THE BREWER FAMILY, part 3: Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley
Title
THE BREWER FAMILY, part 3: Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley
Subject
Description
Three photographs, ranging from 1932 to c. 1959, of members of the Brewer family, originally from Timberscombe. All are directly connected by Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley, seen in all three images that were donated by her grand-daughter, Jo Atkins of Minehead. Mrs. Atkins is the infant being held by the older gentleman in the bottom photograph.
He is Thomas William Brewer, Junr., the father of Mary (as Florence Mary was called by her family). Mr. Brewer, featured at SP-279, was born 5 February 1872 in Timberscombe (1), the only son of Thomas William and Fanny (nee Palfrey) Brewer of Slade Farm, Timberscombe. Thomas Junr. was the 5th of a line of Thomas Brewers in Timberscombe, dating to before 1760 (2). Like his father, Thomas Junr. was a carpenter who also farmed (3).
On 24 April 1905, Thomas William Brewer Junr. married Maud Kate Fletcher in Warmley, Gloucestershire (4). In 1879, when he was about seven years old, Thomas Junr.'s mother, Fanny, had died at the age of 31 (5). The senior Thomas William Brewer remarried 20 years later, in 1899. His second wife was Margaret Matilda Knight, born in Cold Ashton, Gloucestershire, not far from Warmley and the aunt of Maud Kate Fletcher (6).
Returning to the Timberscombe area, Thomas Junr. and Maud Kate moved into The Dell, a 17th century house at Cowbridge (7), the hamlet just northeast of Timberscombe. The couple also lived on Jubilee Terrace in Timberscombe for a period of time (8), but until c. 1917, were mostly at the Dell, where their first child, Florence Mary, was born 15 March 1906 (9). On the 26th of April, she was baptised at St. Petrock's Church in Timberscombe by the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell (10)--as were the following Brewer children, Thomas William Fletcher (the 6th in the row of Thomas Brewers), born in 1908, Margaret Bessie (Maggie), born 1910, John Thomas, born 8 November 1913 and who died four days later and Ellen Kate (Nellie), born 1916 (11).
The top photograph is dated the 7th of November 1932, the wedding day of Mary Brewer (12). She is standing left of her mother, Maud Kate and her youngest sister, Ellen Kate, called Nellie by most people and Nell by her family (13). The location of the wedding photographs is Sunnyside, a house built on the northeastern edge of Timberscombe by Mary's father and his father, Thomas William, on land purchased on 29 September 1916 by his second wife, Margaret Matilda (14).
Sunnyside was the home of the Brewers until the end of the century. In 1925, Margaret Matilda Brewer drafted her will, leaving Sunnyside to "my niece, Maud Kate and her children", with the provision that it would always be a home for her husband (15). She passed away in 1928 and the elder Thomas William Brewer died in 1930 (16).
In the second photograph, Mary stands next to her groom, Frederick Hensley. Like Mary's father and grandfather, Frederick was a carpenter. Born 21 January 1906 in Minehead (17), his family lived at 7 Church Street, Minehead, where Frederick's father, Richard Hensley, was a Jobbing Gardener and his mother was Edith (nee Westcott) Hensley. They had married in 1900 at Dulverton (18). Frederick was their youngest child, following a brother and sister, along with five half brothers and one half sister from Richard Hensley's first marriage (19).
On the 27th of April 1934, Mary and Frederick Hensley had a son, Frederick John Hensley (20), their only child and indeed the only child of the next Brewer generation. Mary's siblings did not have children. By the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, the Hensleys and their son lived at 44 Lower King George Road in Minehead, where Mary and Frederick remained the rest of their lives.
Frederick John Hensley married Hilda Joyce Lethaby and their daughter, Josephine Hensley was born in 1958 (21) and like her father, was the only child of the next generation. She married Nigel S. Atkins in 1979 (22) and better known as Jo, she is the donor of these photographs, including the bottom one with four generations pictured and her being held on the lap of her great grandfather, Thomas William Brewer, Junr. Mrs. Atkins believes the photograph must have been taken in 1959, as he passed away early in 1960. Maud Kate Brewer had died in 1953 (23).
Standing on the right is Jo Atkin's father, Frederick John Hensley, who died 17 July 2013. Her mother, Hilda Joyce--better known as Joyce-- passed away 7 May 2011 and she and her husband are buried at the Minehead Cemetary (24).
The woman standing to the left is Florence Mary, probably about 53 years old here. Her husband, Frederick, died 31 March 1979 and Mary passed away on 3 December 1989 (25). She had often returned to Timberscombe, where her sister Margaret (known as Maggie to most in Timberscombe and remembered as Meg by her family) lived all of her life. In the 1990's, Mary and Margaret's brother, Thomas William Fletcher and their sister, Nellie, returned to Sunnyside after the deaths of their respective spouses. Jo Atkins has many warm memories of family visits at Sunnyside.
He is Thomas William Brewer, Junr., the father of Mary (as Florence Mary was called by her family). Mr. Brewer, featured at SP-279, was born 5 February 1872 in Timberscombe (1), the only son of Thomas William and Fanny (nee Palfrey) Brewer of Slade Farm, Timberscombe. Thomas Junr. was the 5th of a line of Thomas Brewers in Timberscombe, dating to before 1760 (2). Like his father, Thomas Junr. was a carpenter who also farmed (3).
On 24 April 1905, Thomas William Brewer Junr. married Maud Kate Fletcher in Warmley, Gloucestershire (4). In 1879, when he was about seven years old, Thomas Junr.'s mother, Fanny, had died at the age of 31 (5). The senior Thomas William Brewer remarried 20 years later, in 1899. His second wife was Margaret Matilda Knight, born in Cold Ashton, Gloucestershire, not far from Warmley and the aunt of Maud Kate Fletcher (6).
Returning to the Timberscombe area, Thomas Junr. and Maud Kate moved into The Dell, a 17th century house at Cowbridge (7), the hamlet just northeast of Timberscombe. The couple also lived on Jubilee Terrace in Timberscombe for a period of time (8), but until c. 1917, were mostly at the Dell, where their first child, Florence Mary, was born 15 March 1906 (9). On the 26th of April, she was baptised at St. Petrock's Church in Timberscombe by the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell (10)--as were the following Brewer children, Thomas William Fletcher (the 6th in the row of Thomas Brewers), born in 1908, Margaret Bessie (Maggie), born 1910, John Thomas, born 8 November 1913 and who died four days later and Ellen Kate (Nellie), born 1916 (11).
The top photograph is dated the 7th of November 1932, the wedding day of Mary Brewer (12). She is standing left of her mother, Maud Kate and her youngest sister, Ellen Kate, called Nellie by most people and Nell by her family (13). The location of the wedding photographs is Sunnyside, a house built on the northeastern edge of Timberscombe by Mary's father and his father, Thomas William, on land purchased on 29 September 1916 by his second wife, Margaret Matilda (14).
Sunnyside was the home of the Brewers until the end of the century. In 1925, Margaret Matilda Brewer drafted her will, leaving Sunnyside to "my niece, Maud Kate and her children", with the provision that it would always be a home for her husband (15). She passed away in 1928 and the elder Thomas William Brewer died in 1930 (16).
In the second photograph, Mary stands next to her groom, Frederick Hensley. Like Mary's father and grandfather, Frederick was a carpenter. Born 21 January 1906 in Minehead (17), his family lived at 7 Church Street, Minehead, where Frederick's father, Richard Hensley, was a Jobbing Gardener and his mother was Edith (nee Westcott) Hensley. They had married in 1900 at Dulverton (18). Frederick was their youngest child, following a brother and sister, along with five half brothers and one half sister from Richard Hensley's first marriage (19).
On the 27th of April 1934, Mary and Frederick Hensley had a son, Frederick John Hensley (20), their only child and indeed the only child of the next Brewer generation. Mary's siblings did not have children. By the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, the Hensleys and their son lived at 44 Lower King George Road in Minehead, where Mary and Frederick remained the rest of their lives.
Frederick John Hensley married Hilda Joyce Lethaby and their daughter, Josephine Hensley was born in 1958 (21) and like her father, was the only child of the next generation. She married Nigel S. Atkins in 1979 (22) and better known as Jo, she is the donor of these photographs, including the bottom one with four generations pictured and her being held on the lap of her great grandfather, Thomas William Brewer, Junr. Mrs. Atkins believes the photograph must have been taken in 1959, as he passed away early in 1960. Maud Kate Brewer had died in 1953 (23).
Standing on the right is Jo Atkin's father, Frederick John Hensley, who died 17 July 2013. Her mother, Hilda Joyce--better known as Joyce-- passed away 7 May 2011 and she and her husband are buried at the Minehead Cemetary (24).
The woman standing to the left is Florence Mary, probably about 53 years old here. Her husband, Frederick, died 31 March 1979 and Mary passed away on 3 December 1989 (25). She had often returned to Timberscombe, where her sister Margaret (known as Maggie to most in Timberscombe and remembered as Meg by her family) lived all of her life. In the 1990's, Mary and Margaret's brother, Thomas William Fletcher and their sister, Nellie, returned to Sunnyside after the deaths of their respective spouses. Jo Atkins has many warm memories of family visits at Sunnyside.
Creator
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous
Anonymous /
Anonymous
Source
Date
7 November 1932
7 November 1932
likely 1959
7 November 1932
likely 1959
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Three photographs featuring Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley and her families / Timberscombe and Minehead
Acquisition Date
2021
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe and Minehead
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2021
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
15 X 12
11 X 9.5
15.5 X 12
11 X 9.5
15.5 X 12
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) 1939 Register of England and Wales (2) as detailed at SP-278, where the first Thomas Brewer ("Bruer" at the time) is traced back to Timberscombe in 1760 as an indentured apprentice to Timberscombe butcher, Thomas Davis (3) 1881 England Census, 1891 England Census and 1901 England Census and newspaper obituaries provided by Mrs. Joe Atkins of Hopcott Terrace, Hopcott Road, Minehead in 2020 (4) Bristol, England, Church of England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937 (5) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 and UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (6) London, England, Church of England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936, England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 and Bristol, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1918 (7) PHILLIPS & SANDER, 32 The Avenue, Minehead, Estate Agents, Sales Particulars for The Dell, c. 1980 (8) 1911 England Census which shows the Brewer family at Jubilee Terrace, seemingly at the current No. 4 Jubilee Terrace address (9) 1939 England and Wales Register (10) Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (11) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Indexes, 1837-1915, England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915, England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 and as recalled in 2020 by Erica Holmes of Overdale, Great House Street, Timberscombe, who worked for Margaret (Maggie) Brewer at Sunnyside in the 1990's (12) as recalled in 2020 by Jo Atkins and England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (13) as recalled in 2020 by Jo Atkins (14) Conveyance, dated 29th September 2016, from The Trustees of Worsley Battersby, deceased to Mrs. M.M. Brewer, shared in August 2020 by Elisabeth Powls, current owner of Sunnyside (15) handwritten "Notes on Title" for Sunnyside, Timberscombe and Farthings Meadow, Timberscombe and Abstract of the Will, Death and Probate of Frederick Hawkins Knight, deceased 1954 by Thorne & Bowman, Minehead, included in deeds and abstracts shared by Elisabeth Powls, August 2020 (16) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (17) 1939 England and Wales Register (18) Somerset, England, Church of England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 (19) 1911 England Census and as recalled in 2022 by Jo Atkins, the grand-daughter of Frederick Hensley (20) 1939 England and Wales Register (21) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 (22) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (23) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Indexes, 1916-2007 (24) England and Wales , National Probate Calendars (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1995 and UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (25) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1989-2019
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2021
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-280
Technique
Copies
Citation
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Anonymous, “THE BREWER FAMILY, part 3: Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 2, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3550.
Comments