THE BREWER FAMILY, part 5: Margaret (Maggie) Bessie Brewer
Title
THE BREWER FAMILY, part 5: Margaret (Maggie) Bessie Brewer
Subject
Description
Margaret Bessie Brewer was born 27 September 1910 (1), a middle child of Thomas William and Maud Kate (nee Fletcher) Brewer. The Brewer family was well established in Timberscombe, dating back to at least 1760 (2). Both her father and her grandfather, also Thomas William Brewer, were well respected carpenters (3) and her great grand-father, Thomas Brewer farmed Slade Farm. At the time of the 1911 Census, Margaret, aged 6 months, was listed with her parents, her older sister, Florence Mary, born in 1906 and her older brother, Thomas William Fletcher, born in 1908, as living in the village, seemingly on Jubilee Terrace. Another brother, John Thomas was born in 1913, but died within days and her younger sister, Ellen Kate (Nellie) was born in 1916 (4). In Timberscombe, Margaret is probably the most remembered Brewer.
Actually, Margaret Bessie would mostly be remembered as "Maggie" (which will be used here) and among her family, she was called Meg (5). But as Margaret Bessie, she was baptised at St. Petrock's Church by the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell on 30 October 1910 (6). Possibly, before Maggie was born and certainly afterwards, the Brewer family leased The Dell, a 17th century house alongside the Old Dunster Road in Cowbridge, a hamlet adjacent to the northeastern edge of Timberscombe (7). The Dell was one house west of Cowbridge Mill, where her grandfather, Thomas William and his second wife, Margaret Matilda (nee Knight) Brewer, lived in a section of the mill that had been newly refurbished as a residence called Mill House (8).
By 1916, Maggie's father was also leasing land on the eastern side of The Dell, perhaps for some farming and gardening and possibly as a source of wood for carpentry. This land and both The Dell and Cowbridge Mill, were a part of 2,100 acres known as the Knowle Estate and owned by Jesse (nee May) Battersby, the widow of Worsley Battersby. On the 20th of July in 1916, the entire Knowle Estate was divided into 68 lots and offered for sale via public auction. At the end of the day, Lot 31 (the one leased by Maggie's father) and a larger adjoining piece of land, Lot 32, were either not sold or had been pulled from the auction (9).
This had probably been arranged since on 29 September 1916, Lots 31 and 32 were sold by the Trustees of Mrs. Battersby to Margaret Matilda Brewer (10), six-year-old Maggie's step-grandmother. Almost immediately, Maggie's grandfather and father began building Sunnyside, which would be the Brewer family home until 1999 (11). Maggie Brewer would be the only Brewer that lived there for the entire time.
Maggie is the little girl holding the dog in the upper photograph. The other children are not identified and it is not clear what is going on but it looks fun. It is not known where the photograph was taken and it is not likely Sunnyside, which was not rendered. It could be at The Dell. Maggie was admitted to the Timberscombe School on the 4th of October 1915, when her address was listed as "Cowbridge", likely signifying The Dell (12). When her sister Nellie was admitted, on 10 January 1922, her address was "Timberscombe"(13), which despite the proximity of the homes, would be correct for Sunnyside. Maggie and Nellie are pictured together in the second photograoh at Maggie's Confirmation. Both photographs were donated in 2020 by Mrs. Jo Atkins of Minehead, the grand-daughter of Florence Mary, the older sister of both girls.
The last school day for Maggie, according to an entry in the school's Log Book by Head Mistress, Salome V. Wallace, was the 19th of December 1924 (14). In her last year, on the 3rd of May 1924, Maggie scored 100% on an Examination for the "Child Nurse" Badge, given by the Girl Guides, beating Elsie Gooding by 15% . This qualified Maggie to compete in a Child Nurse Badge County-wide Competition, again doing well and scoring 92 % (15). It is likely that after leaving school Maggie went straight into some sort of work --or based on her later reputation, multiple forms of work. Florence Mary Brewer married Frederick Hensley, a carpenter, on 7 November 1932 and moved to Minehead (16). By the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, Thomas William Fletcher, Maggie and Nellie, respectively aged 31, 29 and 23, still lived at Sunnyside with their parents. Thomas was a Fishmongers Manager, Nellie was a Domestic and Margaret Bessie was listed as "Domestic and Dairy".
Margaret Matilda Brewer died in 1928, leaving Sunnyside to Maud Kate "and her children"(17). Margaret Matilda's husband died in 1930 (18). In the early 1940's, Maggie's brother, Thomas, had moved to Buckinghamshire, continuing to work as a Fishmongers Manager and he married Hilda Emma Beaney, an Audit Clerk, in 1942 (19). It is said that Maggie had been engaged but broke it off to tend to her parents (20).
Maud Kate died in 1953 and Thomas William, Maggie's father, died early in 1960 (21). After his passing, Nellie, aged 44, accepted the proposal of Frederick William Hooper from Devon, setting a marriage date in October 1960 (22). Perhaps this prompted, on 11 September 1960, Florence Mary, Thomas and Nellie to give sole ownership of Sunnyside to their sister, Maggie (23).
According to those who knew her, Maggie Brewer never stopped working. She was known to be the first in the village to have her morning laundry hanging out on the clothesline. She established a Bed & Breakfast at Sunnyside (24). For over twenty years Maggie was the executor of the land in Timberscombe across the road from The Great House down to Willow View Lane, bordered on its eastern side by Great House Street. It was owned by Charles Hole and his wife, Beatrice Ann Marie (nee Pyne) Hole (25). Beatrice had grown up at The Rose and Crown Inn, where her parents were the proprietors (26). After the inn closed in 1915 (27), she and Mr. Hole had converted it to Rosemont (28), a successful apartment house -- which was almost across the road from Sunnyside, so Maggie would have known Beatrice. Mr. Hole died in 1955 and Mrs. Hole appointed Maggie executor of their properties in 1958 (29). Beatrice died in 1965 (30) and Maggie Brewer oversaw the conveyance of their land on the 27th of September 1979 that eventually enabled the building of the enclave that contains Rowan Cottage, Pondside and Mill Leat Cottage, followed by the construction of the house called Popesfield, that became The Rectory and in 2007, Waterside (31).
In 1990 Frederick William Hooper died (32) and his widow, Nellie, moved back to Sunnyside. In 1994, Hilda Brewer died (33) and Thomas also returned to live with his sisters. Neither were in the best of health. Erica Holmes, later of Overdale, Great House Road, Timberscombe, worked for Maggie in the 1990's and remembered her constant energy and, despite the passing of years, how Maggie and Nellie both deferred to their older brother. Eventually the siblings could not maintain Sunnyside and it was sold at public auction in 1999. All three moved into the Winsor Nursing Home in Minehead where Thomas died in 2000 and Nellie died in 2001 (34). Maggie lived until 13 April 2005 and is buried at St. Petrock's Churchyard. Nellie and her husband are to her left and Thomas is buried to their left.
In 1989, a new bypass to the former Old Dunster Road (since 1922 being the A396) was completed to route traffic around the village of Timberscombe. The change in the road began just west of Sunnyside and created a plot of land between the new bypass and where the old road had run in front of a row of 4 properties, including where Rosemont was still an apartment house. This land belonged to Maggie Brewer and in her family's name she donated it to Timberscombe, creating a village green. The bottom photograph is of Maggie, in 1990, at the opening ceremony for Brewers Green, standing among a group of men, including Dougie Sharpe, in the blue jacket with a green collar and Kenneth Grabham to his right. Maggie appears proud and confident.
Actually, Margaret Bessie would mostly be remembered as "Maggie" (which will be used here) and among her family, she was called Meg (5). But as Margaret Bessie, she was baptised at St. Petrock's Church by the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell on 30 October 1910 (6). Possibly, before Maggie was born and certainly afterwards, the Brewer family leased The Dell, a 17th century house alongside the Old Dunster Road in Cowbridge, a hamlet adjacent to the northeastern edge of Timberscombe (7). The Dell was one house west of Cowbridge Mill, where her grandfather, Thomas William and his second wife, Margaret Matilda (nee Knight) Brewer, lived in a section of the mill that had been newly refurbished as a residence called Mill House (8).
By 1916, Maggie's father was also leasing land on the eastern side of The Dell, perhaps for some farming and gardening and possibly as a source of wood for carpentry. This land and both The Dell and Cowbridge Mill, were a part of 2,100 acres known as the Knowle Estate and owned by Jesse (nee May) Battersby, the widow of Worsley Battersby. On the 20th of July in 1916, the entire Knowle Estate was divided into 68 lots and offered for sale via public auction. At the end of the day, Lot 31 (the one leased by Maggie's father) and a larger adjoining piece of land, Lot 32, were either not sold or had been pulled from the auction (9).
This had probably been arranged since on 29 September 1916, Lots 31 and 32 were sold by the Trustees of Mrs. Battersby to Margaret Matilda Brewer (10), six-year-old Maggie's step-grandmother. Almost immediately, Maggie's grandfather and father began building Sunnyside, which would be the Brewer family home until 1999 (11). Maggie Brewer would be the only Brewer that lived there for the entire time.
Maggie is the little girl holding the dog in the upper photograph. The other children are not identified and it is not clear what is going on but it looks fun. It is not known where the photograph was taken and it is not likely Sunnyside, which was not rendered. It could be at The Dell. Maggie was admitted to the Timberscombe School on the 4th of October 1915, when her address was listed as "Cowbridge", likely signifying The Dell (12). When her sister Nellie was admitted, on 10 January 1922, her address was "Timberscombe"(13), which despite the proximity of the homes, would be correct for Sunnyside. Maggie and Nellie are pictured together in the second photograoh at Maggie's Confirmation. Both photographs were donated in 2020 by Mrs. Jo Atkins of Minehead, the grand-daughter of Florence Mary, the older sister of both girls.
The last school day for Maggie, according to an entry in the school's Log Book by Head Mistress, Salome V. Wallace, was the 19th of December 1924 (14). In her last year, on the 3rd of May 1924, Maggie scored 100% on an Examination for the "Child Nurse" Badge, given by the Girl Guides, beating Elsie Gooding by 15% . This qualified Maggie to compete in a Child Nurse Badge County-wide Competition, again doing well and scoring 92 % (15). It is likely that after leaving school Maggie went straight into some sort of work --or based on her later reputation, multiple forms of work. Florence Mary Brewer married Frederick Hensley, a carpenter, on 7 November 1932 and moved to Minehead (16). By the time of the 1939 England and Wales Register, Thomas William Fletcher, Maggie and Nellie, respectively aged 31, 29 and 23, still lived at Sunnyside with their parents. Thomas was a Fishmongers Manager, Nellie was a Domestic and Margaret Bessie was listed as "Domestic and Dairy".
Margaret Matilda Brewer died in 1928, leaving Sunnyside to Maud Kate "and her children"(17). Margaret Matilda's husband died in 1930 (18). In the early 1940's, Maggie's brother, Thomas, had moved to Buckinghamshire, continuing to work as a Fishmongers Manager and he married Hilda Emma Beaney, an Audit Clerk, in 1942 (19). It is said that Maggie had been engaged but broke it off to tend to her parents (20).
Maud Kate died in 1953 and Thomas William, Maggie's father, died early in 1960 (21). After his passing, Nellie, aged 44, accepted the proposal of Frederick William Hooper from Devon, setting a marriage date in October 1960 (22). Perhaps this prompted, on 11 September 1960, Florence Mary, Thomas and Nellie to give sole ownership of Sunnyside to their sister, Maggie (23).
According to those who knew her, Maggie Brewer never stopped working. She was known to be the first in the village to have her morning laundry hanging out on the clothesline. She established a Bed & Breakfast at Sunnyside (24). For over twenty years Maggie was the executor of the land in Timberscombe across the road from The Great House down to Willow View Lane, bordered on its eastern side by Great House Street. It was owned by Charles Hole and his wife, Beatrice Ann Marie (nee Pyne) Hole (25). Beatrice had grown up at The Rose and Crown Inn, where her parents were the proprietors (26). After the inn closed in 1915 (27), she and Mr. Hole had converted it to Rosemont (28), a successful apartment house -- which was almost across the road from Sunnyside, so Maggie would have known Beatrice. Mr. Hole died in 1955 and Mrs. Hole appointed Maggie executor of their properties in 1958 (29). Beatrice died in 1965 (30) and Maggie Brewer oversaw the conveyance of their land on the 27th of September 1979 that eventually enabled the building of the enclave that contains Rowan Cottage, Pondside and Mill Leat Cottage, followed by the construction of the house called Popesfield, that became The Rectory and in 2007, Waterside (31).
In 1990 Frederick William Hooper died (32) and his widow, Nellie, moved back to Sunnyside. In 1994, Hilda Brewer died (33) and Thomas also returned to live with his sisters. Neither were in the best of health. Erica Holmes, later of Overdale, Great House Road, Timberscombe, worked for Maggie in the 1990's and remembered her constant energy and, despite the passing of years, how Maggie and Nellie both deferred to their older brother. Eventually the siblings could not maintain Sunnyside and it was sold at public auction in 1999. All three moved into the Winsor Nursing Home in Minehead where Thomas died in 2000 and Nellie died in 2001 (34). Maggie lived until 13 April 2005 and is buried at St. Petrock's Churchyard. Nellie and her husband are to her left and Thomas is buried to their left.
In 1989, a new bypass to the former Old Dunster Road (since 1922 being the A396) was completed to route traffic around the village of Timberscombe. The change in the road began just west of Sunnyside and created a plot of land between the new bypass and where the old road had run in front of a row of 4 properties, including where Rosemont was still an apartment house. This land belonged to Maggie Brewer and in her family's name she donated it to Timberscombe, creating a village green. The bottom photograph is of Maggie, in 1990, at the opening ceremony for Brewers Green, standing among a group of men, including Dougie Sharpe, in the blue jacket with a green collar and Kenneth Grabham to his right. Maggie appears proud and confident.
Creator
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith
Date
c. 1915 or a bit later
c. 1922 or a bit later
1990
c. 1922 or a bit later
1990
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Three photographs including Margaret Bessie (Maggie) Brewer (1910-2005) / Timberscombe
Acquisition Date
2020
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2022
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
15 X 10.5
13.5 X 9
10 X 16
13.5 X 9
10 X 16
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) 1939 England and Wales Register and England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (2) UK, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentice's Indentures, 1710-1811, for Thomas Bruer, apprentice to Thomas Davis, Timberscombe butcher (3) as printed in both obituaries for Thomas William Brewer (died 1930) and Thomas William Brewer, Junr. (died 1960) on clippings provided by Josephine (called "Jo" and nee Hensley) Atkins, the grand-daughter of Florence Mary (nee Brewer) Hensley / it is not clear what newspapers printed the obituaries (4) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Indexes, 1837-1915, England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 and England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 (5) Margaret Bessie Brewer is remembered as "Maggie" by her contemporaries in Timberscombe and Jo Atkins recalls her as "Meg" (6) Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (7) PHiLLIPS & SANDER, 32 The Avenue, Minehead, Estate Agent, Sales Particulars for The Dell, c. 1980 (8) TimberscombeVillage.com/ History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ Cowbridge Mill, written by Lesley Webb (9) "THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER SOMERSET", PARTICULARS, PLANS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE of THE KNOWLE ESTATE, by Messrs. W.R.J. Greenslade & Co. , for Public Auction at The Luttrell Arms Hotel, Dunster, on Thursday, July 20th 1916 (10) Conveyance, dated 29th September 1916, from The Trustees of Worsley Battersby, deceased to Mrs. M.M. Brewer, shared in August 2020 by Elisabeth Powls, current owner of Sunnyside (11) as recalled in 2020 by Elisabeth Powls and by Erica Holmes of Overdale, Great House Street, Timberscombe (12) Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 1897-1944, No. 325 (13) Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, No. 403 (14) Timberscombe School Log Book, 4 April 1910 to 25 March 1947, page 254 (15) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, page 247 (16) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (17) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 and handwritten "Notes on Title" for Sunnyside, Timberscombe and Farthings Meadow, Timberscombe and Abstract of the Will, Death and Probate of Frederick Hawkins Knight, deceased, dated 1954 by Thorne & Bowman, Minehead, included in deeds and abstracts shared by Elisabeth Powls, August 2020 (18) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (19) Conveyance, dated 11th September 1960, of Mrs F.M. Hensley and Others to Miss M.B. Brewer of Sunnyside, Timberscombe, Somerset and 1939 England and Wales Register (20) as recalled by Erica Holmes (21) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 and as recalled by Jo Atkins (22) FindMyPast.com, Register of Marriages, 1837-2008 (23) Conveyance, dated 11th September 1960, of Mrs. F.M. Hensley and Others to Miss M.B. Brewer of Sunnyside, Timberscombe, Somerset (24) as recalled by Erica Holmes (25) Land Charge Refee No. 27203/48, 10th May 1948, Land Change From Dorothy Smith, The Great House to Charles Hole, Rosemont Farm (26) 1901 England Census (27) VictoriaCountyHistory.ac.uk (28) Kelly's Directory of Somerset, 1923. (29) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2009 and 6th January 1958 Assent from Beatrice Marie Ann Hole to Margaret Bessie Brewer and Cyril Walker Tucker of Cornerways, Mart Road, Minehead (30) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (31) Epitome of Title, 27 September 1977, Conveyance of Margaret Bessie Brewer to Timothy Charles Brandon Guy and Elizabeth Angela Guy and UK Electoral Registers, 2003-2010 (32) FindMy Past.com, Register of Deaths, 1916-2007 (33) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (34) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Indexes, 1916-2007 (35) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index. 1300s-Current
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2022
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-282
Citation
Anonymous /
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith, “THE BREWER FAMILY, part 5: Margaret (Maggie) Bessie Brewer,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 1, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3552.
Comments