Category: Monkton Combe

In 1086, Combe was assessed in the Domesday Book as having around twenty families, and supporting a range of agricultural activities. During…

Saving Our Hospital – the life-changing power of a movement

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Hospital Box Scheme 530x1024
Hospital Box Scheme

The article is: ‘Saving our hospital’: the remarkable Bath Royal United Hospital Box Scheme.

If you would like to tell more people about your unique family history, then please contact us via this page: I want to donate our family’s unique history.

John Daniels never knew his grandfather, Frank Pine, during his lifetime. He was a man who harnessed the life changing power of a movement – the Bath Hospital Box Scheme to help change people’s lives for the better.

Through his research into Frank’s life, John discovered that Frank’s accomplishments were overshadowed by his death just before the Bath Blitz and its publicity ensuring Frank Pine remained relatively unknown.

He has a fascinating tale to tell though, a tale of social security in two ways: establishing a role in society from humble beginnings and promoting the welfare of a community before the introduction of the Welfare State through friendly societies and local government.

Frank Pine played a significant role in the Bath Hospital Box Scheme, which saved the Bath Royal United Hospital from financial ruin.

Frank Pine relied on his connections to the Beckingsale family and had a close relationship with the Daniels family of Combe Down as he played a crucial role in these endeavours.

Alongside many other local residents, Frank and his family, as well as the Daniels family, actively participated in the political and social scenes of Bath, particularly Combe Down, during the 1920s and 1930s.

We’re so used to the Welfare State, including the NHS that we forget that before the second world war life was distinctly different especially when it came to health care.

The main availability of health care was the health insurance element of National Insurance, introduced in 1911 by Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George and expanded throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

This was a compulsory insurance scheme for workers in certain industries, though it generally did not cover family members.

The insurance granted access to a doctor from the local panel when needed, but usually didn’t stretch as far as hospital treatment.

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TUCGC HSA

The other scheme was membership of one of the various community-owned mutual aid funds and medical clubs, into which working people could pay while times were good.

They would receive access to a doctor, medicines and sometimes hospital treatment without having to see the almoner, by means of paying in advance.

Organisations followed a similar ‘hospital Saturday’ approach in fundraising for their local hospital. 

These were named Saturday funds, as this was traditionally payday for workers, when they could make their contributions to the hospital.

The Hospital Saving Association (HSA) was founded in London on 11 July 1922, focused on providing cover for working people, with both member and their employer contributing. 

The association was formed as limited liability, but non-profit.

Those taking part in the scheme were exempted from charges at the London Hospital (now the Royal London Hospital) and other voluntary hospitals taking part in the scheme.

In Bath and the surrounding areas there was the Bath Hospital Box Scheme that was vital to the survival of the Royal United and other hospitals – Frank Pine played an important role in its success.

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Hubert Beckingsale – Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Saturday 13 April 1940
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Death of Mr Beckingsale
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Late Mrs Beckingsale

He and his family lived at The Firs and, as well as his role in the Bath Hospital Box Scheme he found time to serve non Combe Down Council.

Combe Down Council Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Saturday 22 March 1930
Combe Down Council – Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Saturday 22 March 1930

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Help to kick-start Prior To Now Trust

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The time has come to unveil some more information about the future direction of Prior to Now Trust.

As you know it’s mainly the website (combedown.org) and Facebook group.

They will, of course, continue and the Trustees are very keen to make sure that TrustMembers continue to be involved.

Mentioning Trustees they are:

MARGARET HILL

Margaret and I have been married for over 40 years and it was a ‘no brainer’ to ask her to be a Trustee.

She has many years of detailed administration experience and as chair of the Parents and Friends for Prior Park raised c. £75, 000. Her fetes and Xmas market were always over subscribed.

TIM LUNT

PAUL REED

SIMON CALDWELL

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM HERE

All these good folk have committed to progressing the development of the Prior to Now Trust towards the vision of “a virtual village”.

What this means is shown in the diagram and, in creating it we want to make sure that the software is freely available to other groups like ours.

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Imagine being able to enter the name of an ancestor and being able immediately to find out where and when he lived, what family he had, what he did, how he was related to others in the village, where he’s buried etc. etc

That’s the ‘virtual village’.

All of this, of course, supplemented by a growing body of family history, photos, documents, anecdotes and other historical information.

It’s clear to me that this is a substantial undertaking and, whilst there is some money in the kitty, it will need funding.

We’re looking at a number of options for that.

It’s also clear that having some volunteers will be helpful.

There are 3 main areas where you can help.

  • People
  • Places
  • Production

The first two are about researching and writing about the people or places. Production is about crucial support to publish research results, man the social media etc.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE, ABOUT HOW TO KICK-START PRIOR TO NOW TRUST ON THE NEXT STAGE OF ITS JOURNEY, HERE

That’s it for now.

I hope that I’ve made it all clearer than mud and hope you all think it’s a good way to continue.

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What you need to know about Prior to Now Trust – Act 1

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This note is to let you know what you need to know about some of the changes that are happening at Prior to Now.

Prior to Now has become a charity as a unit of  Combe Down Heritage Society, charity number: 1116550.

ralph allen
Ralph Allen

It is now Prior to Now Trust. 

I’ll let you know more details about the Trustees etc. in due course. Most will be known to some of you.

All have an abiding interest in Combe Down, its heritage, history and people.

No one wants Prior to Now’s values to change, but some change is inevitable as I won’t be around.

I’ve run it as a hobby (it’s less expensive than golf, football, tennis, shooting etc!) and that, obviously, will change. There are items that Prior to Now can’t run without. Examples are website hosting, subscriptions for research and genealogy etc.

I have promised an endowment – once the wonderful world of banking concede we’re not money launderers or some such.

More about that soon too as well as more about the volunteers we will need.

Meanwhile Prior to Now Trust has affiliated to:

The Society for One Place Studies

Community Archive and Heritage Group

British Association of Local History

That describes the first step into the future and, as I mentioned, I’ll put out more updates as and when the final details fall into place.

I do hope you’ll all continue to support PtN and enjoy the group, website etc to reminisce about Combe Down, Monkton Combe and Midford.

That’s all for now.

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Combe Down family maze grows even larger

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In April I published the Combe Down family maze.

It covered some 8,600 individuals. About 320 of those are gentry that lived on Combe Down and about 2,900 are ‘ordinary’ people that that lived on Combe Down or in Monkton Combe.

The other 5,000 or so are ‘linkers’, i.e. the people who link families across the generations (most of these are in the gentry, where the ‘marriage market’ – pragmatic marriages made for the preservation or transfer of wealth was general) and ‘partners’ as not everyone born on Combe Down stayed and many moved away when they married.

I’ve added another 600 people of which about 400 are ‘ordinary’ people that that lived on Combe Down or in Monkton Combe and the rest their spouses who did not.

The Combe Down family maze is still a work in progress.

Over the coming months I plan to continue to make improvements.

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The Combe Down family maze

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The Miner family on Combe Down

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Michael Miner has recently given me the story of the Miner family on Combe Down. You can see it here.

michael george gladys ivy arthur james miner with peggy the dog taken outside bramley cottages claverton down
Michael George, Gladys Ivy, Arthur James Miner with Peggy the dog taken outside Bramley Cottages, Claverton Down

The Miner family are a long established Combe Down family and have lived at many addresses, including:

  • 1 Green Cottages, Combe Down
  • 1 Miner’s Cottages, Monkton Combe
  • 2 Quarry Rise, Combe Down
  • 2 Upper House, Combe Down
  • 3 and 4 North Cottages, Combe Down
  • 3 Park Avenue, Monkton Combe
  • 4 Isabella Place, Combe Down
  • 5 Tyning Place, Monkton Combe
  • 8 DeMontalt Place, Combe Down
  • Brunswick Place, Combe Down
  • Byfields Place, Combe Down.
  • Edward Cottage, 5 Tyning, Combe Down
  • Edward Cottage, Belle Vue, Monkton Combe
  • Farrs Lane, Combe Down
  • Pearl Cottage, Monkton Combe
  • Tinsmith Shed, Avenue Road, Monkton Combe
  • Upper House, Laura Place, North Road, Combe Down
  • West Upper House, Monkton Combe

Michael’s research includes information about those members of the family that went to Australia and Canada as well as those that stayed on Combe Down.

He has also included a number of interesting photos.

It’s a good read and I thank Michael for contributing the article.

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Combe Down family maze keeps growing

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I hadn’t realised but it’s a year since I last wrote anything about the site which was Update to ‘Our Block’. Before that it was October 2018 with More Combe Down cousins. That is actually what has stopped me from publishing anything, as I have been working on a Combe Down family tree or, more accurately, a Combe Down family maze.

If you recall that far back you may remember that there were a number of posts about how the families in the ‘big houses’ were related. I’ve taken that further. I’ve also added and linked a many ‘ordinary’ families who live on Combe Down and in Monkton Combe as I can.

The grand result of that is that the tree or maze now covers some 8,600 individuals. About 320 of those are gentry that lived on Combe Down. About 2,900 are ‘ordinary’ people that that lived on Combe Down or in Monkton Combe. The other 5,000 or so are ‘linkers’, i.e. the people who link families across the generations (most of these are in the gentry, where the ‘marriage market’ – pragmatic marriages made for the preservation or transfer of wealth was general) or the ‘partners’ as not everyone born on Combe Down stayed and many moved away when they married.

The Combe Down family maze is still a work in progress but is published here.

Over the coming months I plan to make improvements.

the combe down family maze
Summary of the Combe Down family maze

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No longer a secret – more Combe Down cousins

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audrey gurney richardson shelford 1886 1979 a daughter of rev alfred richardson 1853 1925 vicar of combe down
Audrey Gurney Richardson (Shelford) (1886 – 1979 a daughter of Rev Alfred Richardson (1853 – 1925), Vicar of Combe Down

Following last month’s movers and shakers post I have discovered more Combe Down cousins that link them to other families who lived in the ‘big houses’.

Those are the Allen, Atherton, Bennett, Bryan, Cruttwell, Daubeney, Disney, Falkner, Fortt, Gabriel, Gore, Hope, Howard, Maude, Morley, Richardson, Vivian and Wingrove families who are mentioned on this site in numerous places

This post is probably best read with last month’s post open in another tab for easy reference as it’s all pretty complicated!

So, in no particular order let’s take a look at some more Combe Down cousins.

One of the mortgagees for 109 Church Road was Edward Langford (1777 – 1843). His grand daughter Caroline Charlotte Jane Langford (1840 – 1909) married the Ven Albert Basil Orme Wilberforce (1841 – 1916). Their son, Brig Gen Sir Herbert William Wilberforce KBE CB CMG (1866 – 1952) married Eleanor Catherine Micklem (1871 – 1956) and her great aunt Mary Micklem (1786 – 1849) had married Thomas Macaulay Cruttwell (1777 – 1848), whilst their son Thomas Cruttwell (1808 – 1881) had Glenburnie built for him. The Crutwells were linked to Richard Falkner (1796 – 1863), who had been a mortgagee for 115 & 177 Church Road via his brother Francis Henry Falkner (1786 – 1866) who’s son Robert Falkner (1811 – 1851) married  Susanna Eykyn (1811 – 1883) in 1841. Susanna’s brother William Eykyn (1821 – 1884) married Fanny Mary Cruttwell(1839 – 1902) in 1865. It was her second marriage. Fanny was the daughter of Robert Cruttwell (1812 – 1858) whose older brother was Thomas Cruttwell (1808 – 1881) who had had Glenburnie built for him.

charles howard 1853 1928 and helen gertrude bryan 1860 1917 lived at combe lodge
Charles Howard (1853 – 1928) and Helen Gertrude Bryan (1860 – 1917) lived at Combe Lodge

In 1831 Anne Falkner (1813 – 1886), the sister of  Robert Falkner (1811 – 1851), married Charles Thomas Moule (1800 – 1865). His brother was Frederick Moule (1789 – 1843) who married Mary Gore (1795 – 1845). Her brother was Rev John Gurney Gore (1799 – 1871) who married Mary Eliza Hole (1812 – 1891) and their daughter Caroline Letitia Gore (1843 – 1920) was the third wife of Rev Reginald Guy Bryan (1819 – 1912), the Principal at Monkton Combe College.

Rev Alfred Richardson (1853 – 1925), who was vicar of Combe Down from 1902 – 1914, married Emma Leatham (1853 – 1925). Her great aunt Mary Leatham (1738 – 1820) was married to Thomas Howard (1736 – 1834) whose grandson was Rev Thomas Henry Howard (1804 – 1885) and whose great grandson Rev Richard Nelson Howard (1852 – 1932) was vicar of Combe Down from 1892 – 1897. In addition Rev Thomas Henry Howard (1804 – 1885) had another son Rev Charles Howard (1853 – 1928) who was married to Helen Gertrude Bryan (1860 – 1917) who was a daughter of Rev Reginald Guy Bryan (1819 – 1912), the Principal at Monkton Combe School. Charles and Gertrude started Monkton Combe Junior School at Combe Lodge in May 1888.

Rev John Clark Knott (1818 – 1907) lived at Combe Hill House. His brother William Henry Smith Knott (1804 – 1851) was married to Sabina Judith Bernard (1812 – 1861). Her cousin Sabina Pool Atherton (1828 – 1913) married Charles Henry Gabriel (1821 – 1900). Thus the knotts were related to the Atherton / Gabriel family and all the others.

Someone else who lived at Combe Hill House, as well as at Prior Park, was Edward Candler Brown (1732 – 1807).  His mother was Mary Ryves (1703 – 1768) and her great uncle was Rev Jerome Ryves (d 1705) who was married to Ann Maude (b 1679), the sister of Sir Robert Maude (1677 – 1750) 1st Baronet Maude, the father of Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden. He, of course was the husband of Mary Allen, Lady Maude (1732  – 1775), the daughter of Ralph Allen’s brother Philip Allen (1695 – 1765). It seems likely that this family connection was how Edward Candler Brown came to reside at Prior Park.

combe grove farmhouse about 1905
Combe Grove farmhouse about 1905

James Ledger Hill (1839 – 1912) lived at Combe Grove Farm. His wife wife Mary Tucker (1849 – 1931) was the daughter of William Henry Tucker (1814 – 1877) and his wife Emily Hannah Hendy (1815 – 1885) who lived at West Brow in the 1870s. James Ledger Hill’s daughter, Grace Hill (1881 – 1959) was married to Dermot Gun O’Mahony (1881 – 1960). His grandfather was Robert Gun Cuninghame (1792 – 1877) and one of his sons was Col Robert George Archibald Hamilton Gun Cuninghame (1818 – 1880) who married Isabella Tottenham (1817 – 1880), the daughter of Rt Rev Lord Robert Ponsonby Tottenham (1773 – 1850) and The Hon Alicia Maude (1782 – 1866), a daughter of Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden and his third wife Anne Isabella Monck Viscountess Hawarden (1759 – 1851) after whom Isabella Place is named.

So now to the the Allen, Atherton, Bennett, Bryan, Cruttwell, Daubeney, Disney, Falkner, Fortt, Gabriel, Gore, Hope, Howard, Maude, Morley, Richardson, Vivian and Wingrove families we can add the Candler, Hill, Knott, Langford, Tucker families who have been involved in the development of Combe Down or lived here for a reasonable period and show that all are inter-related.

Even more evidence of property, power, position and patronage being the cornerstone of the class system, at least in the 17th 18th and 19th centuries, because it’s “not what you know, but who you know”.

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Missionaries and a sort of ‘reverse Ponzi’ patronage scheme

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the reception of the rev j williams at tanna 1024x729
[media-credit name=”George Baxter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons” link=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AThe_Reception_of_the_Rev._J._Williams%2C_at_Tanna%2C_in_the_South_Seas%2C_the_Day_Before_He_Was_Massacred%2C_1841_(B-088-015).jpg” align=”alignright” width=”350″][/media-credit] The reception of the Rev. J. Williams at Tanna

Missionaries operate on the front line between cultures.

We don’t hear so much about missionaries these days.Today they are seen by many as invasive, forcing their language, culture and religion on an unwilling population – as another form of colonialism and exploitation.

It was not always this way.

In the 19th century many Europeans and Americans emphasised their racial, cultural, economic and religious superiority over black or coloured peoples.

Earnest Christian believers felt called upon to obey Christ’s injunction to “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark xvi.15).

A number of missionary societies were formed: the Baptist Missionary Society (1792), the London Missionary Society (1795) and the Church Missionary Society (1799).

Missionaries included ordained ministers, educationists, doctors, nurses and others. At the height of the missionary movement, between 1880 and 1920, around 60 British missionary societies were actively engaged in this work with many thousands of missionaries.

But what has all this to do with Combe Down and Monkton Combe?

Well, I have updated the lists of vicars for Combe Down and vicars for Monkton Combe. A number of them were missionaries. They include:

percy ewart warrington in 1928
Percy Ewart Warrington in 1928

There was also the Rev Percy Ewart Warrington (1889 – 1961), vicar for Monkton Combe from 1918 – 1961 founder of Martyrs’ Memorial Trust. and a fascinating but unsympathetic character.

He ran a sort of religious, ‘reverse Ponzi scheme’ and founded or bought fourteen schools or colleges but ran them in an illegal and financially disastrous way by investing their profits in a wasting asset  – advowsons – which, eventually, led to him having to resign all his positions and the schools to be rescued.

Even with all the problems he created he left behind a legacy of the Allied Schools, St Peter’s College, Oxford and Trinity College, Bristol.

One small mystery remains. He left an estate of £47,121 12s 1d in 1961 which is worth about £2,197,000.00 now – how was that acquired on a ‘parsons salary’?

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Tucking great! I’m a genius but I’m broke!

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william smith 1769 1839 portrait by french painter hugues fourau 1803 1873 painted 1837 242x300
William Smith (1769-1839), portrait by French painter Hugues Fourau (1803-1873). Painted 1837.

Things added recently include:

An ‘upgrade’ to the history of Prior Park. This explains how it was, originally, the deer park for the Priors of Bath Abbey monastery. It was broken up after Henry VIII‘s Dissolution of the Monasteries and brought back together over a 30 year period by Ralph Allen.

A section on the Tucking Mill area, especially Tucking Mill House. This was the home of William ‘Strata’ Smith the father of English geology from 1798 – 1819. Tucking Mill Cottage next door, is still wrongly identified as his home.

Interestingly, William Smith bought Tucking Mill House and its small estate from Edward Candler (later Candler Brown), who also lived at Prior Park and  at Combe Hill Villa on Brassknocker Hill.

Smith was also involved with Charles Conolly who owned Midford Castle in a plan to quarry stone. This was to lead to Smith becoming heavily indebted and eventually led to  being imprisoned for debt and losing his house and estate. Midford Castle was also briefly owned (2007 – 2009) by the actor Nicholas Cage

Other than William Smith, the Tucking Mill area seems to have had no notable inhabitants.

From being a medieval tucking mill that cleaned and thickened cloth then in the 17th and 18th centuries a flour mill, it became a Fuller’s earth works in the 19th century.

The area around became somewhat more ‘industrialised‘ when the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&D) was built, including Tucking Mill Viaduct and the Combe Down Tunnel.

The area also became important to Bath’s water supply as the Combe Down and District Waterworks, to take water from the Midford Springs was set up by Right Reverend Monsignor Dr. Charles Parfitt (1816 – 1886) who had inherited Midford Castle from Mrs. Jane Conolly (1798 – 1871).

In the last 60 years or so the area has been somewhat returned to nature. The S&D line, the viaduct and Combe Down tunnel closed in 1967.

The old mill and Fuller’s earth works were knocked down in 1979 to make room for a larger reservoir. This now provides free coarse fishing to disabled anglers in a lake stocked with roach, rudd, bream, perch, carp, tench and gudgeon.

The railway track, viaduct and combe Down tunnel were also reopened in 2013 as the Two Tunnels walking and cycling route.

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Remarkable residents of Combe Grove area and Summer Lane

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thomas sturge cotterell
Thomas Sturge Cotterell

Recently I added information about the Combe Grove area and Summer Lane. By the Combe Grove area I mean Shaft Road and Brassknocker Hill.

On Brassknocker Hill that means that Combe Hill House and Combe Grove Lodge are covered and on Shaft Road that means that Lodge Style, Combe Grove Farm, Combe Grange and Ivy Cottages.

In Summer Lane , Quarry Vale and De Montalt House are covered. De Montalt Mill is covered elsewhere with its history before 1850 here and its history after 1850 to modern times here.

The person who most caught my eye was Patrick Young Alexander (1867 – 1943) who lived at De Montalt House. He lived an interesting life – probably helped by the fact that his father left him a very large legacy – but was also an aeronautical pioneer fascinated by the prospect of heavier than air flight, an enthusiastic balloonist and meteorologist.

Another interesting person is Thomas Sturge Cotterell (1865 – 1950).

He commissioned Lodge Style from Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857 – 1941) in 1909. Cotterell was General Manager of the Bath Stone Firms and a Bath Councillor, one of the main movers behind the Bath Pageant of 1909, an Alderman and Mayor of Bath in 1930.

He also set up the Bath Corps of Honorary Guides. His uncle was Jacob Henry Cotterell (1817 – 1868) a land surveyor responsible for the 1852 map of Bath that appears regularly on this site.

The most frustrating area when researching the Combe Grove area and Summer Lane was Quarry Vale. 

I knew it would be difficult to find published information about the inhabitants for they were working class people – not middle class or higher and the ‘social medium’ of the day, the newspaper, did not really follow their world unless criminality or scandal was involved.

This gives a distorted image of working people’s lives. So I decided to take a look at the census, give a flavour of the range of occupations, pick out a few that were well represented and give a thumbnail sketch of those, as well as try to find some news clippings.

It’s not what I would have wanted to publish, but, if the information is not there….

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading more about  the Combe Grove area and Summer Lane.

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