Brackens at Hole's Square in Timberscombe. The house seen on the bottom foreground of the postcard is Little Farthing, at the time it was the Post Office and Fred Bond was the Sub Postmaster. It is situated alongside the former Old Dunster Road, by now being the A396. The postcard is addressed to Mrs. M. Clatworthy in Torquay and the sender is Fred Bond himself. Jenny Hansford identified the recipient as May Clatworthy, Mr. Bond's sister. After thanking Mrs. Clatworthy for sending fresh plants, he wrote, concerning the front of the postcard, "This is our house you know".
The next sentences are also of interest, being "Have you seen the case in London of Timberscombe foot path? Hollands have lost. Love to you all there, Yours, Fred."
Fred Bond is referring to the Hollands, a gipsy family (as written and spelled at the time) living at Hill Cottage on Hole's Square in Timberscombe. An ongoing and violent feud with a neighbouring family, the Slades, had led to national coverage by the press and on the BBC. That case, one of many, was decided on the 4th of January 1951 against Trinet and John Holland, being fined £15 or three months (26). Trinet, born in 1913 was a "Dealer in Waste Materials", with her brother, John Holland, born in 1918, assisting her (27). Also in court, at around the same time, was the case of the road running from Great House in Timberscombe to Hole's Square and continuing on to Croydon Farm, being blocked by scrap metal dumped by the Hollands, which also obstructed a footpath coming from Timberscombe Common. This would be what Fred Bond is referencing.
The reverse of Fred Bond's postcard is also shown, The date on the postmark (probably stamped by Constance Bond) is not clear, but a "5" appears visible. After Trinet and John Holland lost the dumping case, it took a long time for the metal to be removed and the former road became a bridleway (28).
The bottom photograph was sent in February 2022 by Jenny Hansford, identified as "Fred and Constance Bond 1935", with Little Farthing behind them and the "TIMBERSCOMBE POST OFFICE" sign visible. In 2022 this remains the village post office of the childhood memories of many Timberscombe residents. In 2023, Jenny Hansford also donated the photograph of her father in his Grenadier Guard uniform
Creator
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous
Date
c. 1910
c. 1915
c. 1951
c. 1951
1935
c. 1915
c. 1951
c. 1951
1935
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Fred Andrews Bond, c. 1910 / Fred Bond, at the time of the photograph, lived in Roadwater, southeast of Timberscombe, where the photograph is identified as being taken and where Fred later lived / photograph of Fred Bond in his Grenadier Guard uniform, c. 1915 / the front and back of a postcard showing Little Farthings on the front and a message on the reverse from Mr. Bond to his sister, May Clatworthy, probably in 1951 / Fred and Constance Bond in front of Little Farthings, 1935
Acquisition Date
2019
2022
2023
2022
2023
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling, 2023 and 2024
Condition Date
2021
2022
2023
2022
2023
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
9.5 X 16.5
17 X 10
8.5 X 13
8.5 X 13.5
16.5 X 12
17 X 10
8.5 X 13
8.5 X 13.5
16.5 X 12
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) A photocopy of this photograph was found at Timberscombe School. It is captioned and is apparently a page from a book, as yet not identified. (2) 1939 England and Wales Register (3) 1911 England Census (4) English Heritage, British Listed Buildings.co.uk (5) 1911 England Census (6) England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (7) Somerset England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1914, England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 (8) 1901 and 1911 England Censuses (9) UK, British Army World War I Pension Records, 1914-1920 (10) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (11) 1939 England and Wales Register (12) 1901 England Census (13) 1911 England Census (14) 1881 England Census, TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 England Censuses and England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 (15) Staffordshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1900 (16) Somerset, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1914 (17) 1911 England Census, Kelly's Directories of Somerset, 1923 and 1931 and 1939 England and Wales Register (18) as captioned in photocopy found at The Timberscombe School, as described in Note # 1 (19) 1939 England and Wales Register (20) Kelly's Directory of Somerset, 1935 (21) as recalled in 2019 by Mary Holcombe of Church View, Timberscombe (22) Kelly's Directory of Somerset, 1935 and 1939 England and Wales Register (23) FindMyPast.com, Results of England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2007 (24) FindMyPast.com, Results of England & Wales Births, 1837-2006 (25) England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Allegations) 1856-1995 and UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (26) "J.P. Martin, Father of Uncle, A Master in the Great English Nonsense Tradition", by Stella Martin Currey, Matador, 2016 (27) 1939 England and Wales Register (28) Victoria County History. ac.uk and as recalled in January 2020 by David Cook of Blackball House, Hole's Square (next to where Hill Cottage, home of Trinet and John Holland, was demolished in 1979)
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2021
2022
2023
2022
2023
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-276
Technique
Copies
Citation
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous, “Fred Andrews Bond, Dairyman, Cowman, Grenadier Guard, Gardener and Sub Postmaster, 1894-1963.,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed April 19, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3546.
Comments
Marion Jeffrey
Wonderful write up Tom, the importance of new elucidatory information! perfect. And I hope this comes through to you easily!
see you tomorrow at about 11.45, no problem.