Looking back on May, we had Bank Holidays Galore, a Coronation, Community activities and of course our own Society’s celebration of 40 years of Family History Research in Weston. The Open Day on Sat May 20th was an exciting and successful event. Graced by the presence of the Weston Town Mayor, Councillor Ciaran Cronnelly who with his delightful Mayoress, his wife, Catherine, exhibited great interest, not only in our society, but also in all the other groups which were represented there.
It was interesting to note the extent of the local history research undertaken by the Kewstoke, Worle and Wick St Lawrence Groups and to see what secondary resources they hold. The Friends of the Mendip Hospital, and the Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway all had fascinating information about their particular Interests, giving an insight into how people lived locally. Know Your Place with its array of available maps and how to access them, the Somerset Archives and Weston Library gave examples of how to further your research as did the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Ellenborough Road North. The Family History Group of the Weston U3A, the Somerset & Dorset FHS, the Bristol & Avon FHS, the Anglo-German FHS and our own Stand showed how belonging to societies can broaden your knowledge. DNA help was offered along with a lucrative Book Stall. And the refreshments were great!
With thanks to Brian Airey for the photograph. I understand that a full report with more photos will be in the next edition of Buckets and Spades
It was the first time that I had attended a meeting since Lockdown and my cancer diagnosis, and it was marvellous to be greeted so warmly by so many people. Thank you all.
Sadly, - I don’t think I picked it up there – but this week I have been suffering from a very heavy cold and I’m afraid that I am unable to complete this newsletter as I had hoped. Perhaps other committee members will add reminders for all the forthcoming events which I am omitting. The bit about the Workhouse I had already prepared.
Free Help Session at the Library
Don’t forget that next Sat June 3rd will be a free Help Session at the Library from 2.00 – 3.30p.m.
Axbridge Union Workhouse
I have been trying to add the 1921 census to our transcriptions of Axbridge Union Workhouse. This census distinguishes between inmates and patients making it possible to see whether they were in the Workhouse Infirmary. Initially I was surprised at the lack of children included in that census until I realised that a Children’s home had been set up in Cheddar in about 1916 where 21 school children aged between 5 and 14 were housed.
 From Google Maps
Children’s Home entries: Perhaps some of you are researching these surnames?
- There were five children with the surname PYMN, four girls and a boy – Winifred, Rose, Elizabeth, Catherine Lucy and George – it says that both their parents are alive – so why were they there? Their mother’s maiden name was LAVER and an elder brother William John PYMN had enlisted into the RAF in 1919. Their father was John William PYMN.
- There were four SHEPSTONE children – Amy aged 6, Olive aged 7, Mary aged 9 and Daisy aged 10. It says that their mother had died. Their birthplace was given as Winscombe.
- There were five BAKER children from Highbridge – Minnie, aged 13, Mabel, aged 11, Ivy, aged 10, Lucy aged 9 and Janes, aged 8. Their mother was dead.
Other children listed were
- George TOMS, aged 12 from Compton Bishop, mother dead
- Edward DEAN, aged 8 from Weare or Meare
- Ernest DAVY, aged 13 from Weston-s-Mare
- Raymond SALVIDGE, aged 7 from Burnham on Sea
- Elsie MILLS, aged 7, from Weston-s-Mare
- Hilda GAMLIN, aged 5 not known birthplace
- Gilbert Leslie SPRAGUE, aged 11, not known birthplace
This last one was surprising because his name rang a bell and I find that he was actually born in Axbridge Workhouse an the 28th May 1910, the s/o Emma SPRAGUE. So why was his birthplace not known to the Workhouse Authorities? With Emma and his elder sister he was discharged from the Workhouse on the 9th August 1910 but by the time of the 1911 census he was boarding with a nurse, Mary Jane COX in Mark. No sign of Emma nor his sister.
There's a lot more research which could be done on these children - What happened next to them? By this time younger children were often boarded out and a Cottage Home for the Children was favoured to remove them from the Workhouse atmosphere.
Anyone got a cure for the common cold which might have been used in Weston in the mid-19th Century?
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