Bernadette Brunker AKA Bernadette Ash and Ronald Brunker, of School House
Title
Bernadette Brunker AKA Bernadette Ash and Ronald Brunker, of School House
Subject
Description
The top photograph was taken in 2022 and depicts the artist, Bernadette Brunker in the living room of School House, her home for the previous 42 years. The painting visible behind her is one of her creations, a vividly coloured oil of flowers against a West Somerset backdrop, an example of the style that established her as a respected interpreter of the British landscape.
Ms. Brunker's professional name was her maiden name, Bernadette Ash. Ironically, for most of the time she was legally "Miss Ash", Bernadette did not live in the country and nor was she creating oil paintings. Bernadette Ash was born in February 1934 in Sidcup, Kent to Frank and Laura (nee Middleton) Ash (1). Mr. Ash worked as a Clerk (2). The family home was at No. 1 Boundary Road near Blackfen, north of Sidcup (3). Bernadette left home at the end of 1954. At first she lived and worked near St. Albans, becoming a professional radiographer and then moved to central London until 1973 (4).
In that year, Bernadette Ash began a year long course at the Byam Shaw School of Art and then enrolled at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts--neither a place for a casual weekend painter. The former, situated at Campden Hill in Kensington was established in 1910, becoming a renowned independent art school (5). Camberwell was founded in 1889, later renamed The Camberwell College of Arts, as one of the six colleges of the University of Arts, London (6). Other alumni include Quentin Blake, Howard Hodgkin, Sir Terry Frost, David Hockney and Mike Leigh, the film director (7). In 1982, Bernadette Ash had a solo show at the Woodland Art Gallery, a Georgian villa at Greenwich which operated as a gallery from 1972 to 2003 (8) and has also exhibited at The New England Art Club, The Royal West of England Art Gallery and the Royal Academy (9). Besides her oils, Bernadette has worked in charcoal, printmaking and woodcuts, the latter of which she featured during the Open Studios of the Somerset Art Weeks in 2014 (10).
Personally, Bernadette Ash became Bernadette Brunker in January 1981 when she married Ronald Maurice Brunker (11). In 2020, Bernadette remembered her husband told her that the Celtic origin of "Brunker" was "brun" and "cra", meaning "bronze sword". Ronald was born August 1905 (on a blazing hot day) in Swindon, Wiltshire to John and Edith (nee Salvidge) Brunker, proprietors of a small general store. At the age of 13, Ronald left school to help with the family business, which went bankrupt and culminated in the family moving to London at Edith Grove. HIs father later secured a position at Harrods (12).
Ronald Brunker's first lessons in organ playing was at Gillingham Church in Dorset. Continuing his studies in London, Brunker gained his qualification at the Royal College of Organists. His first career appointment as a church organist was at Battesea, followed by others including Chelsfield Parish Church , where he was the founder of the Chelsfield Choral Society. He taught at Bassett's House School and married twice, which like the family business, went bust (13).
The paths of Bernadette Ash and Ronald Brunker could have crossed earlier. During the 1939 England and Wales Register, 34-year-old Ronald Brunker listed his occupation as a Music Teacher and Prep School Church Organist but temporarily, and after his first divorce, was living with his parents at Orpington, Kent, within the London Borough of Bromley and less than seven miles from where 5-year-old Bernadette lived.
After the war, Ronald Brunker returned to playing, teaching, publishing books of piano studies for children and composing music. In 1957 he was appointed Choir Master and Organist at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel at Greenwich, built from 1696 to 1712 by Thomas Ripley, utilising the designs of Sir Christopher Wren and housing the famed Samuel Green Organ (14), certainly one of the most esteemed choral settings in Britain. Here he also taught music as part of the Lieutenant's Greenwich Course, where officers of the Royal Navy--often drafted wholesale into the choir-- found their initial reluctance overcome by Brunker's loyalty and encouragement, with a passion of excellence tempered with great humour. He continued doing so until his retirement in 1976 (15).
The middle photograph is of Ronald and Bernadette at her niece's wedding. The gentleman to the right is Frank Ash, Bernadette's father. A camera is seen in front of Bernadette, an interest that she also maintained. Ms. Brunker has contributed personal photographs of various events to this archive---including this photograph.
Even before they were married, Ronald and Bernadette were looking for a home in West Somerset and they were aware that the section of The Timberscombe School known as "School House" was going to be auctioned. In 1714, the 22-year-old Richard Elsworth (variously also spelled as Elsworthy or Ellsworth) was dying and in his will, had left £200 to construct a charity school and library (16). After his death, the money was given but it took 91 years for a foundation stone to be laid, finally occurring in 1805 (17). The completed school would be L-shaped, situated on the western end of the village. The entry to the first schoolroom for the children was on the vertical side of the "L", with a door on the school's eastern side. A larger door was placed in the centre of the horizontal side of the "L", facing north and bordering the road that later was known as Bemberry Bank. This door entered what was (and is) School House.
While overflow classes may have been occasionally held here, School House was not for children. It was meant to house the Schoolmaster (as the first four--William Curle, William Brown Wood, Thomas William Smith and Thomas Charles Packer---indeed were men) and their families. Mary Wright was the last Head Teacher to live at School House, only for a short period in 1976 at the beginning of her 9-year tenure at Timberscombe School, before she and her husband, John Wright, restored and moved into Yew Tree Cottage on Church Street in the village (18). School House was subsequently let to individuals by the diocese. Around 1979 or 1980, it became "For sale by Auction (unless previously sold)", as advertised by Cluttons, Estate Agents from 10 New Street in Wells, Somerset (19).
In 2020, Bernadette Brunker recalled that School House was either withdrawn from the auction when a reserve was not met or perhaps no bids were made. She and Mr. Brunker had not seen it, as they were interested in another property--which did not work out. Therefore Ronald Brunker went on his own to give School House a look and encouraged his fiance to do the same. Subsequently an offer was made and purchase was completed on the 20th of November 1980, through their solicitors, Cornish & Birtill of Penzance (20).
The move was a success and these urbanites enjoyed becoming part of country life. Later, at Ronald Brunker's funeral, his friend (and student), David Proctor, described Ronald and "his beloved Bernadette" as "making their home in the fine Old School House, where they welcomed visitors and whence they often returned to London to pursue their work and catch-up with friends and family (21)". Bernadette purchased a plot of orchard land from Well Farm and continued painting her signature country landscapes outdoors, often with Dunkery Hill in the background. With some paper and a stick of charcoal, she was just as happy to sketch Mary Holcombe's sheep. Ronald composed organ works, continued perfecting his music and well into his eighties made monthly trips to Kent to give lessons. He also rediscovered his love of the countryside with long walks, perhaps rewarded by a cream tea or a glass of brandy" (22). Both aspects of their lives are apparent on Mr. Brunker's gravestone at St. Petrock's Churchyard. It reads "In Memory of Ronald Brunker of School House", with "Choirmaster and Organist at Royal Navy College, Greenwich" etched below.
Ronald Maurice Brunker died, aged 90, on the 12th of October 1995 (23) and his gravesite is pictured in the bottom photograph, decorated by Bernadette, not unsurprisingly in vivid colours. She was aided by her friend, Joyce Smith of Ford Cottage, who also took this photograph.
Bernadette Brunker has also been instrumental in the preservation of three of Timberscombe's most eminent artifacts, two of which hang on the outside walls of School House. In 1995 she spearheaded the effort to have the plaque restored that honoured the pious munificence--as the memorial reads-- of Richard Elsworth, the young benefactor of the Timberscombe School (24). It had originally hung over the door that enters School House, as seen at SP-072 in a photograph that was taken pre 1909 (25). The plaque was later moved to School House's eastern wall, nicely visible at SP-271, being glanced at by HRH Princess Ann during a 1997 visit to unveil a plaque at Timberscombe's Vicarage Court and enroute to Village Hall for a cup of tea and a scone--a photograph taken by Ms. Brunker.
On the western wall of School House is a sundial on slate, skilfully engraved, signed and dated 1829 by William Brown Wood, the afore-mentioned second teacher at Timberscombe School. It had been found on the ground, fallen and broken. The sundial was back in place when Ronald and Bernadette arrived at School House and when the house was rendered in the 1880s, a bit of cement was added to replace a missing part of the sundial. The restored sundial is visible at SP-141, in a photograph taken by the British Sundial Society in 2000--which praised Ms. Brunker's efforts in saving the "exceptional dial" (26).
In 1805, at the age of 21, the same William Brown Wood had been a member of the crew of the HMS Neptune, under the command of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and in 1809 was wounded, so as to be discharged in 1810 as "unserviceable" (27). Wood's grave marker at St. Petrock's Churchyard had been greatly eroded and through Ms. Brunker's efforts, initial restoration work was done in place at the churchyard in 1998 by Alison Henry, who ran her own conservation agency and later became the Head of Building Conservation and Geospatial Survey at Historic England (28). At Timberscombe, she was assisted by Kit Chester, with financial support from the 1805 Club, founded in 1990 to protect memorials to Georgian naval heroes (29). Unfortunately by 2005 it was evident that the front surface of the grave marker was separating from the body of the stone. With the permission of the church authorities, Ms. Brunker approached Russell Lillford, the Somerset County Council Historic Buildings Manager, who agreed to fund further restoration. This time the marker was removed from the churchyard and was taken to Weymouth College, where it was further restored by students and their teacher as a last term project. On the 18th of October 2006, the William Brown Wood marker was returned St. Petrock's and soon was permanently repositioned within the church's North Porch --ensuring the preservation of one of Somerset's few memorials to the Napoleonic Wars (30).
Ms. Brunker's professional name was her maiden name, Bernadette Ash. Ironically, for most of the time she was legally "Miss Ash", Bernadette did not live in the country and nor was she creating oil paintings. Bernadette Ash was born in February 1934 in Sidcup, Kent to Frank and Laura (nee Middleton) Ash (1). Mr. Ash worked as a Clerk (2). The family home was at No. 1 Boundary Road near Blackfen, north of Sidcup (3). Bernadette left home at the end of 1954. At first she lived and worked near St. Albans, becoming a professional radiographer and then moved to central London until 1973 (4).
In that year, Bernadette Ash began a year long course at the Byam Shaw School of Art and then enrolled at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts--neither a place for a casual weekend painter. The former, situated at Campden Hill in Kensington was established in 1910, becoming a renowned independent art school (5). Camberwell was founded in 1889, later renamed The Camberwell College of Arts, as one of the six colleges of the University of Arts, London (6). Other alumni include Quentin Blake, Howard Hodgkin, Sir Terry Frost, David Hockney and Mike Leigh, the film director (7). In 1982, Bernadette Ash had a solo show at the Woodland Art Gallery, a Georgian villa at Greenwich which operated as a gallery from 1972 to 2003 (8) and has also exhibited at The New England Art Club, The Royal West of England Art Gallery and the Royal Academy (9). Besides her oils, Bernadette has worked in charcoal, printmaking and woodcuts, the latter of which she featured during the Open Studios of the Somerset Art Weeks in 2014 (10).
Personally, Bernadette Ash became Bernadette Brunker in January 1981 when she married Ronald Maurice Brunker (11). In 2020, Bernadette remembered her husband told her that the Celtic origin of "Brunker" was "brun" and "cra", meaning "bronze sword". Ronald was born August 1905 (on a blazing hot day) in Swindon, Wiltshire to John and Edith (nee Salvidge) Brunker, proprietors of a small general store. At the age of 13, Ronald left school to help with the family business, which went bankrupt and culminated in the family moving to London at Edith Grove. HIs father later secured a position at Harrods (12).
Ronald Brunker's first lessons in organ playing was at Gillingham Church in Dorset. Continuing his studies in London, Brunker gained his qualification at the Royal College of Organists. His first career appointment as a church organist was at Battesea, followed by others including Chelsfield Parish Church , where he was the founder of the Chelsfield Choral Society. He taught at Bassett's House School and married twice, which like the family business, went bust (13).
The paths of Bernadette Ash and Ronald Brunker could have crossed earlier. During the 1939 England and Wales Register, 34-year-old Ronald Brunker listed his occupation as a Music Teacher and Prep School Church Organist but temporarily, and after his first divorce, was living with his parents at Orpington, Kent, within the London Borough of Bromley and less than seven miles from where 5-year-old Bernadette lived.
After the war, Ronald Brunker returned to playing, teaching, publishing books of piano studies for children and composing music. In 1957 he was appointed Choir Master and Organist at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel at Greenwich, built from 1696 to 1712 by Thomas Ripley, utilising the designs of Sir Christopher Wren and housing the famed Samuel Green Organ (14), certainly one of the most esteemed choral settings in Britain. Here he also taught music as part of the Lieutenant's Greenwich Course, where officers of the Royal Navy--often drafted wholesale into the choir-- found their initial reluctance overcome by Brunker's loyalty and encouragement, with a passion of excellence tempered with great humour. He continued doing so until his retirement in 1976 (15).
The middle photograph is of Ronald and Bernadette at her niece's wedding. The gentleman to the right is Frank Ash, Bernadette's father. A camera is seen in front of Bernadette, an interest that she also maintained. Ms. Brunker has contributed personal photographs of various events to this archive---including this photograph.
Even before they were married, Ronald and Bernadette were looking for a home in West Somerset and they were aware that the section of The Timberscombe School known as "School House" was going to be auctioned. In 1714, the 22-year-old Richard Elsworth (variously also spelled as Elsworthy or Ellsworth) was dying and in his will, had left £200 to construct a charity school and library (16). After his death, the money was given but it took 91 years for a foundation stone to be laid, finally occurring in 1805 (17). The completed school would be L-shaped, situated on the western end of the village. The entry to the first schoolroom for the children was on the vertical side of the "L", with a door on the school's eastern side. A larger door was placed in the centre of the horizontal side of the "L", facing north and bordering the road that later was known as Bemberry Bank. This door entered what was (and is) School House.
While overflow classes may have been occasionally held here, School House was not for children. It was meant to house the Schoolmaster (as the first four--William Curle, William Brown Wood, Thomas William Smith and Thomas Charles Packer---indeed were men) and their families. Mary Wright was the last Head Teacher to live at School House, only for a short period in 1976 at the beginning of her 9-year tenure at Timberscombe School, before she and her husband, John Wright, restored and moved into Yew Tree Cottage on Church Street in the village (18). School House was subsequently let to individuals by the diocese. Around 1979 or 1980, it became "For sale by Auction (unless previously sold)", as advertised by Cluttons, Estate Agents from 10 New Street in Wells, Somerset (19).
In 2020, Bernadette Brunker recalled that School House was either withdrawn from the auction when a reserve was not met or perhaps no bids were made. She and Mr. Brunker had not seen it, as they were interested in another property--which did not work out. Therefore Ronald Brunker went on his own to give School House a look and encouraged his fiance to do the same. Subsequently an offer was made and purchase was completed on the 20th of November 1980, through their solicitors, Cornish & Birtill of Penzance (20).
The move was a success and these urbanites enjoyed becoming part of country life. Later, at Ronald Brunker's funeral, his friend (and student), David Proctor, described Ronald and "his beloved Bernadette" as "making their home in the fine Old School House, where they welcomed visitors and whence they often returned to London to pursue their work and catch-up with friends and family (21)". Bernadette purchased a plot of orchard land from Well Farm and continued painting her signature country landscapes outdoors, often with Dunkery Hill in the background. With some paper and a stick of charcoal, she was just as happy to sketch Mary Holcombe's sheep. Ronald composed organ works, continued perfecting his music and well into his eighties made monthly trips to Kent to give lessons. He also rediscovered his love of the countryside with long walks, perhaps rewarded by a cream tea or a glass of brandy" (22). Both aspects of their lives are apparent on Mr. Brunker's gravestone at St. Petrock's Churchyard. It reads "In Memory of Ronald Brunker of School House", with "Choirmaster and Organist at Royal Navy College, Greenwich" etched below.
Ronald Maurice Brunker died, aged 90, on the 12th of October 1995 (23) and his gravesite is pictured in the bottom photograph, decorated by Bernadette, not unsurprisingly in vivid colours. She was aided by her friend, Joyce Smith of Ford Cottage, who also took this photograph.
Bernadette Brunker has also been instrumental in the preservation of three of Timberscombe's most eminent artifacts, two of which hang on the outside walls of School House. In 1995 she spearheaded the effort to have the plaque restored that honoured the pious munificence--as the memorial reads-- of Richard Elsworth, the young benefactor of the Timberscombe School (24). It had originally hung over the door that enters School House, as seen at SP-072 in a photograph that was taken pre 1909 (25). The plaque was later moved to School House's eastern wall, nicely visible at SP-271, being glanced at by HRH Princess Ann during a 1997 visit to unveil a plaque at Timberscombe's Vicarage Court and enroute to Village Hall for a cup of tea and a scone--a photograph taken by Ms. Brunker.
On the western wall of School House is a sundial on slate, skilfully engraved, signed and dated 1829 by William Brown Wood, the afore-mentioned second teacher at Timberscombe School. It had been found on the ground, fallen and broken. The sundial was back in place when Ronald and Bernadette arrived at School House and when the house was rendered in the 1880s, a bit of cement was added to replace a missing part of the sundial. The restored sundial is visible at SP-141, in a photograph taken by the British Sundial Society in 2000--which praised Ms. Brunker's efforts in saving the "exceptional dial" (26).
In 1805, at the age of 21, the same William Brown Wood had been a member of the crew of the HMS Neptune, under the command of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and in 1809 was wounded, so as to be discharged in 1810 as "unserviceable" (27). Wood's grave marker at St. Petrock's Churchyard had been greatly eroded and through Ms. Brunker's efforts, initial restoration work was done in place at the churchyard in 1998 by Alison Henry, who ran her own conservation agency and later became the Head of Building Conservation and Geospatial Survey at Historic England (28). At Timberscombe, she was assisted by Kit Chester, with financial support from the 1805 Club, founded in 1990 to protect memorials to Georgian naval heroes (29). Unfortunately by 2005 it was evident that the front surface of the grave marker was separating from the body of the stone. With the permission of the church authorities, Ms. Brunker approached Russell Lillford, the Somerset County Council Historic Buildings Manager, who agreed to fund further restoration. This time the marker was removed from the churchyard and was taken to Weymouth College, where it was further restored by students and their teacher as a last term project. On the 18th of October 2006, the William Brown Wood marker was returned St. Petrock's and soon was permanently repositioned within the church's North Porch --ensuring the preservation of one of Somerset's few memorials to the Napoleonic Wars (30).
Creator
Thomas Sperling /
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith
Date
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
Contributor
Format
Language
English
Identifier
Bernadette Brunker at School House, 2022 / Ronald Brunker and Bernadette Ash (including Frank Ash, the father of Miss Ash), 1981 / Ms. Brunker at the gravesite of Mr. Brunker, St. Petrock's Church, Timberscombe, 1995
Acquisition Date
2022
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2022
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
16.5 X 10
7.5 X 11
10.5 X 14
7.5 X 11
10.5 X 14
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 and as recalled by Bernadette Brunker at School House in 2022 (2) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2022 (3) Bexley, Kent, England, Electoral Registers and en. wikipedia.org/Blackfen (4) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2020 and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Ash (5) artbiog.co.uk>schools> byam-shaw-school (6) purchase.edu/love/profiles/3106-artdesign-camberwell-college-of-arts (7) en. wikipedia.org /wiki/Camberwell_College_of_Arts (8) artbiogs.co.uk/2/galleries/woodland-art-gallery (9) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Ash (10) somersetartworks.org.uk (11) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (12) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 and as recalled by Berndette Brunker in 2020 and 2022 (13) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2022 and as addressed by David Proctor at St. Petrock's Church , Timberscombe on Thursday, 19th October 1995 (14) Old Royal Navy Academy, Greenwich, Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, ornc.org>Our Story>Royal Hospital (15) as addressed by David Proctor in 1995 and as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2022 (16) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH", by B.L.K. Henderson and G.O.E. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman & Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (17) Victoria County History.ac.uk (18) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2022 (19) the cover of the Sales Particulars is partially visible at SP-141 and the original had been shared with St. Petrock's History Group in 2019 by Angie Gummer, who had inherited it from her father, Derek Poole (1947-2011) (20) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker at School House in 2020 (21) as addressed by David Proctor in 1995 (22) as addressed by David Proctor in 1995 (23) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (24) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker at School House in 2020 and The Historic Environment Record for Exmoor National Park, MSO8307 (25) the photograph depicts Headteacher, Henry John Griffith at the front door of School House and his wife Elizabeth Griffin at the schoolroom door, who were at Timberscombe School from 1906 to 1910 (26) as recorded in 2000 by Andrew James, M.A., Chief Scientist of PRI Ltd., PRI House of Hampshire, for the British Sundial Company (27) "William Brown Wood of Timberscombe 1748-1860", by Michael Hansford, Marnhull, Dorset, Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, Vol. 33, No. 2, May 2008, donated by Carol Wheeler on 19 March 2019 (28) iperionhs.eu and uk.linkedin.com> alison-henry (29) Ms. Brunker had hired Alison Henry to begin in place restoration work on the wooden grave marker of William Brown Wood and The Crier, November 2006 (30) Dunkery Tiddings, 2006, "William Brown Wood of Timberscombe 1748-1860", VCH and the 1805club.org
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2022
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-284
Technique
Copies
Citation
Thomas Sperling /
Anonymous /
Joyce Smith, “Bernadette Brunker AKA Bernadette Ash and Ronald Brunker, of School House,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 15, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3557.
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