Frenchay Village Museum
Facebook: bit.ly/2MF88Vv Website: frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk
February 2022
Winter Talks
Unfortunately, due to the present Covid situation, we have had to cancel the talks for January and February. These will be rescheduled when the position becomes clearer.
The museum reopens in February on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons with Covid precautions in force.
There is still an opportunity to see the Frenchay Then & Now series of vintage postcards with the view today.
Entrance is Free so what is stopping you?
A free bar of Fry’s chocolate for every child to celebrate the Fry family’s Frenchay connection.
Unfortunately, due to the present Covid situation, we have had to cancel the talks for January and February. These will be rescheduled when the position becomes clearer.
The museum reopens in February on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons with Covid precautions in force.
There is still an opportunity to see the Frenchay Then & Now series of vintage postcards with the view today.
Entrance is Free so what is stopping you?
A free bar of Fry’s chocolate for every child to celebrate the Fry family’s Frenchay connection.
January 2022
Crossing the Severn
An illustrated talk hosted by the Frenchay Village Museum. To be held at the Friends’ Meeting House, Frenchay
Thursday, 13th January 2022 at 7-30 pm.
At Sugbrook, a small village on the South Wales coast, opposite Severn Beach, there is a small museum that tells all about the construction of the Severn Railway Tunnel. This sparked my interest and I began to explore the Internet looking for the many ways of crossing the Severn.
From a boggy hilltop in Mid Wales it is about 220 miles to the Prince of Wales Bridge and there are over 120 places where you can cross the river. Fords, footbridges, a cycle bridge, road and rail bridges, motorway bridges, ferries and a railway tunnel.
Part One of the talk will illustrate some of the crossings and Part Two after the interval will tell of the construction of all the crossings downstream from Gloucester.
And if you have never heard about the road tunnel under the Severn, then come along to the talk and I’ll tell you about it.
Ray Bulmer.
An illustrated talk hosted by the Frenchay Village Museum. To be held at the Friends’ Meeting House, Frenchay
Thursday, 13th January 2022 at 7-30 pm.
At Sugbrook, a small village on the South Wales coast, opposite Severn Beach, there is a small museum that tells all about the construction of the Severn Railway Tunnel. This sparked my interest and I began to explore the Internet looking for the many ways of crossing the Severn.
From a boggy hilltop in Mid Wales it is about 220 miles to the Prince of Wales Bridge and there are over 120 places where you can cross the river. Fords, footbridges, a cycle bridge, road and rail bridges, motorway bridges, ferries and a railway tunnel.
Part One of the talk will illustrate some of the crossings and Part Two after the interval will tell of the construction of all the crossings downstream from Gloucester.
And if you have never heard about the road tunnel under the Severn, then come along to the talk and I’ll tell you about it.
Ray Bulmer.
December 2021
2022 FRENCHAY MUSEUM TALKS - FRENCHAY MEETING HOUSE 7.30
Please note change of venue.
Please note change of venue.
- JANUARY 13th – Crossings of the River Severn - Ray Bulmer
- FEBRUARY 10th – Frenchay Subscription Bridge – Roger Angerson
- MARCH 10th - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING followed by a talk.
- APRIL1st - F D Maurice - Alan Freke - UNITARIAN CHAPEL
Frenchay's Hollywood Star at the Arnolfini
On January 7th at the Arnolfini in Bristol there is a screening of the 1921 silent film, “The Three Musketeers”, starring Douglas Fairbanks as d'Artagnan, and Frenchay’s very own Nigel de Brulier as Cardinal Richelieu, The picture below shows
Fairbanks as D’Artagnan, and De Brulier as Richelieu.
Nigel de Brulier was born Francis Packer in the South Lodge of Frenchay Park in 1877. He went to Frenchay School, then by the age of thirteen he was working in Frenchay Park House as a hall boy. He emigrated to America sometime before 1900, where he became an actor and took the stage name Nigel de Brulier. He appeared in his first Hollywood film in 1914, and he featured in more than 120 films before his death in 1948.
Tickets for the screening of “The Three Musketeers” are £8.50 (£5 concessions) and can be booked in advance on the website https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/three-musketeers/
Frenchay Village Museum has published a book about his life, “Frankie Went To Hollywood”. It’s available from the museum priced £4. As the museum is closed during December and January, if you’d like a copy email [email protected] or call Carol Thorne on 9569963.
On January 7th at the Arnolfini in Bristol there is a screening of the 1921 silent film, “The Three Musketeers”, starring Douglas Fairbanks as d'Artagnan, and Frenchay’s very own Nigel de Brulier as Cardinal Richelieu, The picture below shows
Fairbanks as D’Artagnan, and De Brulier as Richelieu.
Nigel de Brulier was born Francis Packer in the South Lodge of Frenchay Park in 1877. He went to Frenchay School, then by the age of thirteen he was working in Frenchay Park House as a hall boy. He emigrated to America sometime before 1900, where he became an actor and took the stage name Nigel de Brulier. He appeared in his first Hollywood film in 1914, and he featured in more than 120 films before his death in 1948.
Tickets for the screening of “The Three Musketeers” are £8.50 (£5 concessions) and can be booked in advance on the website https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/three-musketeers/
Frenchay Village Museum has published a book about his life, “Frankie Went To Hollywood”. It’s available from the museum priced £4. As the museum is closed during December and January, if you’d like a copy email [email protected] or call Carol Thorne on 9569963.
NEW LOCAL HISTORY BOOK (and possible Christmas present!)
Frenchay features prominently in a new book by Peter Cullimore: “Pills, Shocks & Jabs” which tells the story of
‘the Remarkable Dissenting Doctors of Georgian Bristol’.
If you like to settle down for a good read over Christmas /New Year, then this book is seriously worth considering for its exploration of the deep influence of wealthy Quakers like Joseph Beck and Edward Ash in funding and organizing 18th Century healthcare in Bristol (despite considerable prejudice).
Members of Frenchay Tuckett Society will be interested to know that historical advice and fact-checking of references to Quaker structures and procedures was carried out by Roger Angerson, and it is hoped to have copies of the book at the Museum - but not available until the February re-opening date. The book is on sale in various local bookshops for £12, or on line at www.bristolbooks.org.
Frenchay features prominently in a new book by Peter Cullimore: “Pills, Shocks & Jabs” which tells the story of
‘the Remarkable Dissenting Doctors of Georgian Bristol’.
If you like to settle down for a good read over Christmas /New Year, then this book is seriously worth considering for its exploration of the deep influence of wealthy Quakers like Joseph Beck and Edward Ash in funding and organizing 18th Century healthcare in Bristol (despite considerable prejudice).
Members of Frenchay Tuckett Society will be interested to know that historical advice and fact-checking of references to Quaker structures and procedures was carried out by Roger Angerson, and it is hoped to have copies of the book at the Museum - but not available until the February re-opening date. The book is on sale in various local bookshops for £12, or on line at www.bristolbooks.org.
November 2021
FRENCHAY CENSUS 1881
Every 10 years the government has a census which, in theory, lists every person in the country together with some details about them. This month we are going to look at the 1881 census entry for Frenchay Park, the former Trust headquarters.
Mr. William Tanner lived there with his 4 adult children. He was a 78 year old widower and his income came from ‘land and houses’. His son William was a barrister at law and Arthur was a solicitor. His daughters, Ellen and Florence, had no occupation. He had not always lived there. In the 1871 census he was living in Cedar Hall.
Also living in the houses were servants:-
James Packer lived in the lodge with his wife Louisa. They had 7 children including
Francis, who later went to Hollywood, changed his name to Nigel de Broulier, and appeared in 139 films. You can see information about him in Frenchay Village Museum.
William Tanner senior died in 1887 and by 1891 his son aged 46 was living there with his 22 year old wife, a daughter, and 13 servants.
Every 10 years the government has a census which, in theory, lists every person in the country together with some details about them. This month we are going to look at the 1881 census entry for Frenchay Park, the former Trust headquarters.
Mr. William Tanner lived there with his 4 adult children. He was a 78 year old widower and his income came from ‘land and houses’. His son William was a barrister at law and Arthur was a solicitor. His daughters, Ellen and Florence, had no occupation. He had not always lived there. In the 1871 census he was living in Cedar Hall.
Also living in the houses were servants:-
- William Allum, 42, Butler
- Jane Nicholls, 17, kitchen maid
- Thomas Shepherd, 17, groom
- Thomas Brooks, 18, Footman
- Ann Bruce, 26, laundrymaid
- Celina Baker, 39, housemaid
- Kate Tucker, 25, ladies’ maid
- Ethel Bray, 18, under housemaid
James Packer lived in the lodge with his wife Louisa. They had 7 children including
Francis, who later went to Hollywood, changed his name to Nigel de Broulier, and appeared in 139 films. You can see information about him in Frenchay Village Museum.
William Tanner senior died in 1887 and by 1891 his son aged 46 was living there with his 22 year old wife, a daughter, and 13 servants.
Alan Eadon - Organising Evacuation
Back in the summer, we all saw the television pictures of the evacuation by aircraft of civilians from Afghanistan. But this was not the first time such an evacuation had been attempted - the first was almost 80 years ago, and it was organised by a man born locally.
In December 1941, what the newspapers of the day called, "History's First Big Air Evacuation Of A Civil Population", began when the Japanese invaded Burma. The whole air evacuation operation was conceived and directed by the Director of Civil Aviation, Burma, Alan Eden Eadon.
Eadon was born in 1898 in "Elleray" Beckspool Road, and when he died in 1973 he was buried in the Eadon family grave in Frenchay Churchyard. He had an eventful private life, and a very active professional life. He was a fighter pilot in WWI, then in
1923 he was the founding principal of the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical College, before moving to India as Deputy Director of Civil Aviation. In India he also founded another Aeronautical Technical College there, before being appointed Director of Civil Aviation Burma.
It was in this role that he organised the air evacuation. He leased American aircraft and Chinese pilots, and around 10,000 civilians were evacuated to India. Considering the small size of aircraft of the time, this was an amazing achievement.
In 2019 we published a book about his life and achievements, "East with Eadon". However, we were recently contacted by his nephew, and a great grandson, who have both supplied lots of new information, and significantly, many family photographs.
This has led to a second edition of "East With Eadon" being produced, and copies are now available in the museum.
Alan Freke, p.p. Frenchay Museum
Back in the summer, we all saw the television pictures of the evacuation by aircraft of civilians from Afghanistan. But this was not the first time such an evacuation had been attempted - the first was almost 80 years ago, and it was organised by a man born locally.
In December 1941, what the newspapers of the day called, "History's First Big Air Evacuation Of A Civil Population", began when the Japanese invaded Burma. The whole air evacuation operation was conceived and directed by the Director of Civil Aviation, Burma, Alan Eden Eadon.
Eadon was born in 1898 in "Elleray" Beckspool Road, and when he died in 1973 he was buried in the Eadon family grave in Frenchay Churchyard. He had an eventful private life, and a very active professional life. He was a fighter pilot in WWI, then in
1923 he was the founding principal of the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical College, before moving to India as Deputy Director of Civil Aviation. In India he also founded another Aeronautical Technical College there, before being appointed Director of Civil Aviation Burma.
It was in this role that he organised the air evacuation. He leased American aircraft and Chinese pilots, and around 10,000 civilians were evacuated to India. Considering the small size of aircraft of the time, this was an amazing achievement.
In 2019 we published a book about his life and achievements, "East with Eadon". However, we were recently contacted by his nephew, and a great grandson, who have both supplied lots of new information, and significantly, many family photographs.
This has led to a second edition of "East With Eadon" being produced, and copies are now available in the museum.
Alan Freke, p.p. Frenchay Museum
October 2021
FRENCHAY HOSPITAL CENTENARY: THE START OF MEDICAL WORK AT ‘FRENCHAY’ IN OCTOBER 1921
In the July edition of FCN, I mentioned the purchase of Frenchay Park House (and grounds) by Bristol Corporation in July 1921 in order to turn it into a children’s TB sanatorium, which opened 100 years ago this month, in October 1921.
Alan Freke has kindly supplied more information about the official opening ceremony on 5th October 1921 by Sir William Treloar (who had founded a school for handicapped children in Hampshire previously used by Bristol Corporation) and a photograph from the Western Daily Press. (The photograph below is difficult to reproduce satisfactorily, but can be much better examined at the Museum)
The book on The History of Frenchay Hospital by Dr. James Briggs records that on the 14th October, eighteen patients were transferred from Snowdon House
Sanatorium, Fishponds to the Sanatorium at Frenchay Park and Snowdon House closed down. It had been hoped to invite Dr Briggs to start the winter talks series laid on by Frenchay Tuckett Society, but due to on-going Covid precautions, the talks have been postponed until January 2022.
Any further development will be posted on the Museum website. (www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk) And copies of the book are on sale at the Museum.
Hugh Whatley
In the July edition of FCN, I mentioned the purchase of Frenchay Park House (and grounds) by Bristol Corporation in July 1921 in order to turn it into a children’s TB sanatorium, which opened 100 years ago this month, in October 1921.
Alan Freke has kindly supplied more information about the official opening ceremony on 5th October 1921 by Sir William Treloar (who had founded a school for handicapped children in Hampshire previously used by Bristol Corporation) and a photograph from the Western Daily Press. (The photograph below is difficult to reproduce satisfactorily, but can be much better examined at the Museum)
The book on The History of Frenchay Hospital by Dr. James Briggs records that on the 14th October, eighteen patients were transferred from Snowdon House
Sanatorium, Fishponds to the Sanatorium at Frenchay Park and Snowdon House closed down. It had been hoped to invite Dr Briggs to start the winter talks series laid on by Frenchay Tuckett Society, but due to on-going Covid precautions, the talks have been postponed until January 2022.
Any further development will be posted on the Museum website. (www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk) And copies of the book are on sale at the Museum.
Hugh Whatley
COMPETITION TIME — Generous prize pot!!!
FRENCHAY MUSEUM NEW ACQUISITIONS
We now have a cabinet with a changing display of items which may not normally be on show. One of these is a postcard of a thatched cottage with a cliff face behind it. It is titled “Old Cottage Frenchay”.
There is no cottage like this in Frenchay today so where was it?
We have thought about this and have one idea of where it might be. Could it be the house next to the water wheel at the far end of Snuff Mills? Before the present house, built many years ago to house the Park Ranger, there was a previous building which served as a pub where they brewed their own beer. The water for this came from a stream emanating from the field above. Unfortunately, the field housed an isolation hospital where Scarlet Fever sufferers were kept in quarantine. It was felt that there was a danger of the water being contaminated, and the brewing stopped.
The old mill was in ruins and the Council had capped it off, and a band played on top of the truncated building. When the brewing stopped, so did the tea dances.
Does anyone have an idea where the cottage might have been?
There is a pot of home made Crab Apple Jelly, generously donated by Carol Thorne, for the best suggestion..
Submissions to: [email protected]
FRENCHAY MUSEUM NEW ACQUISITIONS
We now have a cabinet with a changing display of items which may not normally be on show. One of these is a postcard of a thatched cottage with a cliff face behind it. It is titled “Old Cottage Frenchay”.
There is no cottage like this in Frenchay today so where was it?
We have thought about this and have one idea of where it might be. Could it be the house next to the water wheel at the far end of Snuff Mills? Before the present house, built many years ago to house the Park Ranger, there was a previous building which served as a pub where they brewed their own beer. The water for this came from a stream emanating from the field above. Unfortunately, the field housed an isolation hospital where Scarlet Fever sufferers were kept in quarantine. It was felt that there was a danger of the water being contaminated, and the brewing stopped.
The old mill was in ruins and the Council had capped it off, and a band played on top of the truncated building. When the brewing stopped, so did the tea dances.
Does anyone have an idea where the cottage might have been?
There is a pot of home made Crab Apple Jelly, generously donated by Carol Thorne, for the best suggestion..
Submissions to: [email protected]
August 2021
FRENCHAY MUSEUM NEWS
The museum is now open on Saturdays and Sundays 2.00 - 5.00pm, Wednesdays 1.00 - 4.00pm
We have a new exhibition showing a selection of our old postcards and the modern equivalent view - don't miss it!
We also have a new feature - a changing display of recent acquisitions and small items from our collection which may not normally be on public display. Please visit and see what is new. Entrance is free and we would love to see you.
FRENCHAY BRIDGE
Frenchay Bridge was built by public subscription in 1788. Have you ever wondered who subscribed to the bridge? A recent auction advertised an item that was the original subscription book for the bridge.
Frenchay Museum made a bid for it and were able to buy it. Although the cost was more than £300 the committee felt that this was a chance in a lifetime to know more about who paid for the bridge.
As soon as we receive the book, we will let you know more.
Carol Thorne
The museum is now open on Saturdays and Sundays 2.00 - 5.00pm, Wednesdays 1.00 - 4.00pm
We have a new exhibition showing a selection of our old postcards and the modern equivalent view - don't miss it!
We also have a new feature - a changing display of recent acquisitions and small items from our collection which may not normally be on public display. Please visit and see what is new. Entrance is free and we would love to see you.
FRENCHAY BRIDGE
Frenchay Bridge was built by public subscription in 1788. Have you ever wondered who subscribed to the bridge? A recent auction advertised an item that was the original subscription book for the bridge.
Frenchay Museum made a bid for it and were able to buy it. Although the cost was more than £300 the committee felt that this was a chance in a lifetime to know more about who paid for the bridge.
As soon as we receive the book, we will let you know more.
Carol Thorne
Frenchay Flower Show - 100 Years Old
Sadly, due to Covid restrictions, this year there was no Frenchay Flower Show. This was a great pity for many reasons, but perhaps mostly because it would have marked a hundred years since the first one.
Frenchay Village Museum's website http://frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/arch_parish_mags.htm has the Parish Magazines from 1878 to 1951 available for anyone to read, and the Sept/Oct 1921 issue has the following short report:
"We are obliged to hold over a detailed account of the first Show of the Frenchay and Hambrook Horticultural Society, which was held in the Village Hall on Saturday, 20th August and attracted more than a hundred entries which, considering the season, reflected great credit on the skill and diligence of the exhibitors. The Show was opened by Mrs. W. E. Mirehouse, who, in a few well-chosen words, wished it the encouragement and success that it richly deserved."
Mrs. Mirehouse, who opened the show, was the wife of W.E. Mirehouse, a barrister who was churchwarden at Frenchay Church at the time. They lived in Hambrook Grove.
Unfortunately, the "detailed account" that was held over doesn't appear in any subsequent issues, so we know no more. But it was the start of a great tradition.
Roll on next year's Flower Show!
Sadly, due to Covid restrictions, this year there was no Frenchay Flower Show. This was a great pity for many reasons, but perhaps mostly because it would have marked a hundred years since the first one.
Frenchay Village Museum's website http://frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/arch_parish_mags.htm has the Parish Magazines from 1878 to 1951 available for anyone to read, and the Sept/Oct 1921 issue has the following short report:
"We are obliged to hold over a detailed account of the first Show of the Frenchay and Hambrook Horticultural Society, which was held in the Village Hall on Saturday, 20th August and attracted more than a hundred entries which, considering the season, reflected great credit on the skill and diligence of the exhibitors. The Show was opened by Mrs. W. E. Mirehouse, who, in a few well-chosen words, wished it the encouragement and success that it richly deserved."
Mrs. Mirehouse, who opened the show, was the wife of W.E. Mirehouse, a barrister who was churchwarden at Frenchay Church at the time. They lived in Hambrook Grove.
Unfortunately, the "detailed account" that was held over doesn't appear in any subsequent issues, so we know no more. But it was the start of a great tradition.
Roll on next year's Flower Show!
Crowdfunding 18th Century Style: FRENCHAY SUBSCRIPTION BRIDGE
The bridge at the bottom of Pearces Hill was built in 1788. Before that there was a ford across the river. In winter the river was too deep to ford which was very inconvenient.
When we heard that a book recording details of the building of Frenchay Bridge was being auctioned, Dan Kembery offered to bid on the museum's behalf. We were surprised that there were 2 other bidders but he was successful and we now have the book - actually an ordinary looking exercise book.
Preliminary study shows some interesting facts.Some of the names of the people who subscribed to the bridge (only 1 woman) are familiar names in Frenchay - Harford, Probyn, Beck, Bradford. Nehemiah Bradford was a generous donor who subscribed 5 guineas. He was a doctor and lived in "The Old House" next door to the Unitarian chapel. Another generous subscriber was Joseph Beck, (5 guineas) who built the Manor House and gave his name to Beck's Pool. The total cost of the bridge was £226.0 ¼ d.
Two people agreed to subscribe but it is recorded that they subsequently refused to pay. Sam Gerrish promised 5 guineas and Richard Stump 1 guinea but both failed to pay.
The workers who built the bridge were paid an average of 1/6d per day (7 ½ p in to \.02day's money). They also received about a quart of beer per day (just over a litre). Was it from a local brewery? 368 pints were recorded in the expenses.
It will help our study of the book if someone who can type could transcribe the information in a program so that we could see how much each named person worked etc. If you can help us, please ring 0117 9569963.
Carol Thorne
The bridge at the bottom of Pearces Hill was built in 1788. Before that there was a ford across the river. In winter the river was too deep to ford which was very inconvenient.
When we heard that a book recording details of the building of Frenchay Bridge was being auctioned, Dan Kembery offered to bid on the museum's behalf. We were surprised that there were 2 other bidders but he was successful and we now have the book - actually an ordinary looking exercise book.
Preliminary study shows some interesting facts.Some of the names of the people who subscribed to the bridge (only 1 woman) are familiar names in Frenchay - Harford, Probyn, Beck, Bradford. Nehemiah Bradford was a generous donor who subscribed 5 guineas. He was a doctor and lived in "The Old House" next door to the Unitarian chapel. Another generous subscriber was Joseph Beck, (5 guineas) who built the Manor House and gave his name to Beck's Pool. The total cost of the bridge was £226.0 ¼ d.
Two people agreed to subscribe but it is recorded that they subsequently refused to pay. Sam Gerrish promised 5 guineas and Richard Stump 1 guinea but both failed to pay.
The workers who built the bridge were paid an average of 1/6d per day (7 ½ p in to \.02day's money). They also received about a quart of beer per day (just over a litre). Was it from a local brewery? 368 pints were recorded in the expenses.
It will help our study of the book if someone who can type could transcribe the information in a program so that we could see how much each named person worked etc. If you can help us, please ring 0117 9569963.
Carol Thorne
July 2021
IS IT REALLY 100 YEARS SINCE THE BEGINNINGS OF MEDICAL WORK AT FRENCHAY?
A recent acquisition going on display at the Museum is a brochure celebrating the 'Golden Jubilee' of the Hospital (1931 - 1981). It was only sometime later - as noted on page 7 of the book on The History of Frenchay Hospital - that it was realised that the celebrations were ten years too late! In fact the hospital opened in 1921 when an elegant Georgian Family house was purchased by the Corporation of Bristol in order to turn it into a children's TB sanatorium. The book by James C Briggs goes on to record that the purchase was agreed in May 1921 and the Deeds of the House mention "July 1921" as the date of purchase. It is possible that this confusion arose due to a relatively 'low-key' opening in 1921 (alteration works from July to October) and it taking another 10 years to plan & build some new facilities.
Hugh Whatley
Hugh Whatley
Frenchay: Then and Now: Frenchay Museum from Sunday 10th July
Join us for our opening on the 10th July, where you can see our new exhibition 'Frenchay: Then and Now' a photography exhibition of Frenchay's iconic scenery displayed alongside 19th century and early 20th century postcards and images of the same location. This is a wonderful opportunity to admire the beauty of Frenchay and seeing how much it has remained the same or changed over the years. Many of these photos are also available on our website to view.
Join us for our opening on the 10th July, where you can see our new exhibition 'Frenchay: Then and Now' a photography exhibition of Frenchay's iconic scenery displayed alongside 19th century and early 20th century postcards and images of the same location. This is a wonderful opportunity to admire the beauty of Frenchay and seeing how much it has remained the same or changed over the years. Many of these photos are also available on our website to view.
To keep up to date with details about our re-opening and its accompanying events please follow us on Facebook
June 2021
PLEASE HELP US
Twenty-one years ago, a group of volunteers took over a derelict lodge belonging to Frenchay Hospital. With the help of a Millennium grant from Winterbourne Parish Council they completely renovated it and built display cabinets. It was opened to the public showing the history of Frenchay and its residents. It is open 3 afternoons a week and entry is free. There is a series of talks during the Winter months. It later attained ‘accreditation’, which shows that the museum is run to a high standard
Those original volunteers have now reached “a certain age” and are looking for volunteers to join them. If we cannot find replacements there is a very real possibility that the museum will have to close. Nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.
WE NEED YOU – YES YOU!
If everyone could give a couple of hours a month the museum’s future would be assured. Whatever your ability we need you. The museum has an exciting future and you can be part of it. We need: -
Whatever help you can give we can find a niche for you. Please don’t leave the running of the museum for others. Come along to our Annual General Meeting to be held in the Village Hall or ring 0117/9569963 for more information.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
THURSDAY JULY 8th
FRENCHAY VILLAGE HALL 7.45pm.
Twenty-one years ago, a group of volunteers took over a derelict lodge belonging to Frenchay Hospital. With the help of a Millennium grant from Winterbourne Parish Council they completely renovated it and built display cabinets. It was opened to the public showing the history of Frenchay and its residents. It is open 3 afternoons a week and entry is free. There is a series of talks during the Winter months. It later attained ‘accreditation’, which shows that the museum is run to a high standard
Those original volunteers have now reached “a certain age” and are looking for volunteers to join them. If we cannot find replacements there is a very real possibility that the museum will have to close. Nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.
WE NEED YOU – YES YOU!
If everyone could give a couple of hours a month the museum’s future would be assured. Whatever your ability we need you. The museum has an exciting future and you can be part of it. We need: -
- Custodians to staff the museum when it is open. You would be fully trained and another volunteer would be on duty with you.
- A custodian co-ordinator to organise the volunteers’ rotas.
- Cleaners to keep the museum clean.
- COMMITTEE MEMBERS - people who can oversee the running of the museum.
- A secretary to answer the email queries and take minutes at meetings.
- Volunteers to make tea and coffee during the winter talks.
- A Chairman to guide us as we re-open and as the museum’s planned extension is built.
- Someone to edit our newsletter.
- Someone to publicise the museum and activities on Social Media.
Whatever help you can give we can find a niche for you. Please don’t leave the running of the museum for others. Come along to our Annual General Meeting to be held in the Village Hall or ring 0117/9569963 for more information.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
THURSDAY JULY 8th
FRENCHAY VILLAGE HALL 7.45pm.
May 2021
Where the Streets have New Names - Part 1
You too may be wondering how the new roads on the Redrow development came to acquire their new names. The names of prominent historical persons with a connection to Frenchay were provided to Redrow by Frenchay Museum, and as the first batch in a series of articles, the background to the chosen names is explained below, as produced by the Museum. The main road into the development, off the Bristol Road, is Alexander Road. The first turn left is Sinatra Way, from which a further left takes you into Deane Close. The second and third left turns off Alexander Road are respectively Packer Way and Briggs Road.
Alexander Road – George Lionel Alexander F.R.C.S was born in 1902 in India. He qualified in Edinburgh, and became a member of the neurosurgery team there in 1933. He spent 1938 in Chicago on a research fellowship, but returned to Edinburgh where he served throughout the war. In 1948 he was appointed the first head of the new Regional Neurosurgery Unit at Frenchay Hospital. In 1953 he had masterminded the building of the state-of-the-art Theatre Block. Frenchay gained a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in neurosurgery. In 1967 he retired to his home in Painswick, where he died 3 years later.
Sinatra Way – Frank Sinatra, the American film actor and singer, appeared in the Bristol Hippodrome in June 1953 to half empty houses. He was asked if he would visit Frenchay Hospital, which he did along with some of his support staff, and he even sang to patients on the Thoracic Ward.
Deane Close – Alderman Thomas Deane was a Bristol Merchant, who was appointed High Sheriff of Bristol in 1754, and Lord Mayor in 1770. He’s the earliest known owner of Frenchay Park, which he acquired some time before 1780. He died there in 1798 aged 81, when the estate passed to Hugh Vaughan.
Packer Way – Francis Packer was born in 1877 in the South Lodge of Frenchay Park. He left Frenchay School in 1888 aged 11, and worked in Frenchay Park House as a “hall boy”. He emigrated to the USA in 1897 and at first worked as a butler. He moved to Los Angeles and took the stage name Nigel de Brulier before appearing in his first Hollywood film in 1914. He appeared in 139 films, including classics such as Ben Hur, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and many more. He died in Los Angeles in 1948.
Briggs Road – Dr. James Briggs was born in East Ham in 1933. He was a consultant pathologist in Frenchay Hospital from 1966 to 1993, and became interested in the history of the hospital. He eventually used his many years of research to produce a book “The History of Frenchay Hospital”, which was published in 1994 by the Monica Britton Trust. Since then he has updated the text periodically, and the most recent version was published by Frenchay Village Museum in 2014. (to be continued)
You too may be wondering how the new roads on the Redrow development came to acquire their new names. The names of prominent historical persons with a connection to Frenchay were provided to Redrow by Frenchay Museum, and as the first batch in a series of articles, the background to the chosen names is explained below, as produced by the Museum. The main road into the development, off the Bristol Road, is Alexander Road. The first turn left is Sinatra Way, from which a further left takes you into Deane Close. The second and third left turns off Alexander Road are respectively Packer Way and Briggs Road.
Alexander Road – George Lionel Alexander F.R.C.S was born in 1902 in India. He qualified in Edinburgh, and became a member of the neurosurgery team there in 1933. He spent 1938 in Chicago on a research fellowship, but returned to Edinburgh where he served throughout the war. In 1948 he was appointed the first head of the new Regional Neurosurgery Unit at Frenchay Hospital. In 1953 he had masterminded the building of the state-of-the-art Theatre Block. Frenchay gained a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in neurosurgery. In 1967 he retired to his home in Painswick, where he died 3 years later.
Sinatra Way – Frank Sinatra, the American film actor and singer, appeared in the Bristol Hippodrome in June 1953 to half empty houses. He was asked if he would visit Frenchay Hospital, which he did along with some of his support staff, and he even sang to patients on the Thoracic Ward.
Deane Close – Alderman Thomas Deane was a Bristol Merchant, who was appointed High Sheriff of Bristol in 1754, and Lord Mayor in 1770. He’s the earliest known owner of Frenchay Park, which he acquired some time before 1780. He died there in 1798 aged 81, when the estate passed to Hugh Vaughan.
Packer Way – Francis Packer was born in 1877 in the South Lodge of Frenchay Park. He left Frenchay School in 1888 aged 11, and worked in Frenchay Park House as a “hall boy”. He emigrated to the USA in 1897 and at first worked as a butler. He moved to Los Angeles and took the stage name Nigel de Brulier before appearing in his first Hollywood film in 1914. He appeared in 139 films, including classics such as Ben Hur, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and many more. He died in Los Angeles in 1948.
Briggs Road – Dr. James Briggs was born in East Ham in 1933. He was a consultant pathologist in Frenchay Hospital from 1966 to 1993, and became interested in the history of the hospital. He eventually used his many years of research to produce a book “The History of Frenchay Hospital”, which was published in 1994 by the Monica Britton Trust. Since then he has updated the text periodically, and the most recent version was published by Frenchay Village Museum in 2014. (to be continued)
Biographies from the Frenchay Museum Archive
Did you know there is a wonderful collection of biographies on the Frenchay Museum Archive website? Here you will find details about the lives of individuals who lived in Frenchay, Hambrook and Winterbourne including facts about their family occupation and place of residence as well as accompanying photographs: frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/biographies.htm
Did you know there is a wonderful collection of biographies on the Frenchay Museum Archive website? Here you will find details about the lives of individuals who lived in Frenchay, Hambrook and Winterbourne including facts about their family occupation and place of residence as well as accompanying photographs: frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/biographies.htm
Henry James Baber
Henry James Baber
Henry James Baber was born in Frenchay in 1873, the third son of James and Elizabeth. He was a keen sportsman; cycling, football and cricket being his main pursuits. He wrote, shortly before he died: ‘I have been associated with the Frenchay Cricket Club since 1881 and am still a member at the age of 72 years.’ It was said of him that he was ‘the life and soul of the party’.
Henry was a baker and had his own bakery on Frenchay Hill.
Henry James Baber was born in Frenchay in 1873, the third son of James and Elizabeth. He was a keen sportsman; cycling, football and cricket being his main pursuits. He wrote, shortly before he died: ‘I have been associated with the Frenchay Cricket Club since 1881 and am still a member at the age of 72 years.’ It was said of him that he was ‘the life and soul of the party’.
Henry was a baker and had his own bakery on Frenchay Hill.
Georgina Robinson
Georgina Robinson
Widow of Col William Henry Robinson, came to live in Frenchay in 1849. She was born in Portsmouth circa 1807. She had four daughters…..Georgiana Catherine Jane, Henrietta Charlotte, Fanny Matilda, and Elizabeth Beverley. Mrs Robinson died in 1904 and was buried in the Frenchay Parish graveyard.
Widow of Col William Henry Robinson, came to live in Frenchay in 1849. She was born in Portsmouth circa 1807. She had four daughters…..Georgiana Catherine Jane, Henrietta Charlotte, Fanny Matilda, and Elizabeth Beverley. Mrs Robinson died in 1904 and was buried in the Frenchay Parish graveyard.
Frenchay National School
Miss Georgiana and Miss Elizabeth Robinson, 17 September 1910, laying the foundation stone for St John's Church, Fishponds. Georgiana lived in Frenchay from 1849 and was an active supporter of the Frenchay National School; her help in the sewing class being much appreciated by the master, HJ Wadlow.
April 2021
The Invention of the Chocolate Easter Egg
At Frenchay Village Museum we have one of the most extensive collections of Fry’s chocolate memorabilia, which celebrates the life and achievements of one of Frenchay’s most celebrated families.
J.S. Fry & Son’s was established in 1822 and were major innovators in the confectionary industry. In 1847 they created the first solid edible bar of chocolate, transforming the sometimes bitter drink which had come before. As well as technical developments they truly led the way in terms of marketing and growing their brand, with colourful advertisements and exciting new flavours of chocolate. In addition they took advantage of celebrity endorsements and collectible decorative tins which were made to commemorate things like Royal Weddings, and really helped to make their product more attractive for consumers.
Another excellent example of Fry’s innovative flair is the invention of first chocolate Easter egg in Britain in 1873. Traditionally Easter eggs were boiled chicken eggs, which were painted and decorated, so Fry’s took this common activity and put their own spin on it, creating patterned egg shaped tins, special boxes and chocolate chickens and shoes as well, which at this time were also common during Easter along with the beloved chocolate egg.
Another iconic Easter chocolate, which originated as a part of Fry’s Chocolate was the Creme Egg. Developed in 1963, the Creme egg was rebranded in 1971, when Cadbury’s took over the company. The oldest unwrapped Creme egg was also put on display in the 2013 Chocolate! Exhibition at M Shed in Bristol.
Charlotte Appleyard
J.S. Fry & Son’s was established in 1822 and were major innovators in the confectionary industry. In 1847 they created the first solid edible bar of chocolate, transforming the sometimes bitter drink which had come before. As well as technical developments they truly led the way in terms of marketing and growing their brand, with colourful advertisements and exciting new flavours of chocolate. In addition they took advantage of celebrity endorsements and collectible decorative tins which were made to commemorate things like Royal Weddings, and really helped to make their product more attractive for consumers.
Another excellent example of Fry’s innovative flair is the invention of first chocolate Easter egg in Britain in 1873. Traditionally Easter eggs were boiled chicken eggs, which were painted and decorated, so Fry’s took this common activity and put their own spin on it, creating patterned egg shaped tins, special boxes and chocolate chickens and shoes as well, which at this time were also common during Easter along with the beloved chocolate egg.
Another iconic Easter chocolate, which originated as a part of Fry’s Chocolate was the Creme Egg. Developed in 1963, the Creme egg was rebranded in 1971, when Cadbury’s took over the company. The oldest unwrapped Creme egg was also put on display in the 2013 Chocolate! Exhibition at M Shed in Bristol.
Charlotte Appleyard
DEAD AND BURIED - Part 1
Frenchay Museum Research in relation to the Parish Church Graveyard
Frenchay Museum Research in relation to the Parish Church Graveyard
Frenchay Museum has a wealth of information about the area and we are often asked about families who lived in Frenchay in the past.
Les Davison and his son are developing a website, explained in the next item, which will give easily accessible information about the graves in the churchyard.
I have been looking at the site to find out more about the people who are buried there. It is not easy to pinpoint exactly where they lived as most roads and houses did not have names. We can look up their names on census returns but not where they lived. However, some facts which the site throws up are fascinating.
The Frenchay church of St. John the Baptist opened in 1834, just before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The first burial was on September 21st, Charlotte Pritchard aged 4 days. 10 days later, on October 1st Maria Pritchard aged 14 days was buried. Were they twins?
On 7th November 1835 Rachel and Thomas Pritchard were buried. They died at the age of 4 days. They must be twins.
On February 2nd 1837 Maria Pritchard was buried at the age of 1 month.
There is only 1 mention of a Pritchard family in the 1841 census so all these children may have been from I family.
In 15 years from the first Pritchard burial 11 Pritchards were buried.
In 1840 the life expectancy was 40 for men and 42 for women. A third of children died before their 5th birthday and 1 in 6 died at birth. Even so, the Pritchard family seems to have had more than their share of deaths.
This new site offers opportunities to find out a lot more about who and how the people of Frenchay lived in the past.
Carol Thorne
Les Davison and his son are developing a website, explained in the next item, which will give easily accessible information about the graves in the churchyard.
I have been looking at the site to find out more about the people who are buried there. It is not easy to pinpoint exactly where they lived as most roads and houses did not have names. We can look up their names on census returns but not where they lived. However, some facts which the site throws up are fascinating.
The Frenchay church of St. John the Baptist opened in 1834, just before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The first burial was on September 21st, Charlotte Pritchard aged 4 days. 10 days later, on October 1st Maria Pritchard aged 14 days was buried. Were they twins?
On 7th November 1835 Rachel and Thomas Pritchard were buried. They died at the age of 4 days. They must be twins.
On February 2nd 1837 Maria Pritchard was buried at the age of 1 month.
There is only 1 mention of a Pritchard family in the 1841 census so all these children may have been from I family.
In 15 years from the first Pritchard burial 11 Pritchards were buried.
In 1840 the life expectancy was 40 for men and 42 for women. A third of children died before their 5th birthday and 1 in 6 died at birth. Even so, the Pritchard family seems to have had more than their share of deaths.
This new site offers opportunities to find out a lot more about who and how the people of Frenchay lived in the past.
Carol Thorne
This website provides a searchable database for burials at the parish church in Frenchay since the church was consecrated in 1834. It is a work in progress. At the time of writing, the database contains 2600 burial records obtained from Frenchay museum archives. Records from 1992 onwards have not yet been archived but we have permission to access them.
There are somewhere in the region of 1000 marked graves and 300 plaques marking the burial of cremated remains. So far there are photographs and geographic locations in the system for about 700 graves, and there are currently about 600 links connecting burial records to specific graves. You can search the burial records by name or date; selecting a record that contains a plot number will display a photograph, inscription (if it has been transcribed) and location information including a satellite view on Google maps. Not all burials are marked, some memorials are unreadable and some difficult to decipher. There are some names on headstones which do not appear in the burial records and there are a few inconsistencies. We assume that the date of death on a headstone later than the date on the burial record is an error, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.
Apart from searches for records of individuals, the database provides scope for social history research. Once all the search options are available and data entry is complete, it will be possible to ask, for example, “What do the records show about changes in infant mortality around 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000?’’
There is still much work to do and we would appreciate your help. Maybe photography is your interest and you would like to replace some of the current images. Maybe you would like to help transcribe the more recent burial records or help record inscriptions. There are plans to support biodiversity in the churchyard and in the future it could be even harder to read inscriptions hidden by vegetation, this Spring would be a good time to record what is there. Maybe you have surveying skill. Google maps did show up one grave location I misplaced under a patio parasol on Quarry Road.
Leslie Davison
There are somewhere in the region of 1000 marked graves and 300 plaques marking the burial of cremated remains. So far there are photographs and geographic locations in the system for about 700 graves, and there are currently about 600 links connecting burial records to specific graves. You can search the burial records by name or date; selecting a record that contains a plot number will display a photograph, inscription (if it has been transcribed) and location information including a satellite view on Google maps. Not all burials are marked, some memorials are unreadable and some difficult to decipher. There are some names on headstones which do not appear in the burial records and there are a few inconsistencies. We assume that the date of death on a headstone later than the date on the burial record is an error, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.
Apart from searches for records of individuals, the database provides scope for social history research. Once all the search options are available and data entry is complete, it will be possible to ask, for example, “What do the records show about changes in infant mortality around 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000?’’
There is still much work to do and we would appreciate your help. Maybe photography is your interest and you would like to replace some of the current images. Maybe you would like to help transcribe the more recent burial records or help record inscriptions. There are plans to support biodiversity in the churchyard and in the future it could be even harder to read inscriptions hidden by vegetation, this Spring would be a good time to record what is there. Maybe you have surveying skill. Google maps did show up one grave location I misplaced under a patio parasol on Quarry Road.
Leslie Davison
March 2021
Upcoming Exhibition: Then and Now
This April Frenchay Village Museum will be launching our first exhibition of 2021, where we will be showing photographs of locations in Frenchay displayed beside historic postcards. We hope it will shed some fascinating light on how the landscape has changed or remained the same, as well as providing some context about the buildings and the history of Frenchay. In order to ensure the safety of our visitors we are aware that this exhibition may be delayed in terms of a physical opening. Due to this we are planning a digital version of the exhibition, which will be accessible on our Facebook page and website. We will also be setting up a virtual walking tour around Frenchay, with QR codes at the locations of our photographs for you to find and scan on your phone, learn about the history of the building or the area and even take a picture for yourself. We hope you enjoy this interactive experience and please keep an eye out for further details over the next few months. These will be shared on our soc-cial media accounts and will also be further advertised in upcoming editions. Below is a taster of what you can expect.
Frenchay Common
Postcard Date: early 20th Century; Photograph Dated: September 2020
Frenchay Common sits adjacent to Frenchay St John Baptist Church and is overlooked by several 18th century homes that were built by successful quaker families. The common was once home to the Frenchay cricket club, which is known to be the oldest in the country, having been established in 1846. Famous Victorian cricketer, W.G. Grace, was the captain of the club and would be seen playing at the common a lot. In the past few cen-turies, the common has not changed a great deal all that much visually. It is now mostly used for leisure by the public and it is also where Frenchay C of E Primary School is based.
We would like to thank Rhianna Payne, a photography student at the University of the West of England for taking these wonderful photographs
Frenchay Common sits adjacent to Frenchay St John Baptist Church and is overlooked by several 18th century homes that were built by successful quaker families. The common was once home to the Frenchay cricket club, which is known to be the oldest in the country, having been established in 1846. Famous Victorian cricketer, W.G. Grace, was the captain of the club and would be seen playing at the common a lot. In the past few cen-turies, the common has not changed a great deal all that much visually. It is now mostly used for leisure by the public and it is also where Frenchay C of E Primary School is based.
We would like to thank Rhianna Payne, a photography student at the University of the West of England for taking these wonderful photographs
Oldbury Court and The Titanic Connection
Oldbury Court is just across the river from Frenchay and I often walk through the park to Fishponds for a coffee and toasted teacake. I really miss this during lockdown. But what do you know about former residents of Oldbury Court?
It’s not generally known that the man conducting Abide With Me as the icy waters swept across the deck of The Titanic was a Bristol preacher, fiery evangelist ‘Uncle Bob Bateman'.
Bateman was born in 1859 the son of a Staple Hill stone mason and in 1881 lived in Oldbury Court with his wife and child. He subsequently became a Baptist Minister and gained a formidable reputation as a hellfire and brimstone campaigner. He later emigrated to America and became mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. In 1911 he returned on a visit to Bristol to arrange a headstone for his mother's grave in Downend.
At the end of his visit, he boarded the Titanic together with his sister-in-law. His reputation preceded him and Captain Edward Smith asked if he would conduct a Sunday service with the ship's band.
Bob was with the band when the Titanic hit an iceberg and began to go down. He collected his sister-in-law from her cabin and, when he saw that her lifeboat was unable to launch, gave up his own place to her. He gave her his Bible and asked her to return it to his wife.
Bateman collected about fifty men on the stern of the ship and told them to prepare for death. He led them in saying the Lord's Prayer and, as the band played his favourite hymn, 'Abide with me', the ship slid underwater.. Rev. Bateman was lost in the sinking aged 51. His Bible was saved and for many years toured America as the only surviving Bible from the Titanic.
Carol Thorne
It’s not generally known that the man conducting Abide With Me as the icy waters swept across the deck of The Titanic was a Bristol preacher, fiery evangelist ‘Uncle Bob Bateman'.
Bateman was born in 1859 the son of a Staple Hill stone mason and in 1881 lived in Oldbury Court with his wife and child. He subsequently became a Baptist Minister and gained a formidable reputation as a hellfire and brimstone campaigner. He later emigrated to America and became mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. In 1911 he returned on a visit to Bristol to arrange a headstone for his mother's grave in Downend.
At the end of his visit, he boarded the Titanic together with his sister-in-law. His reputation preceded him and Captain Edward Smith asked if he would conduct a Sunday service with the ship's band.
Bob was with the band when the Titanic hit an iceberg and began to go down. He collected his sister-in-law from her cabin and, when he saw that her lifeboat was unable to launch, gave up his own place to her. He gave her his Bible and asked her to return it to his wife.
Bateman collected about fifty men on the stern of the ship and told them to prepare for death. He led them in saying the Lord's Prayer and, as the band played his favourite hymn, 'Abide with me', the ship slid underwater.. Rev. Bateman was lost in the sinking aged 51. His Bible was saved and for many years toured America as the only surviving Bible from the Titanic.
Carol Thorne
January 2021
Upcoming Talk!
Zigzagging Amongst Dolomites with Alan Freke
Thursday 14th January, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Free
This event will take place on Zoom, the video link will be published on the Frenchay Village Museum Facebook page
Zigzagging Amongst Dolomites with Alan Freke
Thursday 14th January, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Free
This event will take place on Zoom, the video link will be published on the Frenchay Village Museum Facebook page
Frenchay Village Museum are excited to launch our first online talk to commemorate the 150 year anniversary of the illustrated book ‘Zigzagging Amongst the Dolomites’ by Frenchay resident Lizzie Tuckett.
The book records the journey she took through the Dolomite mountains with her brother Frank, sister Charlotte and other companions in the summer of 1870. The book is still in print in Italy, and is the subject of an EU schools project: "Getting to know the landscape of the Dolomites by means of a travel journal: Zig-zagging in the Dolomites by Elizabeth Tuckett. The cross-curricular project involves such subjects as English, History, Geography, Geology/Science and Literature as well as the employment of images and the direct observation to analyse and compare the landscape as it used to be and it is nowadays."
She was the author of a number of books, and this was the last to be published. Lizzie was born in The Old House Frenchay in 1837, and only left when she married in March 1871.
The book had unexpected consequences. It was read by Amelia Edwards, a novelist from Westbury on Trym, and she decided to retrace the Tuckett's journey in 1872. Her first travel book was an account of the journey, "Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys" that was published in 1873.
The travel bug had bitten, and she then went to Egypt, and "A Thousand Miles Up The Nile" was her next book. But whilst there she became interested in Egyptian history, and founded the Egyptian Exploration Society. The rest is, literally, history.
The book records the journey she took through the Dolomite mountains with her brother Frank, sister Charlotte and other companions in the summer of 1870. The book is still in print in Italy, and is the subject of an EU schools project: "Getting to know the landscape of the Dolomites by means of a travel journal: Zig-zagging in the Dolomites by Elizabeth Tuckett. The cross-curricular project involves such subjects as English, History, Geography, Geology/Science and Literature as well as the employment of images and the direct observation to analyse and compare the landscape as it used to be and it is nowadays."
She was the author of a number of books, and this was the last to be published. Lizzie was born in The Old House Frenchay in 1837, and only left when she married in March 1871.
The book had unexpected consequences. It was read by Amelia Edwards, a novelist from Westbury on Trym, and she decided to retrace the Tuckett's journey in 1872. Her first travel book was an account of the journey, "Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys" that was published in 1873.
The travel bug had bitten, and she then went to Egypt, and "A Thousand Miles Up The Nile" was her next book. But whilst there she became interested in Egyptian history, and founded the Egyptian Exploration Society. The rest is, literally, history.
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November 2020
Frenchay Then and Now
We are currently preparing for an exciting new exhibition of our Victorian and Edwardian Postcard collection, which will be displayed alongside contemporary photographs of these historic locations. This will allow us to see how Frenchay has changed and developed over the years, as well as the ways in which it has remained the same.
We are currently preparing for an exciting new exhibition of our Victorian and Edwardian Postcard collection, which will be displayed alongside contemporary photographs of these historic locations. This will allow us to see how Frenchay has changed and developed over the years, as well as the ways in which it has remained the same.
We would love to see your photos of Frenchay, past or present. If you would like to share your photographs with us, to be featured on our social media, or even in the exhibition itself please send them to us today at [email protected]
Frenchay Tea Gardens
Frenchay has always been a place of enormous natural beauty and in the turn of the 19th century was a popular day trip destination for city dwellers wanting to escape the hustle a bustle. One popular establishment was the tea garden, where people could stop for refreshments and meet friends.
Bullocks Tea Garden, which is now Riverside Cottage was located at the bottom of Pearces Hill, and was the most notable of all the tea gardens. It was also accessible by boat, which must have been a picturesque ride.
Frenchay has always been a place of enormous natural beauty and in the turn of the 19th century was a popular day trip destination for city dwellers wanting to escape the hustle a bustle. One popular establishment was the tea garden, where people could stop for refreshments and meet friends.
Bullocks Tea Garden, which is now Riverside Cottage was located at the bottom of Pearces Hill, and was the most notable of all the tea gardens. It was also accessible by boat, which must have been a picturesque ride.
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In addition, there was Ham’s Tea Garden, which was one of the first in Frenchay and was originally a grist mill, located on Pearces Hill. Sadly most of the property has now been demolished, but in it’s place stands the Old Mill House, which is a private residence.
Finally, we have Cleeve Tea Gardens, which was once the Frenchay Upper Iron Works, and like Ham’s Tea Gardens was also a grist mill in 1798. Here you could rent boats, it was also the last tea garden to close and lasted into the 1950s. We have a spectacular collection of postcards from this era and are hoping to share them with you in our upcoming exhibition.
Finally, we have Cleeve Tea Gardens, which was once the Frenchay Upper Iron Works, and like Ham’s Tea Gardens was also a grist mill in 1798. Here you could rent boats, it was also the last tea garden to close and lasted into the 1950s. We have a spectacular collection of postcards from this era and are hoping to share them with you in our upcoming exhibition.
Well I Never!
A Wikipedia article states that Julie Burchill, the ‘militant feminist’ journalist, was born in Frenchay in 1959. Does anyone remember her? There is only one place in the world called Frenchay so it must be here.
The surplus books from the telephone box book exchange at the top of Frenchay Hill were donated to charity and raised £311 last year. There is a constantly changing selection of books so why not visit it and choose a book or two. There is no subscription and nothing to sign, just help yourself.
A metal detectorist has unearthed a lead fruit bowl in Frenchay. It is probably Georgian or Victorian and was originally silver plated. But how do you lose an item as large as a fruit bowl? The finder is donating it to the museum and it will go on show when we reopen. We intend to have a new feature showing recent acquisitions.These include a bible given to a Frenchay boy which was from the American Hospital and a card sent to a soldier from the Rector of Frenchay Church during World War I.
A Wikipedia article states that Julie Burchill, the ‘militant feminist’ journalist, was born in Frenchay in 1959. Does anyone remember her? There is only one place in the world called Frenchay so it must be here.
The surplus books from the telephone box book exchange at the top of Frenchay Hill were donated to charity and raised £311 last year. There is a constantly changing selection of books so why not visit it and choose a book or two. There is no subscription and nothing to sign, just help yourself.
A metal detectorist has unearthed a lead fruit bowl in Frenchay. It is probably Georgian or Victorian and was originally silver plated. But how do you lose an item as large as a fruit bowl? The finder is donating it to the museum and it will go on show when we reopen. We intend to have a new feature showing recent acquisitions.These include a bible given to a Frenchay boy which was from the American Hospital and a card sent to a soldier from the Rector of Frenchay Church during World War I.
October 2020
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New Acquisitions
A huge thank you to our generous donors for providing us with some wonderful new additions for our collection, which we are hoping to display when we re-open.
September 2020
Although the museum remains closed during this continued period of social distancing, we are excited to start thinking about the future and planning exhibitions for 2021. Here are some of our ideas you can look forward to.
Frenchay Postcards
Frenchay Village Museum has a wonderful and extensive collection of vintage postcards, some of which are from the Victorian era. Our collection shines a fascinating light on how people used to live and how much the landscape has remained the same or drastically changed. Some of these postcards includes pictures of the old Tea Gardens, which no longer exist, children playing on Frenchay Hill and even sports on the green. We think they can be an inspiring tool to help people reflect on the past and would like to highlight this further by photographing some of the postcard locations so we can compare and contrast the past and present.
Black Lives Matter
With recent event in Bristol, we think it is important to reflect on our heritage and collection and what it can tell us about Black History and Frenchay’s role in this narrative. Some interesting threads of discussion include the part Quaker’s played in the abolition of the slave trade, the challenging history of the cocoa Industry and what this can teach us about Fry’s Chocolate and even the stories and experiences of black American GI’s stationed in Britain during the Second World War. We are very much in the early stages of this concept and for updates and to share your thoughts please reach out to us on our Facebook page.
Frenchay Village Museum has a wonderful and extensive collection of vintage postcards, some of which are from the Victorian era. Our collection shines a fascinating light on how people used to live and how much the landscape has remained the same or drastically changed. Some of these postcards includes pictures of the old Tea Gardens, which no longer exist, children playing on Frenchay Hill and even sports on the green. We think they can be an inspiring tool to help people reflect on the past and would like to highlight this further by photographing some of the postcard locations so we can compare and contrast the past and present.
Black Lives Matter
With recent event in Bristol, we think it is important to reflect on our heritage and collection and what it can tell us about Black History and Frenchay’s role in this narrative. Some interesting threads of discussion include the part Quaker’s played in the abolition of the slave trade, the challenging history of the cocoa Industry and what this can teach us about Fry’s Chocolate and even the stories and experiences of black American GI’s stationed in Britain during the Second World War. We are very much in the early stages of this concept and for updates and to share your thoughts please reach out to us on our Facebook page.
August 2020
Guided Walks
What do you know about Frenchay? Do you know where the highwayman lived, or the family that emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682 after 5 of their children died in infancy? Do you know why it is called Frenchay or how the River Frome got its name?
Although we are currently unable to open the museum, we are starting guided walks around Frenchay. These will be in small groups and will observe social distancing. If you can arrange your own group of up to 6 this would be ideal.
The walks are free although a donation towards museum funds is welcome.
If you would like to have a tour around Frenchay please ring 0117 9569963.
What do you know about Frenchay? Do you know where the highwayman lived, or the family that emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682 after 5 of their children died in infancy? Do you know why it is called Frenchay or how the River Frome got its name?
Although we are currently unable to open the museum, we are starting guided walks around Frenchay. These will be in small groups and will observe social distancing. If you can arrange your own group of up to 6 this would be ideal.
The walks are free although a donation towards museum funds is welcome.
If you would like to have a tour around Frenchay please ring 0117 9569963.
Prominent Frenchay Birthdays
Frederick Denison Maurice (29th August 1805 – 1st April 1872)
Frederick Denison Maurice (29th August 1805 – 1st April 1872)
This month we celebrate the birthday of prominent Frenchay resident Frederick Denison Maurice (1805 – 1872) who was born on the 29th August. Maurice was a professor of Moral Philosophy and Social Reformer who is perhaps most well-known for being one of the founders of the Christian Socialist Movement, a religious and political philosophy that endorsed left-wing economics on the basis of the Holy Bible.
When F. D. Maurice was a small boy him and his family moved to Frenchay in 1813 when his father became the Unitarian Minister. From an early age Maurice demonstrated that he was a proficient learner and was generally a serious and precocious child who preferred reading by himself over playing games. When he came of age he entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1823 where he obtained a first class degree in Civil Law in 1827.
Due to religious disagreements Maurice moved away from Unitarianism in favour of the Church of England and in 1830 attended Exeter College, Oxford to prepare for his ordination. Maurice was slightly older than his fellow students but impressed them with his intellect and in 1834 after a few years of working as a private tutor was ordained as a deacon and appointed to a curacy in Bubbenhall near Leamington at the age of 28.
In 1836 Maurice became chaplain of Guy’s Hospital, where he often lectured students in moral philosophy. It was during Maurice’s 24 year stint in this post that he began his public life. Some of his greatest achievements included being involved in a committee to establish a College for Women that resulted in the founding of Queen’s College, where Maurice worked as it’s first principal. This establishment would be instrumental in opening doors for women to gain an education and seek independent employment.
He was also professor of English Literature at King’s College and would continue to work in education even after his ties with these two college’s had been severed. In 1854 he developed plans for a Working Men’s College and gained a great deal of support for the venture by giving lectures, which by Autumn that year had reached a total of 130 students. Consequentially he took on the role of principal and superintendent and would continue in this work up until his death.
Towards the end of his life Maurice would be elected to the Knightsbridge professorship of casuistry, moral theology and moral philosophy at the University of Cambridge and maintained this position as well as his role as Principle for the Working Men’s College. Despite his declining health he continued to teach and preach up until his death on Easter Monday, 1st April 1872.
Although Maurice moved from Frenchay as a young man he kept ties with the local community and was a life-long friend of the Tuckett family. Charlotte Howard, nee Tuckett, wrote of him in her 'Recollections of Victorian Frenchay':
'There were many pleasant friendships and companions in my young days. My father and young Frederick Denison Maurice were often together. In later years we had a kindly welcome from him in his house in London. I think it must have been after my father's death that he came to see us at Frenchay and was most beautiful & understanding in his sympathy. His personality was a thing never to be forgotten'.
Currently, we have a display about the life of Frederick Denison Maurice which we hope you will enjoy when the museum reopens.
When F. D. Maurice was a small boy him and his family moved to Frenchay in 1813 when his father became the Unitarian Minister. From an early age Maurice demonstrated that he was a proficient learner and was generally a serious and precocious child who preferred reading by himself over playing games. When he came of age he entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1823 where he obtained a first class degree in Civil Law in 1827.
Due to religious disagreements Maurice moved away from Unitarianism in favour of the Church of England and in 1830 attended Exeter College, Oxford to prepare for his ordination. Maurice was slightly older than his fellow students but impressed them with his intellect and in 1834 after a few years of working as a private tutor was ordained as a deacon and appointed to a curacy in Bubbenhall near Leamington at the age of 28.
In 1836 Maurice became chaplain of Guy’s Hospital, where he often lectured students in moral philosophy. It was during Maurice’s 24 year stint in this post that he began his public life. Some of his greatest achievements included being involved in a committee to establish a College for Women that resulted in the founding of Queen’s College, where Maurice worked as it’s first principal. This establishment would be instrumental in opening doors for women to gain an education and seek independent employment.
He was also professor of English Literature at King’s College and would continue to work in education even after his ties with these two college’s had been severed. In 1854 he developed plans for a Working Men’s College and gained a great deal of support for the venture by giving lectures, which by Autumn that year had reached a total of 130 students. Consequentially he took on the role of principal and superintendent and would continue in this work up until his death.
Towards the end of his life Maurice would be elected to the Knightsbridge professorship of casuistry, moral theology and moral philosophy at the University of Cambridge and maintained this position as well as his role as Principle for the Working Men’s College. Despite his declining health he continued to teach and preach up until his death on Easter Monday, 1st April 1872.
Although Maurice moved from Frenchay as a young man he kept ties with the local community and was a life-long friend of the Tuckett family. Charlotte Howard, nee Tuckett, wrote of him in her 'Recollections of Victorian Frenchay':
'There were many pleasant friendships and companions in my young days. My father and young Frederick Denison Maurice were often together. In later years we had a kindly welcome from him in his house in London. I think it must have been after my father's death that he came to see us at Frenchay and was most beautiful & understanding in his sympathy. His personality was a thing never to be forgotten'.
Currently, we have a display about the life of Frederick Denison Maurice which we hope you will enjoy when the museum reopens.
July 2020
Frenchay Village Museum Online
During these unprecedented times Frenchay Village Museum has temporarily closed it’s doors to the public. However, although the display cases are covered and lights turned off, as a museum we strives to continue to be accessible to the community even if it is in the virtual world.
Where to Find Us
Over the last few months we have been growing our social media presence with regular Facebook posts including; short biographies of key Frenchay historic figures like Lizzie Tuckett and the highwayman Edward Higgins; collection highlights, which aim to draw focus to pieces in the museum we feel are particularly special, from the Radio Lollipop window to the world's oldest bar of chocolate, which was displayed in the 1851 Great exhibition! We hope to keep the public engaged with our wonderfully varied collection and to build a community during these difficult times.
As well as social media, our website remains a fantastic resource for anyone who is interested in Frenchay history. It is a wonderful treasure trove of images, census records as well as transcripts of letters and diary entries written by some of the most prolific Frenchay residents. We strongly recommend you pay it a visit as it is a truly invaluable archive.
VE Day Celebration
One particular highlight was our posts relating to VE Day, which included children’s activity sheets, images of POW letters, as well as photographs of American GI’s who were based at Frenchay.
We also launched our podcast project, which included an interview with a local Frenchay woman who was 10 years old during the outbreak of war. In addition, there are short recordings read from the memories of other individuals and include the story of Diane Neale, who worked at Bletchey Park. In future we would love to do more recordings of people telling family war time stories or even sharing their own personal experiences.
Although we could not celebrate in person it was encouraging to see all the positive responses, and everyone coming together to remember VE Day and absorb the online content commemorating this important moment in history.
One particular highlight was our posts relating to VE Day, which included children’s activity sheets, images of POW letters, as well as photographs of American GI’s who were based at Frenchay.
We also launched our podcast project, which included an interview with a local Frenchay woman who was 10 years old during the outbreak of war. In addition, there are short recordings read from the memories of other individuals and include the story of Diane Neale, who worked at Bletchey Park. In future we would love to do more recordings of people telling family war time stories or even sharing their own personal experiences.
Although we could not celebrate in person it was encouraging to see all the positive responses, and everyone coming together to remember VE Day and absorb the online content commemorating this important moment in history.
Please have a look at our Facebook page if you are interested in learning more about what the museum does!
Facebook: bit.ly/2MF88Vv
Frenchay Village Museum Website: https://www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/
If you would like to contact us about our World War 2 Oral History Project please email Charlotte Appleyard at [email protected]
Facebook: bit.ly/2MF88Vv
Frenchay Village Museum Website: https://www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/
If you would like to contact us about our World War 2 Oral History Project please email Charlotte Appleyard at [email protected]
12 March 2020
As a precaution the trustees have decided to close the museum until further notice. Many of the volunteer custodians are in a vulnerable group and need to limit contact with others during the Coronavirus epidemic. As soon as the position becomes clearer, we will reopen.
As a precaution the trustees have decided to close the museum until further notice. Many of the volunteer custodians are in a vulnerable group and need to limit contact with others during the Coronavirus epidemic. As soon as the position becomes clearer, we will reopen.
March 2020
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Annual Talks Series:
Bristol Pirates and Privateers Mark Steeds looks at part of Bristol’s seafaring history Thursday 12th March, 7:30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay. All welcome – admission £2 |
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World War II in Frenchay Exhibition
A reminder of how things were during the war. Get involved with our oral history project. Do you have a story to tell? Frenchay Village Museum is looking for individuals with memories of WWII or interesting family stories to share, who are happy to be interviewed for an oral history podcast series, which is being created to celebrate the anniversary of VE Day. To express an interest or find out more please contact Charlotte Appleyard at [email protected] The exhibition about WWII is continuing in the museum until May 2020.
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Open Sat and Sun 2-5pm, Wed. 1-4pm
Entry is FREE
Entry is FREE
February 2020
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Annual Talks Series:
How to claw your way back from disaster, commit treason and get away with it Bill Evans delivers a talk about the history of the Beauforts of Badminton. Thursday 13th February, 7:30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay . All welcome, admission £2 |
Books for sale at the museum
Did you know, Frenchay Village Museum has a huge range of local interest books for sale? Most are produced by the museum itself and can be found in the main exhibition space on the ground floor. They cover a wide variety of topics, from the ‘Professor Golla of Frenchay and the Burden Institute’ to eyewitness accounts from people who observed the Bristol riots of 1831. Prices start from £1. 50, and with such a broad range to choose, there will certainly be a topic to suit everyone’s taste.
To find out more about the titles we offer, visit the Museum website’s books page:
https://www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/MuseumPage05-Books.htm
Did you know, Frenchay Village Museum has a huge range of local interest books for sale? Most are produced by the museum itself and can be found in the main exhibition space on the ground floor. They cover a wide variety of topics, from the ‘Professor Golla of Frenchay and the Burden Institute’ to eyewitness accounts from people who observed the Bristol riots of 1831. Prices start from £1. 50, and with such a broad range to choose, there will certainly be a topic to suit everyone’s taste.
To find out more about the titles we offer, visit the Museum website’s books page:
https://www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/MuseumPage05-Books.htm
Frenchay History in Coins
Recent investigations by a metal detector have unearthed many coins in Frenchay. The detector had permission from the land owners and the finds were reported to Bristol Museum.
The earliest coins date from the Emperors Victorinus and Claudius II and are dated between 265-275 AD. These are copper coins. Silver coins have been found consisting of 6d, and 1/- coins from the reign of Henry VI, Charles II and William IV. A further cache of pennies and half pennies dating between 1796-1803 were found last year.
We hope to display some of these coins in Frenchay Museum in the near future. But how did they come to be buried in Frenchay? Did Roman Centurions pass through Frenchay on their way to take the waters in Bath? It is fascinating to think about all the people who have visited or lived in Frenchay and how they came to lose their money.
Recent investigations by a metal detector have unearthed many coins in Frenchay. The detector had permission from the land owners and the finds were reported to Bristol Museum.
The earliest coins date from the Emperors Victorinus and Claudius II and are dated between 265-275 AD. These are copper coins. Silver coins have been found consisting of 6d, and 1/- coins from the reign of Henry VI, Charles II and William IV. A further cache of pennies and half pennies dating between 1796-1803 were found last year.
We hope to display some of these coins in Frenchay Museum in the near future. But how did they come to be buried in Frenchay? Did Roman Centurions pass through Frenchay on their way to take the waters in Bath? It is fascinating to think about all the people who have visited or lived in Frenchay and how they came to lose their money.
January 2020
We re-open on Saturday 11th January, following the winter closure of the museum.
Is volunteering on your list of New Year Resolutions for 2020? If not, why not?
Frenchay Village Museum can help you out with possibilities. More custodians are required. There are always two custodians present when the museum is open, just 3 hours on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon. There is a rota where you can sign up for as many or as few sessions that you are able to cover.
The museum can be very busy (it is somewhat weather dependent). It can also be very quiet, but it is never boring. There is so much information available you will be spoilt for choice as to what to explore next!
If this is something you feel you would like to become involved with do call Margaret Bulmer on 07814303960 or Carol Thorne on 0117 9569963. They will be delighted to hear from you.
Annual Talks Series:
Richard Champion and his Bristol porcelain
Roger Anderson talks about Richard Champion and his Bristol porcelain, with a look at our own porcelain collection at Frenchay Village Museum (The Sawyer Memorial Lecture).
Thursday 9th January, 7:30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay. All welcome – admission £2
Richard Champion and his Bristol porcelain
Roger Anderson talks about Richard Champion and his Bristol porcelain, with a look at our own porcelain collection at Frenchay Village Museum (The Sawyer Memorial Lecture).
Thursday 9th January, 7:30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay. All welcome – admission £2
Frosty mornings and icy escapades
As we settle into the new decade, we take time to reflect on letters written by Alizon Fox in January 1920. Alizon was based in Buzancy, France, at the time, serving with the Friend’s War Victims Relief Committee after the Great War.
She writes:
‘Coming down the hill the car took possession of us, turned round, slid downhill a bit backwards, and turned sideways into a ditch! We scrambled out to “view the landscape o’er” – a none too pleasing one. Pelting rain, an icy wind, an empty road, a muddy ditch and a heavy car. Searchings produced empty shell cases, bits of plank, baskets (flat, that had held shells), and stones, which we hacked out of the frozen ground. Then we squatted in the semi-frozen ditch – a chilling process, jacked up a wheel, dug away the bank with a tyre lever, thrust the chain under the tyre and then tried to fasten it. Finding it was too small a size, we cut some telegraph wire and made a join.... Finally Eddie, our driver, raced the engine and we shoved the wheels and it slowly climbed the bank and we reached home in safety, wet through and weary.’
A different time and a different place, but a situation many can relate to (on a lesser scale, I hope) as we scrape the ice from our cars on those frosty mornings. Alizon’s letters, describing her time with Committee, can be found on the Archives section of our museum website.
As we settle into the new decade, we take time to reflect on letters written by Alizon Fox in January 1920. Alizon was based in Buzancy, France, at the time, serving with the Friend’s War Victims Relief Committee after the Great War.
She writes:
‘Coming down the hill the car took possession of us, turned round, slid downhill a bit backwards, and turned sideways into a ditch! We scrambled out to “view the landscape o’er” – a none too pleasing one. Pelting rain, an icy wind, an empty road, a muddy ditch and a heavy car. Searchings produced empty shell cases, bits of plank, baskets (flat, that had held shells), and stones, which we hacked out of the frozen ground. Then we squatted in the semi-frozen ditch – a chilling process, jacked up a wheel, dug away the bank with a tyre lever, thrust the chain under the tyre and then tried to fasten it. Finding it was too small a size, we cut some telegraph wire and made a join.... Finally Eddie, our driver, raced the engine and we shoved the wheels and it slowly climbed the bank and we reached home in safety, wet through and weary.’
A different time and a different place, but a situation many can relate to (on a lesser scale, I hope) as we scrape the ice from our cars on those frosty mornings. Alizon’s letters, describing her time with Committee, can be found on the Archives section of our museum website.
December 2019
Mariana circa 1860
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Christmas 1857 Sarah Smith nee Fox, kindly donated to the society, six volumes of a journal kept by her great grandmother, Mariana Fox Tuckett during her teenage years of 1857/59. A transcription created by Gerald Franklin can be found on the Museum’s website. |
Mariana's entry on Christmas Day 1857 gives a revealing glimpse into the gifts and traditions of a time gone by.
“Frank & Joe gave us handsome presents of books, I have ‘The rise of the Dutch Republic’ and ‘Debit & Credit’. Lizzie ‘The E Poe’s poems’ illustrated and ‘Quaile’s Emblems’ beautifully bound. Our chair looks beautiful. I put out tea & desert for the kitchen. J. F. E & C went out taking things to the poor. It is very warm – when we got up – the thermometer was at ˙52 – it does not feel at all like Christmas. We dined at 2. In the afternoon Mr and the three Misses Watson came to look at F’s photographs – and Mr W brought some beautiful ones of his own taking, from engravings. After (he crossed out) they were gone, came the ending, to this great question which I have had to think about so long – it was very sad. We parted most affectionately. After tea we read the end of Dickens’s Xmas tale, it is very beautiful, I think. The servants had a most merry evening – and we joined them during part of the time – However none of us felt brilliant. I was quite poorly & glad to get to bed about 11.”
The museum wishes its readers a Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
Frenchay Museum is closed throughout December and re-opens on Sat, 11 January, 2020
“Frank & Joe gave us handsome presents of books, I have ‘The rise of the Dutch Republic’ and ‘Debit & Credit’. Lizzie ‘The E Poe’s poems’ illustrated and ‘Quaile’s Emblems’ beautifully bound. Our chair looks beautiful. I put out tea & desert for the kitchen. J. F. E & C went out taking things to the poor. It is very warm – when we got up – the thermometer was at ˙52 – it does not feel at all like Christmas. We dined at 2. In the afternoon Mr and the three Misses Watson came to look at F’s photographs – and Mr W brought some beautiful ones of his own taking, from engravings. After (he crossed out) they were gone, came the ending, to this great question which I have had to think about so long – it was very sad. We parted most affectionately. After tea we read the end of Dickens’s Xmas tale, it is very beautiful, I think. The servants had a most merry evening – and we joined them during part of the time – However none of us felt brilliant. I was quite poorly & glad to get to bed about 11.”
The museum wishes its readers a Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
Frenchay Museum is closed throughout December and re-opens on Sat, 11 January, 2020
November 2019
Annual Talks Series - Know Your Place
Paul Driscoll takes a look at South Gloucestershire using maps, layer upon layer. What went before your house?
Thursday 14th November, 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Frenchay.
All welcome , admission £2
Paul Driscoll takes a look at South Gloucestershire using maps, layer upon layer. What went before your house?
Thursday 14th November, 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Frenchay.
All welcome , admission £2
The Wonderful World of Chocolate
Look out for a brand new series of ‘The Wonderful World of Chocolate’ starting on Channel 5 this autumn. A team from the series visited the museum earlier in the year and were fascinated by the exhibition we have linked to the Fry family and their innovations in the production of chocolate bars. Alan Freke was interviewed and shared some of this fascinating history. Find out more for yourself in our ‘chocolate room’ at the back of the museum.
Look out for a brand new series of ‘The Wonderful World of Chocolate’ starting on Channel 5 this autumn. A team from the series visited the museum earlier in the year and were fascinated by the exhibition we have linked to the Fry family and their innovations in the production of chocolate bars. Alan Freke was interviewed and shared some of this fascinating history. Find out more for yourself in our ‘chocolate room’ at the back of the museum.
October 2019
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Annual Talks Series:
Bristol Pirates and Privateers Marks Steeds takes a look at part of Bristol’s sea-faring history. Thursday 10th October, 7:30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay. All welcome – admission £2 |
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New Publication: East With Eadon
'They brought succour to thousands of British in distress' is the intriguing inscription on the grave of Alan and Letitia Eadon in Frenchay churchyard. Research unearthed a tale of a local man who became a pioneer in aviation, with a very colourful family life. In Burma he and his wife saved thousands when the Japanese invaded in 1942. Letitia was decorated for saving civilians during the bombing of Rangoon. A new book, published by the museum, tells the story of Alan Eadon’s life and is available for £5. |
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September 2019
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New exhibition: Wartime Frenchay
2019 marks the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. To commemorate this, Frenchay Village Museum has a new exhibition: Wartime Frenchay. The exhibition can be found on the first floor of our museum in our temporary exhibition space and will run throughout Autumn until January 2020.
The exhibition explores the effects and impact of war on many aspects of life in Frenchay during this time. However, there is a particular focus on the changes made to Frenchay Hospital and the GI American soldiers who stayed there. Because Bristol initially anticipated a great number of casualties as a result of the Blitz, an emergency hospital was built on the site of the Frenchay Children’s Sanatorium. By 1942, 15 new wards had been built. A succession of US hospitals then used the facilities, including the 152nd Station Hospital and the 100th General Hospital.
In our exhibition, you can find out more about the impact these soldiers had on the local community. We also have unique insights into their take on life in the area. One example can be found in the recollections of Sgt. Richard Trevor who noted the supportive kindness of the British and remembered his friendships with some of the families there.
Visit the museum between on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon to find out more about this significant time in the history of Frenchay.
2019 marks the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. To commemorate this, Frenchay Village Museum has a new exhibition: Wartime Frenchay. The exhibition can be found on the first floor of our museum in our temporary exhibition space and will run throughout Autumn until January 2020.
The exhibition explores the effects and impact of war on many aspects of life in Frenchay during this time. However, there is a particular focus on the changes made to Frenchay Hospital and the GI American soldiers who stayed there. Because Bristol initially anticipated a great number of casualties as a result of the Blitz, an emergency hospital was built on the site of the Frenchay Children’s Sanatorium. By 1942, 15 new wards had been built. A succession of US hospitals then used the facilities, including the 152nd Station Hospital and the 100th General Hospital.
In our exhibition, you can find out more about the impact these soldiers had on the local community. We also have unique insights into their take on life in the area. One example can be found in the recollections of Sgt. Richard Trevor who noted the supportive kindness of the British and remembered his friendships with some of the families there.
Visit the museum between on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon to find out more about this significant time in the history of Frenchay.
August 2019
World War II Exhibtion – Can you help?
Frenchay Village Museum houses a range of unique objects relating to World War II. Dig deep enough through our collection, and you will find an anti-aircraft shell nose cone, ration books, bomb fuse extractors and much more. In our exhibition space upstairs, you will also find displays that tell the fascinating story of the American soldiers who were based at the hospital from May 1942.
However, September 2019 will mark the 80th anniversary of the break out of World War II. In recognition of this, the museum will host a new exhibition between September 2019 and January 2020 in our temporary space on the first floor.
We would like to invite residents from the Frenchay community to share any family stories linking to this period in the village’s history with the museum. Perhaps you have objects linked to the War or photographs of the people of Frenchay during this time?
If so, please get in touch! You can contact Charlotte Appleyard, curator at [email protected] or come into the museum and speak to one of our custodians.
Frenchay Village Museum houses a range of unique objects relating to World War II. Dig deep enough through our collection, and you will find an anti-aircraft shell nose cone, ration books, bomb fuse extractors and much more. In our exhibition space upstairs, you will also find displays that tell the fascinating story of the American soldiers who were based at the hospital from May 1942.
However, September 2019 will mark the 80th anniversary of the break out of World War II. In recognition of this, the museum will host a new exhibition between September 2019 and January 2020 in our temporary space on the first floor.
We would like to invite residents from the Frenchay community to share any family stories linking to this period in the village’s history with the museum. Perhaps you have objects linked to the War or photographs of the people of Frenchay during this time?
If so, please get in touch! You can contact Charlotte Appleyard, curator at [email protected] or come into the museum and speak to one of our custodians.
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July 2019
175th anniversary of the founding of Dunedin, New Zealand
31st July 2019 will mark the 175th anniversary of the founding of Dunedin, New Zealand. One of the founders of the city was Frenchay’s own Frederick Tuckett. He was appointed surveyor general of the New Zealand Company in 1841, and selected the site of what is now Dunedin at that time. He negotiated the purchase for £2400 of the Otago Block from the Maori, and the deed of sale was signed on 31st July 1844.
The museum houses an extensive range of letters in its archive. Within this collection we can find a letter from W. Wakefield, the then Secretary of the New Zealand Company. He writes on 28th June 1844:
‘I need not make any remarks on the zealous manner in which Mr. Tuckett has performed his task further than to express my entire satisfaction at having had the advantage of his judgment and unwearied exertions in determining so important a point as the locality of the proposed Settlement’.
The museum houses an extensive range of letters in its archive. Within this collection we can find a letter from W. Wakefield, the then Secretary of the New Zealand Company. He writes on 28th June 1844:
‘I need not make any remarks on the zealous manner in which Mr. Tuckett has performed his task further than to express my entire satisfaction at having had the advantage of his judgment and unwearied exertions in determining so important a point as the locality of the proposed Settlement’.
June 2019
Frenchay Museum New Acquisition
Frenchay Museum has recently been handed a prayer book which belonged to Cuthbert Blair Godwin. This is soon to be displayed as part of our collection.
Cuthbert was born in 1891 and lived with his family in a Frenchay house called Woodfield, although the name has now changed to Fromeshaw. Both Cuthbert and his father were stockbrokers. He enlisted in the Army during World War I.
Inside the prayer book there are two small pieces of paper. One contains a pressed poppy labelled “found on my way to the front August 1919” and the other has pencil written notes about the state of the countryside.
Carol Thorne has worked hard to transcribe these notes, although at times they appear very faint:
“Ypres - all houses down walls standing riddled with bullets. Wooden houses built and in building for villagers. Station nearly all gone. Cloth Hall and churches in ruins almost unrecognisable.
Villages all in ruins also trees along the road all charred. Shell holes etc. 21 shells fell in water reservoir and didn’t explode.
Neuport - all ruins like Ypres.
Ost Dunkerque - some unexploded shells. All sea walls & promenade gone. Banks of Yser a hopeless mass of ruins. On opposite bank a true skeleton wagon overturned. Roads etc destroyed absolutely. Some trenches filled with sand. Dunes one mass of trenches and places for cannon. Beach strewed with rubbish.”
Notes such as these serve as a reminder that, for villagers caught up in the conflict, their suffering continued for many years as they tried to rebuild their communities.
May 2019
Vintage Vehicle Day
Calling all fans of vintage cars: the date has been set for Frenchay’s Vintage Vehicle Day: Saturday 13th July 2019. In fact, even if you wouldn’t call yourself an aficionado, pop the date in your diary anyway - you’re sure to be in for a treat!
The annual Vintage Vehicle Day is held in the car park next to Frenchay Village Museum between 2pm and 5pm and is held in association with the famous Frenchay Flower Show. There are free vintage buses linking the two events, allowing you to really step back in time, get a real feel for some of the larger vehicles and arrive at the Flower Show in style!
Admission to the event is free, and attracts a broad range of vintage cars, motorbikes and bicycles, which are all the proud posessions of local enthusiasts.
The museum will of course be open too. See if you can find out more about the Fry family’s connection to cars and racing! To celebrate this special day, the museum will also be serving tea, coffee and a wide range of delicious, home-made cakes, with all proceeds going to the maintainence and development of the museum and its collection. So don’t forget to to take a ‘pit stop’ and ‘refuel’ with some delicious snacks while you’re here.
Calling all fans of vintage cars: the date has been set for Frenchay’s Vintage Vehicle Day: Saturday 13th July 2019. In fact, even if you wouldn’t call yourself an aficionado, pop the date in your diary anyway - you’re sure to be in for a treat!
The annual Vintage Vehicle Day is held in the car park next to Frenchay Village Museum between 2pm and 5pm and is held in association with the famous Frenchay Flower Show. There are free vintage buses linking the two events, allowing you to really step back in time, get a real feel for some of the larger vehicles and arrive at the Flower Show in style!
Admission to the event is free, and attracts a broad range of vintage cars, motorbikes and bicycles, which are all the proud posessions of local enthusiasts.
The museum will of course be open too. See if you can find out more about the Fry family’s connection to cars and racing! To celebrate this special day, the museum will also be serving tea, coffee and a wide range of delicious, home-made cakes, with all proceeds going to the maintainence and development of the museum and its collection. So don’t forget to to take a ‘pit stop’ and ‘refuel’ with some delicious snacks while you’re here.
April 2019
New temporary exhibition – Medical Art in Frenchay
Peter Cox was the medical artist for Frenchay Hospital from 1979 to 1988. His role was to provide medical illustrations and information graphics for all departments in the hospital. The illustrations and diagrams were often made into slides for teaching and lectures, which were used by doctors and surgeons in the Postgraduate Centre in Frenchay and by medical conferences throughout the world.
Peter qualified as a medical illustrator with the Medical Artist Association in 1983 and later became self-employed and worked from home in the village. He started a company called PCA Creative in Ledbury Herefordshire, producing illustrations for medical publishers and medical manufactures. Peter is now retired and lives in Newent, Gloucestershire.
The exhibition shows examples of medical illustrations and graphic design work from 1979 to 2000. This exhibition will be on display from the beginning of the month and can be found in the temporary exhibition space on the first floor of the museum.
Easter family fun at the museum
Did you know that Joseph Fry created the first chocolate bar? In fact, one of the oldest chocolate bars in the world is on display in our museum. So what better way to celebrate all things chocolate this Easter than the Frenchay Village Museum.
On Monday 22nd April, between 2pm and 5pm, the museum will be hosting a family Easter Celebration.
A range of activities will be available for children and adults alike, including: an Easter craft activity, a chocolate hunt in the Fry’s chocolate room and a Fry’s chocolate object handling session. Each child can take home a chocolate egg too, so why not bring the family along?
Did you know that Joseph Fry created the first chocolate bar? In fact, one of the oldest chocolate bars in the world is on display in our museum. So what better way to celebrate all things chocolate this Easter than the Frenchay Village Museum.
On Monday 22nd April, between 2pm and 5pm, the museum will be hosting a family Easter Celebration.
A range of activities will be available for children and adults alike, including: an Easter craft activity, a chocolate hunt in the Fry’s chocolate room and a Fry’s chocolate object handling session. Each child can take home a chocolate egg too, so why not bring the family along?
March 2019
Annual Talks Series:
Builder of Dreams - Thur. 14th March at 7:30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road – The life of William Blathwayte and the building of Dyrham Park.
All welcome – admission £2.
Builder of Dreams - Thur. 14th March at 7:30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road – The life of William Blathwayte and the building of Dyrham Park.
All welcome – admission £2.
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Dressing up
Next time you visit us, take a close look at the ‘Fry’s chocolate room’ towards the back of the museum. Below the medal display, you will find an amazing collection of dressing up clothes for young ones.
Carol Thorne has lovingly brought together and, in many cases, carefully reproduced, a range of waistcoats, pinafores, dresses and caps for children to try on and transport themselves back in time. Children can: look at photographs of children outside Frenchay School wearing clothes just like these; take a look at themselves in the mirror as they wear them and even play with traditional toys that would have been available at the time.
In the toy box you’ll find chalkboards, pop guns, swing toys and much more. Half the fun (for the adults too!) is working out exactly how each game works.
So before you head out on your next visit, think about which little person in your family might enjoy a trip back in time and bring them along.
Dressing up
Next time you visit us, take a close look at the ‘Fry’s chocolate room’ towards the back of the museum. Below the medal display, you will find an amazing collection of dressing up clothes for young ones.
Carol Thorne has lovingly brought together and, in many cases, carefully reproduced, a range of waistcoats, pinafores, dresses and caps for children to try on and transport themselves back in time. Children can: look at photographs of children outside Frenchay School wearing clothes just like these; take a look at themselves in the mirror as they wear them and even play with traditional toys that would have been available at the time.
In the toy box you’ll find chalkboards, pop guns, swing toys and much more. Half the fun (for the adults too!) is working out exactly how each game works.
So before you head out on your next visit, think about which little person in your family might enjoy a trip back in time and bring them along.
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February 2019
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Annual Talks Series:
Vice and Virtue – Old Market Through the Ages - Thur. 14th February at 7:30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road – Michael Manson unravels the seen and unseen history of this area of Bristol. All welcome – admission £2 |
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The Frenchay Village Museum website houses a great range of digitized documents and photographs relating to the history of Frenchay. Amongst these many treasures, you can find a collection of Frenchay Parish magazines, dating between 1878 and 1951.
May (left) and Daisy (right) with their parents, c.1935.
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Looking back 100 years, the February 1919 issue records the baptism of May Georgina, daughter of George Henry and Julia Sawyer, of Conifers Lodge, Hambrook. May, and her sister Daisy, grew up in the 1920s and 1930s in a cottage in Filton Lane. Daisy was the first pupil to win a scholarship from Stoke Gifford Primary School to Chipping Sodbury Grammar School. A few years later her sister May followed her there. They lived in the area all their lives, their last home being a house they shared on the Riverwood estate.
When we were planning the museum in 1999, they gave us a local postcard collection started by Nancy Elliott before WWI. Daisy died later in 1999, and May in 2004. We are very grateful for a generous bequest from May’s will, which was a major factor in enabling us to buy a 125-year lease on this building in 2017. |
January 2019
Annual Talks Series
Local Maps in Frenchay’s History - Thur. 10th Jan. at 7:30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road – Chas Ashley uses Ordnance Survey Maps as tools to study our past.
All welcome – admission £2.
Local Maps in Frenchay’s History - Thur. 10th Jan. at 7:30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road – Chas Ashley uses Ordnance Survey Maps as tools to study our past.
All welcome – admission £2.
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Ministering Angels: VAD Nurses in Frenchay
Frenchay Village Museum are currently hosting a temporary exhibition which tells the story of local women who devoted their time to aiding recovering servicemen as VAD nurses at Cleve Hill Hospital. It also delves into the relationships formed between patients and nurses, as well as how war effected people in the village and what they did to help with the war effort.
There are many intimate photographs from the period displayed, including portraits of nurses and servicemen and images which capture the interiors of the hospital, day to day activities and the comradery which existed between these people. A nurse’s uniform, autograph book and other items which belonged to Frenchay women, who worked as VAD nurses are on display, providing a personal insight into their motivations, lives and the bonds they formed with the soldiers they cared for.
The exhibition will remain until the end of January.
Frenchay Village Museum are currently hosting a temporary exhibition which tells the story of local women who devoted their time to aiding recovering servicemen as VAD nurses at Cleve Hill Hospital. It also delves into the relationships formed between patients and nurses, as well as how war effected people in the village and what they did to help with the war effort.
There are many intimate photographs from the period displayed, including portraits of nurses and servicemen and images which capture the interiors of the hospital, day to day activities and the comradery which existed between these people. A nurse’s uniform, autograph book and other items which belonged to Frenchay women, who worked as VAD nurses are on display, providing a personal insight into their motivations, lives and the bonds they formed with the soldiers they cared for.
The exhibition will remain until the end of January.
December 2018
Annual Shut-down
The museum is closed after 28th November for the annual deep clean and updating displays. We re-open on Sat. 5th January.
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The museum is closed after 28th November for the annual deep clean and updating displays. We re-open on Sat. 5th January.
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The Last Frenchay Related WWI Casualty
Private Frank George Amos was born in a small 4-roomed cottage, 8 Rose Green Terrace, Eastville, on 27th October 1890. He was Albert and Emily Amos’ first child, and they were living with her parents. Frank’s father was an undertaker, and by a curious coincidence, childhood friends of mine lived in the same house in the 1950s & 60s, and their father was also an undertaker...
By 1894 the family had moved to The Crown Inn at Hambrook, where Frank’s father was the landlord. Frank started at Hambrook School in September 1894, and left in July 1903 to go to secondary school. All his classmates left to start work, so was he very clever? Probably not, as both his siblings also went to secondary school. I suspect his father was in a position to pay for this privilege.
The 1911 census shows Frank’s living with his parents and siblings in The Crown Inn. He’s 21 and working as a “railway porter”, and his younger brother, Frederick, (who went to a secondary boarding school) is an apprentice plumber. In 1914, when he was 23 years old, Frank joined the National Union of Railwaymen, Stoke Gifford Branch and his occupation is number taker.
When he joined the army is unclear, but at the time of his death he was Private No. 204205, 7th Reserve Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment, attached to 526th Company of the Labour Corps.
His father Albert died in June 1915 and was buried in Frenchay churchyard, so it seems likely the family worshipped in Frenchay church. When Frank died on 17th December 1918, aged 29 years, he was buried in the same grave as his father. It is now an official Commonwealth War Grave.
The Frenchay grave headstone also commemorates Frank’s younger brother Frederick Graham Amos, who was killed in France in May 1917, aged 22. He is buried in the Faubourg D'amiens Cemetery, Arras, France.
Despite being buried in Frenchay, Frank is commemorated on the War memorial at All Saints Church Winterbourne Down and on the Winterbourne Down panel of the Whiteshill War Memorial.
Private Frank George Amos was born in a small 4-roomed cottage, 8 Rose Green Terrace, Eastville, on 27th October 1890. He was Albert and Emily Amos’ first child, and they were living with her parents. Frank’s father was an undertaker, and by a curious coincidence, childhood friends of mine lived in the same house in the 1950s & 60s, and their father was also an undertaker...
By 1894 the family had moved to The Crown Inn at Hambrook, where Frank’s father was the landlord. Frank started at Hambrook School in September 1894, and left in July 1903 to go to secondary school. All his classmates left to start work, so was he very clever? Probably not, as both his siblings also went to secondary school. I suspect his father was in a position to pay for this privilege.
The 1911 census shows Frank’s living with his parents and siblings in The Crown Inn. He’s 21 and working as a “railway porter”, and his younger brother, Frederick, (who went to a secondary boarding school) is an apprentice plumber. In 1914, when he was 23 years old, Frank joined the National Union of Railwaymen, Stoke Gifford Branch and his occupation is number taker.
When he joined the army is unclear, but at the time of his death he was Private No. 204205, 7th Reserve Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment, attached to 526th Company of the Labour Corps.
His father Albert died in June 1915 and was buried in Frenchay churchyard, so it seems likely the family worshipped in Frenchay church. When Frank died on 17th December 1918, aged 29 years, he was buried in the same grave as his father. It is now an official Commonwealth War Grave.
The Frenchay grave headstone also commemorates Frank’s younger brother Frederick Graham Amos, who was killed in France in May 1917, aged 22. He is buried in the Faubourg D'amiens Cemetery, Arras, France.
Despite being buried in Frenchay, Frank is commemorated on the War memorial at All Saints Church Winterbourne Down and on the Winterbourne Down panel of the Whiteshill War Memorial.
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The Wilcox Scrapbook
Frenchay Museum has recently acquired a scrap book containing memorabilia about Lieutenant Wilcox, a First World War soldier whose parents lived at Hambrook Court. There is a lot of research to do to unravel his story but we have transcribed one of the postcards he sent home from a German prisoner of war camp. The scrap book is part of the exhibition to mark the centenary of the end of World War 1.
Christmas Day 1917
My dear T,
Well here we are on what is supposed to be the happiest day of the year but can’t say that we are having a very cheery time. For one thing we have not yet had our parcels sent on from the other camp so we are not very well off for food or
tobacco. However, it might be much worse because this is quite a comfortable camp. Have not heard yet when we are going to Switzerland but we all hope very soon.
I am sorry this is the first time I’ve written to you since I was taken prisoner but you know that there are a lot of dear girls I must write to. Thanks awfully for writing so regularly – I received yours of Oct 28th two days ago. I have not had any Xmas letters yet but probably they will arrive in a few days. If there is anything amongst my kit at home which will be of use to you be sure and take it. I should love to be able to see you before you go out but no luck, I am afraid, but anyhow dear T I wish you best of luck in your exams and when you go out to the front.
Today there is about an inch of snow on the ground but this place is not very cold. On Sat I went for a topping walk in the hills near here. They are very pretty & one gets a great view from them. Well cheerio & good luck to all at home.
Yrs, Noel
During the war, the injured were sometimes taken from prisoner of war camps to Red Cross camps in Switzerland which was neutral. But were prisoners allowed to go for ‘topping walks’?
Frenchay Museum has recently acquired a scrap book containing memorabilia about Lieutenant Wilcox, a First World War soldier whose parents lived at Hambrook Court. There is a lot of research to do to unravel his story but we have transcribed one of the postcards he sent home from a German prisoner of war camp. The scrap book is part of the exhibition to mark the centenary of the end of World War 1.
Christmas Day 1917
My dear T,
Well here we are on what is supposed to be the happiest day of the year but can’t say that we are having a very cheery time. For one thing we have not yet had our parcels sent on from the other camp so we are not very well off for food or
tobacco. However, it might be much worse because this is quite a comfortable camp. Have not heard yet when we are going to Switzerland but we all hope very soon.
I am sorry this is the first time I’ve written to you since I was taken prisoner but you know that there are a lot of dear girls I must write to. Thanks awfully for writing so regularly – I received yours of Oct 28th two days ago. I have not had any Xmas letters yet but probably they will arrive in a few days. If there is anything amongst my kit at home which will be of use to you be sure and take it. I should love to be able to see you before you go out but no luck, I am afraid, but anyhow dear T I wish you best of luck in your exams and when you go out to the front.
Today there is about an inch of snow on the ground but this place is not very cold. On Sat I went for a topping walk in the hills near here. They are very pretty & one gets a great view from them. Well cheerio & good luck to all at home.
Yrs, Noel
During the war, the injured were sometimes taken from prisoner of war camps to Red Cross camps in Switzerland which was neutral. But were prisoners allowed to go for ‘topping walks’?
November 2018
8th November at 7.30pm
Quaker Meeting House
A screening of the 1921 Hollywood film about WWI. It stars Rudolf Valentino and has a cameo role for Frenchay’s own Hollywood actor, Francis Packer - stage name Nigel de Brulier (centre on the poster).
All Welcome – admission £2.
All Welcome – admission £2.
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Visiting Exhibition Room
Ministering Angels
Frenchay Nurses in World War One.
The museum opens for the last time this year on 28th November.
Ministering Angels
Frenchay Nurses in World War One.
The museum opens for the last time this year on 28th November.
October 2018
Our season of local history talks begins on 11th October at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House with 'Frys’ Many Businesses'.
It wasn’t just chocolate! Alan Freke tells the story of a very entrepreneurial family, who over two centuries were pioneers in many fields. Frenchay Frys were especially inventive, and founded a number of present day businesses. All Welcome – admission £2.
Visiting Exhibition Room
In October there is a display of artefacts found in Tuckett’s Field by metal detectorist David Upton. Also some pictures not usually on display.
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Another WWI Casualty
Wilfred Frank Leonard Fishlock was born on 29th September 1900 in Bishopston, the son of Frank and Mary Fishlock. In both the 1901 and 1911 censuses the family were living in Bishopston, but when Wilfred joined the Navy in 1917 his military record shows that his parents were then living at 4 White Hill (sic), Hambrook. At the time of his death, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists his next of kin as is his mother, Mary Fishlock, of Frenchay Lodge.
Wilfred died in Croydon General Hospital on 16th October 1918, he was 18 years old. His body was brought to Frenchay, and he has an official Commonwealth War Grave in Frenchay churchyard. Like 3 other local men who died serving in the forces, he is not remembered on any local memorial, even though he has an official Commonwealth War Grave. hy this should be is a mystery we’re unlikely to solve.
It wasn’t just chocolate! Alan Freke tells the story of a very entrepreneurial family, who over two centuries were pioneers in many fields. Frenchay Frys were especially inventive, and founded a number of present day businesses. All Welcome – admission £2.
Visiting Exhibition Room
In October there is a display of artefacts found in Tuckett’s Field by metal detectorist David Upton. Also some pictures not usually on display.
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Another WWI Casualty
Wilfred Frank Leonard Fishlock was born on 29th September 1900 in Bishopston, the son of Frank and Mary Fishlock. In both the 1901 and 1911 censuses the family were living in Bishopston, but when Wilfred joined the Navy in 1917 his military record shows that his parents were then living at 4 White Hill (sic), Hambrook. At the time of his death, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists his next of kin as is his mother, Mary Fishlock, of Frenchay Lodge.
Wilfred died in Croydon General Hospital on 16th October 1918, he was 18 years old. His body was brought to Frenchay, and he has an official Commonwealth War Grave in Frenchay churchyard. Like 3 other local men who died serving in the forces, he is not remembered on any local memorial, even though he has an official Commonwealth War Grave. hy this should be is a mystery we’re unlikely to solve.
In November we shall have an exhibition to remember the Centenary since the end of World War 1. This will show the role of nurses during the war. We have a large collection of photographs and memorabilia from The Cleve Hospital in Downend.
Help Wanted
Are you up for a challenge? The museum has been given a very old typewriter, pre QWERTY. It seems to have seized up and could do with some TLC to get it working again. Could you help us? If you are interested please ring 0117/9569963. It is a fascinating object and we would love to have it available for visitors to use.
September 2018
Visiting Exhibition Room
Currently there is a display of artefacts found in Frenchay by a metal detectorist. There are also some paintings not normally on display.
The Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free
Currently there is a display of artefacts found in Frenchay by a metal detectorist. There are also some paintings not normally on display.
The Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free
Thanks
The De Luxe Toilet Unit at our Vintage Vehicle Day in July was kindly provided by Verde Recreo Ltd, a building company based at Wick in Bristol, and working nearby on projects for UWE and others. We acknowledge the kind assistance of Mr Jonathan Bland, Business Manager, who organised everything for us.
The De Luxe Toilet Unit at our Vintage Vehicle Day in July was kindly provided by Verde Recreo Ltd, a building company based at Wick in Bristol, and working nearby on projects for UWE and others. We acknowledge the kind assistance of Mr Jonathan Bland, Business Manager, who organised everything for us.
Ellen Georgiana Tanner
Ellen Tanner was a daughter of William Tanner of Frenchay Park. She was born in Frenchay in 1847, and lived at home until her father died in 1887. She inherited £18,000 from him, and soon went to the Middle East, where travelling alone, she became an avid collector of local objects. In 1913 she was one of the first women to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
She travelled widely from Egypt to Uzbekistan, and amassed a large collection, most of which she donated to Bristol Museum. However, she lived in Bath at the end of her life, so she gave items to the Holburne Museum there.
Ellen Tanner was a daughter of William Tanner of Frenchay Park. She was born in Frenchay in 1847, and lived at home until her father died in 1887. She inherited £18,000 from him, and soon went to the Middle East, where travelling alone, she became an avid collector of local objects. In 1913 she was one of the first women to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
She travelled widely from Egypt to Uzbekistan, and amassed a large collection, most of which she donated to Bristol Museum. However, she lived in Bath at the end of her life, so she gave items to the Holburne Museum there.
The Holburne Museum has just mounted a display of their items. The exhibition, “Bath to Baghdad”, runs until 21st October. Admission is free. They have also arranged a series of talks about Ellen and her travels, details of which can be found on their website: www.holburne.org.
The intriguing object on the left is a tear collector from a Persian harem.
The intriguing object on the left is a tear collector from a Persian harem.
August 2018
From July 17th the exhibition in the museum will be celebrating the
175th Anniversary of Frenchay Primary School.
Work by the pupils will be on show.
New Book Available
Francis George Packer (or should it be George Francis Packer?) was born in the South Lodge of Frenchay Park in August 1877. When he was baptised in the church in September, the order of his forenames was reversed, but in his lifetime he was to adopt other names.
He left Frenchay National School when he was eleven to work as a hall boy in Frenchay Park House, but by the time he was twenty he had emigrated to America. There he worked as a singer for a number of years, before landing his first Hollywood role in 1914, having changed his name to Nigel de Brulier.
A new book published by the museum tells of his eventful life, from a working class boy in Frenchay, to a Hollywood actor appearing in 120 films before his death in 1948. Some of these films were greats of the silent era, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “The Three Musketeers”, “Salome”, “The Iron Mask”, and many more.
When he travelled to Italy for the filming of “Ben Hur” in 1924, he took the opportunity to visit his widowed mother and sister, who were living in Westbourne Terrace.
The new book, “Frankie went to Hollywood”, is now available in the museum for £3.50.
At Westbourne Terrace in 1924. Francis with his mother, sister, Miniie, and her sons
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As Cardinal Richelieu with Douglas Fairbanks in “The Three Musketeers” of 1921.
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July 2018
The pupils of Frenchay School have mounted an exhibition marking
the 175th anniversary of the school moving to the present buildings.
14th July - Vintage Vehicle Day at the museum - 2-5pm
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Another WWI Casualty
Francis Albert Cox was born on 10th July 1899. He was the 3rd son of quarryman Charles Henry Cox and his wife Sarah. They lived in Quarry Barton, Pye Corner, and Francis was baptised in Winterbourne Down Church on 8th May 1900. Hambrook School records show that he started there on 25th March 1902, and left on 1st August 1912 to start work in a Market Garden.
His name first appears in the Frenchay Parish Magazine in August 1918:- “The following names have to be added to the Parochial Roll of Honour ... Cox, Francis A., 14th Warwicks. France. (Killed July, 1918).“
Surprisingly, the magazine didn’t report when he enlisted in Bristol in 1917. The only other time he’s mentioned in the magazine is in a report in October 1920 of the unveiling of the Church War Memorial, as his name is recorded on it. His name also appears on the Whiteshill Common War Memorial.
When he enlisted in 1917 he was assigned to the 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was killed in France on the 8th July 1918, just 2 days short of his 19th birthday. Liz Ferguson of Hambrook has visited many of the WWI graves of those named on the Whiteshill War Memorial and she also accessed the 14th Warwicks Regimental Diary, which records the day he died:
Nieppe Forest 8th July 1918.
2nd Lieut CVF Manning reports for duty. 14 ordinary ranks killed and 16 ordinary ranks wounded by aerial bomb which fell on bivouacs in the transport line soon after midnight. 1 ordinary rank killed and 2 ordinary ranks wounded in the line...
Francis was one of those “ordinary ranks”. He was buried in Merville Communal Cemetery, which is about 20 miles South West of Ypres. This photograph of his grave was taken by Liz Ferguson, who also placed the cross and poppy.
Another WWI Casualty
Francis Albert Cox was born on 10th July 1899. He was the 3rd son of quarryman Charles Henry Cox and his wife Sarah. They lived in Quarry Barton, Pye Corner, and Francis was baptised in Winterbourne Down Church on 8th May 1900. Hambrook School records show that he started there on 25th March 1902, and left on 1st August 1912 to start work in a Market Garden.
His name first appears in the Frenchay Parish Magazine in August 1918:- “The following names have to be added to the Parochial Roll of Honour ... Cox, Francis A., 14th Warwicks. France. (Killed July, 1918).“
Surprisingly, the magazine didn’t report when he enlisted in Bristol in 1917. The only other time he’s mentioned in the magazine is in a report in October 1920 of the unveiling of the Church War Memorial, as his name is recorded on it. His name also appears on the Whiteshill Common War Memorial.
When he enlisted in 1917 he was assigned to the 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was killed in France on the 8th July 1918, just 2 days short of his 19th birthday. Liz Ferguson of Hambrook has visited many of the WWI graves of those named on the Whiteshill War Memorial and she also accessed the 14th Warwicks Regimental Diary, which records the day he died:
Nieppe Forest 8th July 1918.
2nd Lieut CVF Manning reports for duty. 14 ordinary ranks killed and 16 ordinary ranks wounded by aerial bomb which fell on bivouacs in the transport line soon after midnight. 1 ordinary rank killed and 2 ordinary ranks wounded in the line...
Francis was one of those “ordinary ranks”. He was buried in Merville Communal Cemetery, which is about 20 miles South West of Ypres. This photograph of his grave was taken by Liz Ferguson, who also placed the cross and poppy.
June 2018
DREAM HOMES: AN ARCHIVE OF MEMORIES
Art Installation by Lizzie Philps continues in June,
but later in the month it will be replaced by a display by pupils from Frenchay School, marking the school’s 175th anniversary.
Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free
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Who was Mrs. Budgett?
Mrs. W. E. Budgett makes a cameo appearance in our book “Frenchay - Village at War 1914-18”, which was distributed free to every household in Frenchay in 2014. The book tells how she unveiled the war memorial on the church in October 1920. But who was she?
She was born Georgiana Essie Burges in 1867 in Winterbourne Rectory, the daughter of Revd. Frank Burges, who was rector between 1863 and 1875. In 1888 she married William Edward Budgett, who was part of his family’s very successful wholesale grocery business. The 1891 census shows them living at Stoke Lodge, Stoke Bishop, with a 2 year-old daughter and 5 servants.
In 1914 Georgiana was the founder and secretary of the Bristol Branch of the Red Cross. In 1916 she received a postcard from Private Passmore, a Bristolian who had been in a German POW camp since late 1914. He wrote of the dire conditions there, and Mrs. Budgett decided to send him a parcel of warm clothes and organised bread to be sent to him from Berne.
From this small beginning, the Bristol branch of the Red Cross pioneered the Red Cross parcel service that was to become so important for many spending bleak years in POW camps in both World Wars.
In June 1918 she was awarded the OBE for her Red Cross work. In 1919 returned POWs held a grand event in the Drill Hall, at which Lieut. J. A. James VC proposed the toast, “Three cheers for our good fairy, Mrs. Budgett!”
In 1920 her cousin Revd. Cyril Travers Burges was the rector of Frenchay, and it seems probable that he had invited her to unveil the church war memorial as she was so well known for her wartime work. She died in 1944.
She was born Georgiana Essie Burges in 1867 in Winterbourne Rectory, the daughter of Revd. Frank Burges, who was rector between 1863 and 1875. In 1888 she married William Edward Budgett, who was part of his family’s very successful wholesale grocery business. The 1891 census shows them living at Stoke Lodge, Stoke Bishop, with a 2 year-old daughter and 5 servants.
In 1914 Georgiana was the founder and secretary of the Bristol Branch of the Red Cross. In 1916 she received a postcard from Private Passmore, a Bristolian who had been in a German POW camp since late 1914. He wrote of the dire conditions there, and Mrs. Budgett decided to send him a parcel of warm clothes and organised bread to be sent to him from Berne.
From this small beginning, the Bristol branch of the Red Cross pioneered the Red Cross parcel service that was to become so important for many spending bleak years in POW camps in both World Wars.
In June 1918 she was awarded the OBE for her Red Cross work. In 1919 returned POWs held a grand event in the Drill Hall, at which Lieut. J. A. James VC proposed the toast, “Three cheers for our good fairy, Mrs. Budgett!”
In 1920 her cousin Revd. Cyril Travers Burges was the rector of Frenchay, and it seems probable that he had invited her to unveil the church war memorial as she was so well known for her wartime work. She died in 1944.
May 2018
DREAM HOMES: AN ARCHIVE OF MEMORIES
an Art Installation by Lizzie Philps
Lizzie is a live artist who uses walking to inspire her work. Lizzie's work recognises the everyday rather than the epic, and this exhibition documents small changes in the grounds of the former Frenchay Hospital over the course of four years' worth of walks with her school-age daughter.
Lizzie wants to draw attention to the in-between time - after the hospital and before the houses are completed - which won't be marked in history or maps, but which has been the backdrop to so many local lives.
Lizzie wants to draw attention to the in-between time - after the hospital and before the houses are completed - which won't be marked in history or maps, but which has been the backdrop to so many local lives.
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New Book Available
New Book Available
We have just produced a new booklet “The Amazing Life of the Revd. Hugh Cowell Kinred”.
Kinred came to Frenchay in 1914 after missionary work in the Far East, but left Frenchay in 1915 to join the army as a front line soldier. In 1916 he saved the lives of seven of his comrades, by throwing himself on a bomb that landed in their trench. His bravery resulted in the award of the Military Cross.
There was world-wide newspaper interest in him, and on 22nd August 1916 the Daily Mirror ran a front page story about his brave action. The Daily Mirror contacted us in 2015, as they were running the story again, and the research we did for them forms the basis of this booklet.
He was no ordinary clergyman. His background was not what he claimed, and he led a life of more than usual interest. Being banned from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury was just one feature of his unconventional life. The booklet is available in the museum priced £1.50.
Kinred came to Frenchay in 1914 after missionary work in the Far East, but left Frenchay in 1915 to join the army as a front line soldier. In 1916 he saved the lives of seven of his comrades, by throwing himself on a bomb that landed in their trench. His bravery resulted in the award of the Military Cross.
There was world-wide newspaper interest in him, and on 22nd August 1916 the Daily Mirror ran a front page story about his brave action. The Daily Mirror contacted us in 2015, as they were running the story again, and the research we did for them forms the basis of this booklet.
He was no ordinary clergyman. His background was not what he claimed, and he led a life of more than usual interest. Being banned from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury was just one feature of his unconventional life. The booklet is available in the museum priced £1.50.
Annual General Meeting 10th May
AGM at 7.30pm in Frenchay Quaker Meeting House
followed at 8pm by Frenchay on Film
We plan to screen a series of short films that were made in Frenchay
AGM at 7.30pm in Frenchay Quaker Meeting House
followed at 8pm by Frenchay on Film
We plan to screen a series of short films that were made in Frenchay
April 2018
a new display
Changing Frenchay
an Art Installation by Lizzie Philps
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Another WWI Casualty
Walter William Gibbs was the only son of John Gibbs of the Wool Factory House. He had previously lived in The Stream Farm. John was Assistant Overseer of the Poor, Registrar of Births and Deaths, and was the first Clerk of Winterbourne Parish Council when it was formed in 1895. He was involved in the British School (held in Whiteshill Chapel) from its foundation, as secretary of the management committee. John married Ellen Rachael Edwards in 1887, and their only child Walter William Gibbs was born in 1888. The 1911 census shows the family had a live-in servant.
Walter doesn’t appear to have attended any local schools, but subsequent events show that he probably went to a private school with an Officer Training Corps. His career path is very puzzling. In the 1911 census he’s a 23 year-old “bank clerk”, but a year later he’s a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He spent 1912-14 as a member of the Bolivian Boundary Commission, then 1914-17 surveying for the Mozambique Company in East Africa.
In August 1917 he returned from Africa, and joined the army, being almost immediately gazetted as Second Lieut. in the Royal Engineers. He married Dorothy Morton from Nailsea shortly before going to France, where he was attached to a Survey Section working on the front line mapping enemy positions.
He was killed on 22nd April 1918, along with Sapper Patrick Killian. They were buried next to each other in La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast, Pas de Calais. His headstone reads, “Peace And Honour Rest You Here”. Walter is commemorated on the War Memorial on Frenchay Church, and the Civil Parish War Memorial on Whiteshill Common. He’s also named on his parents’ grave in Frenchay churchyard.
March 2018
8th March at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road.
The Later Avon Valley Copper and Brass Industry
Richard Ross talks about the later developments. All Welcome admission £2
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In the Museum the exhibition about Somerdale continues until the end of March.
On 25th March you can meet some former employees, and there may be a sweet surprise!
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Two More WWI Casualties
Herbert George Clifford was born in 1892 in Hawkesbury Upton, a son of Edward and Louisa Clifford. The 1901 census shows they were living in The Stream, Hambrook. However, curiously there’s no surviving record of Herbert in any of the local schools.
The 1911 census shows they were living in The Mill, Pearces Hill and Herbert is now a market gardener. He may have moved to the Forest of Dean by 1914, as his military record shows he enlisted in Coleford, and he doesn’t feature in the parish magazines as a parishioner who has joined up (although two of his brothers do).
However, in September 1917 he is named in the parish magazine, where it states he’s in the Royal Field Artillery, and had been gassed the previous month. After recovering he returned to the Somme, joining "D" Battery 105th Brigade of the RFA.
He was killed on 21st March 1918 and his body was never identified.
On the same day, just a few miles away, Alfred Ernest Flux was also killed. Alfred was the son of Alfred and Emily Flux of Walton Farm, Hambrook. Like his brothers, when he left school he worked on the family farm, but by October 1915 he was serving as a bombardier in the RFA.
He was on the Somme in 1916, and in June 1916 he wrote a letter home to his mother, which is reproduced in our book “Frenchay - a Village at War”, a copy of which was distributed to every house in Frenchay in 2014.
He was promoted to corporal, but in June 1918 the parish magazine reported that he was missing. The following month the magazine reported that he had been killed at St. Quentin on 21st March. His body was never identified.
A few years ago the Channel 4 programme, Time Team, discovered graffiti in a tunnel near Bouzincourt, a village on the Somme, which read, “Bdr A. Flux, Hambrook, Bristol Glos. RFA 30/11/16”. They contacted us about filming his home, but Walton Farm has been demolished, it stood roughly where the Hambrook traffic lights are now.
Both Alfred and Herbert’s names are inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial on the Somme. Also, together with Albert Hughes, who died exactly one week later, and whose story we told last month, they are both remembered on the War Memorial on Frenchay Church and the Civil Parish War Memorial on Whiteshill Common.
Three men killed in March 1918 made it the worst month of the war for Frenchay.
Two More WWI Casualties
Herbert George Clifford was born in 1892 in Hawkesbury Upton, a son of Edward and Louisa Clifford. The 1901 census shows they were living in The Stream, Hambrook. However, curiously there’s no surviving record of Herbert in any of the local schools.
The 1911 census shows they were living in The Mill, Pearces Hill and Herbert is now a market gardener. He may have moved to the Forest of Dean by 1914, as his military record shows he enlisted in Coleford, and he doesn’t feature in the parish magazines as a parishioner who has joined up (although two of his brothers do).
However, in September 1917 he is named in the parish magazine, where it states he’s in the Royal Field Artillery, and had been gassed the previous month. After recovering he returned to the Somme, joining "D" Battery 105th Brigade of the RFA.
He was killed on 21st March 1918 and his body was never identified.
On the same day, just a few miles away, Alfred Ernest Flux was also killed. Alfred was the son of Alfred and Emily Flux of Walton Farm, Hambrook. Like his brothers, when he left school he worked on the family farm, but by October 1915 he was serving as a bombardier in the RFA.
He was on the Somme in 1916, and in June 1916 he wrote a letter home to his mother, which is reproduced in our book “Frenchay - a Village at War”, a copy of which was distributed to every house in Frenchay in 2014.
He was promoted to corporal, but in June 1918 the parish magazine reported that he was missing. The following month the magazine reported that he had been killed at St. Quentin on 21st March. His body was never identified.
A few years ago the Channel 4 programme, Time Team, discovered graffiti in a tunnel near Bouzincourt, a village on the Somme, which read, “Bdr A. Flux, Hambrook, Bristol Glos. RFA 30/11/16”. They contacted us about filming his home, but Walton Farm has been demolished, it stood roughly where the Hambrook traffic lights are now.
Both Alfred and Herbert’s names are inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial on the Somme. Also, together with Albert Hughes, who died exactly one week later, and whose story we told last month, they are both remembered on the War Memorial on Frenchay Church and the Civil Parish War Memorial on Whiteshill Common.
Three men killed in March 1918 made it the worst month of the war for Frenchay.
February 2018
Annual Talks Series
8th February at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road.
A History of Frenchay
Roger Angerson tells the story of our community
The Sawyer Memorial Lecture
All Welcome – admission £2.
8th February at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road.
A History of Frenchay
Roger Angerson tells the story of our community
The Sawyer Memorial Lecture
All Welcome – admission £2.
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In the Museum - Somerdale: Then and Now
An exhibition about the former Fry’s chocolate factory at Somerdale.
Cecil Fry of The Grove, Frenchay, laid the foundation stone there in 1932.
If you visit on 25th Feb you can meet some former employees, and there may be a sweet surprise!
Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
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In the Museum - Somerdale: Then and Now
An exhibition about the former Fry’s chocolate factory at Somerdale.
Cecil Fry of The Grove, Frenchay, laid the foundation stone there in 1932.
If you visit on 25th Feb you can meet some former employees, and there may be a sweet surprise!
Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
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Another WWI Casualty
There were no Frenchay losses in February 1918, but three in March. Due to space limitations, we’re remembering one of the March casualties this month.
Albert Fletcher Hughes was born on 25th August 1889 in St. Werburghs. The 1901 census shows he’s living in Rose Cottage (now The Anchorage) on Pearces Hill, with his parents and siblings. His father, Thomas Sidney Hughes worked in the Iron Works as a file cutter.
Albert started at Frenchay School in 1896, probably when they came to live in Frenchay and he left in 1903. The 1911 census shows they are still living in Frenchay and Albert is now a factory hand, possibly at the Iron Works.
In the February 1916 Parish Magazine, he’s on a list of men accepted for the army, then again in October 1917 he appears on a list of those “connected with Frenchay who have served during the war: Hughes, Albert Fletcher, Rifleman, London Regiment, France. Wounded 1917”.
He was killed on 28th March 1918. His body was never identified, but he is commemorated on the Arras War Memorial.
Curiously there was no report of his death in the Parish Magazine, until his name appears in a report of the unveiling of the Church War Memorial in the Nov/Dec 1920 issue. He’s also remembered on the civic War memorial at Whiteshill.
There were no Frenchay losses in February 1918, but three in March. Due to space limitations, we’re remembering one of the March casualties this month.
Albert Fletcher Hughes was born on 25th August 1889 in St. Werburghs. The 1901 census shows he’s living in Rose Cottage (now The Anchorage) on Pearces Hill, with his parents and siblings. His father, Thomas Sidney Hughes worked in the Iron Works as a file cutter.
Albert started at Frenchay School in 1896, probably when they came to live in Frenchay and he left in 1903. The 1911 census shows they are still living in Frenchay and Albert is now a factory hand, possibly at the Iron Works.
In the February 1916 Parish Magazine, he’s on a list of men accepted for the army, then again in October 1917 he appears on a list of those “connected with Frenchay who have served during the war: Hughes, Albert Fletcher, Rifleman, London Regiment, France. Wounded 1917”.
He was killed on 28th March 1918. His body was never identified, but he is commemorated on the Arras War Memorial.
Curiously there was no report of his death in the Parish Magazine, until his name appears in a report of the unveiling of the Church War Memorial in the Nov/Dec 1920 issue. He’s also remembered on the civic War memorial at Whiteshill.
January 2018
Annual Talks Series
11th Jan. at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road
Unseen Bristol
11th Jan. at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road
Unseen Bristol
Julian Lea-Jones highlights things in Bristol that at first may seem ordinary, but which have intriguing stories.
All Welcome – admission £2.
All Welcome – admission £2.
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Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm.
Entry is free
Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm.
Entry is free
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New Visiting Exhibition
Somerdale Then and Now
New Visiting Exhibition
Somerdale Then and Now
A number of ex-Somerdale employees are mounting an exhibition to record the dramatic changes at the former Fry’s chocolate factory at Somerdale.
Cecil Fry of the Grove, Frenchay, laid the foundation stone of the office block there in 1932. And in 2106 his grandson used the same ceremonial mason’s tools to lay the foundation stone of the new St. Monica’s retirement home being created in the chocolate factories that had ceased production in 2011.
The exhibition runs until Easter, but on Sun. 28th January there’s a chance to meet some former Fry’s staff who will have a sweet surprise for you...
Cecil Fry of the Grove, Frenchay, laid the foundation stone of the office block there in 1932. And in 2106 his grandson used the same ceremonial mason’s tools to lay the foundation stone of the new St. Monica’s retirement home being created in the chocolate factories that had ceased production in 2011.
The exhibition runs until Easter, but on Sun. 28th January there’s a chance to meet some former Fry’s staff who will have a sweet surprise for you...
December 2017
Annual December Shut Down
Please note that the museum’s last opening this year is on 30th Nov. During the shutdown we do a deep clean and re-order the displays. If you would like to help with any aspect of this, please call Margaret Bulmer on 9569324 or Alan Freke on 9570942.
If you want anything from the museum, e.g. books, or looking up records, just call Alan Freke. We reopen with new displays at 2pm on Sat. 6th January.
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WWI Casualties
Month by month, on the centenary of their death, we have been telling you a little about men from Frenchay who died in WWI,
and who have official Commonwealth War Graves.
So far ten men have been remembered this way and there are no further deaths until March. Sadly, eight more men were to die in the last year of the war and these will be remembered during the coming year.
Last month we remembered the death on 10th Nov. 1917 of Private Alec Bullock of the London Artists’ Rifles, who died of wounds received in France. He is buried in Frenchay churchyard, but is not on the church or parish war memorials, nor the Downend or Staple Hill war memorials. But we have just been told that he’s on the J.S. Fry & Sons war memorial, in the grounds of Somerdale, Keynsham.
November 2017
Annual Talks Series
Local Archaeological Finds
Kurt Adams from Bristol Museum tells us about the latest local finds recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
9th November at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road. All are welcome, admission is £2.
Local Archaeological Finds
Kurt Adams from Bristol Museum tells us about the latest local finds recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
9th November at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road. All are welcome, admission is £2.
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Frenchay School 175 Exhibition
Until the end of November we have an exhibition to mark Frenchay School’s 175th anniversary.
Frenchay Village Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
Until the end of November we have an exhibition to mark Frenchay School’s 175th anniversary.
Frenchay Village Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
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More WWI Casualties
On 6th November 1917, Corporal Albert William Jones of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was killed in action in Palestine.
He was born in Wraxall in 1889, the son of Francis Walker Jones and Mary Jones. The 1901 census shows his father was a gardener, and they lived in Frenchay. He started at Frenchay School in 1895, and left in 1903.
He joined up in Oct 1915, and in February 1916 he is on the Roll of Honour of parishioners serving in the army. He was wounded in France, recovered in the UK, then went to Egypt, before going on to Palestine, where he was killed. He was buried in Beersheba War cemetery.
It seems likely that the family lived at 8 Westbourne Terrace. Albert Jones is recorded on the Frenchay war memorial, as well as the Whiteshill Common war memorial.
On 10th November 1917 Private Alec Stuart Bullock of the London Artists’ Rifles, died at Stepping Hill Military Hospital, Stockport, of wounds received in France. He was 19 years old. He was buried in Frenchay churchyard a week later.
The Bullock family lived in Rosslyn, Staple Hill, but the family worshiped in Frenchay Church, and Alec’s mother had already been buried in the churchyard in 1915. She was the daughter of John Welchman, the coachman of Cliff Court, Frenchay.
Alec was buried in his mother’s grave, and it’s been designated an official Commonwealth War Grave. He is not recorded on the church or parish war memorials, neither is he on the Downend and Staple Hill war memorial.
On 6th November 1917, Corporal Albert William Jones of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was killed in action in Palestine.
He was born in Wraxall in 1889, the son of Francis Walker Jones and Mary Jones. The 1901 census shows his father was a gardener, and they lived in Frenchay. He started at Frenchay School in 1895, and left in 1903.
He joined up in Oct 1915, and in February 1916 he is on the Roll of Honour of parishioners serving in the army. He was wounded in France, recovered in the UK, then went to Egypt, before going on to Palestine, where he was killed. He was buried in Beersheba War cemetery.
It seems likely that the family lived at 8 Westbourne Terrace. Albert Jones is recorded on the Frenchay war memorial, as well as the Whiteshill Common war memorial.
On 10th November 1917 Private Alec Stuart Bullock of the London Artists’ Rifles, died at Stepping Hill Military Hospital, Stockport, of wounds received in France. He was 19 years old. He was buried in Frenchay churchyard a week later.
The Bullock family lived in Rosslyn, Staple Hill, but the family worshiped in Frenchay Church, and Alec’s mother had already been buried in the churchyard in 1915. She was the daughter of John Welchman, the coachman of Cliff Court, Frenchay.
Alec was buried in his mother’s grave, and it’s been designated an official Commonwealth War Grave. He is not recorded on the church or parish war memorials, neither is he on the Downend and Staple Hill war memorial.
October 2017
Annual Talks Series
Our season of local history talks gets underway on 12th October at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road. The first talk is, Behind the Scenes at the Antiques Roadshow. Clifford White shares his memories of working on the iconic BBC programme. All are welcome, admission is £2.
New Book - The Tuckett Family of Frenchay
We have just published a new book about the Tuckett Family. It covers their origins, their 130-year presence in the village, and their legacy, which includes the Village Hall, Tuckett’s Field, and the museum. Also their wider impact in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.
Copies of the 116 page book, which is fully illustrated, are available in the museum price £5.
New Exhibition
During October and November we are mounting an exhibition to mark Frenchay School’s 175th anniversary. The school opened in 1842, and is still housed in the original building.
Frenchay Village Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
During October and November we are mounting an exhibition to mark Frenchay School’s 175th anniversary. The school opened in 1842, and is still housed in the original building.
Frenchay Village Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
September 2017
In Memoriam - Albert Baker and Arthur Young
You cannot have failed to notice the televised events to mark the centenary of the start of the Battle of Passchendaele on 31st July 1917. The first Frenchay casualties of that battle were not long coming.
The October 1917 Parish Magazine recorded:
We regret to learn that Bertie Baker and Arthur Young have both fallen in action.
Bertie Baker joined up at the outbreak of war. He was wounded on September 11th by a gas shell and died in hospital on September 17th. His officer writes, "Since last January your son acted as servant to me so I knew him very well and I had become extremely fond of him. You will be glad to know he was a great favourite in the Battery and always did his work most conscientiously."
Arthur Young enlisted in 1914, and was invalided home later. He returned to the front four months ago and was killed in action last month. We offer our sincere sympathy to their relatives.
Who was Bertie Baker? Army records show he was Gunner Albert John Baker, of the Royal Field Artillery, the son of William John Baker, of Rosedale, Badminton Roa., Downend. He was killed 17th Sept 1917 and buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, near Popperinge. His headstone has the personal single word inscription “Waiting”. It has not been possible to find any link between Bertie and Frenchay, but the fact that the Rector used the familiar name “Bertie” seems to show he was well known here. He’s not on either of the Frenchay War Memorials, but he is on the War Memorial in Page Park.
Private Arthur Young was with the 8th Battalion Glosters. He died on 21st September 1917, and was buried in Bedford House Cemetery, near Passchendaele. Army records show that he was identified by an envelope in his pocket and a damaged identity disc. There is no personal inscription on his headstone, but he is recorded on both Frenchay War Memorials. However, like Bertie Baker, he has no obvious Frenchay connection. Born in 1888 to Henry and Clara Young, in all censuses up to 1911 he’s living with them in Failand, latterly working as a labourer on a golf course. As with Bertie Baker, all attempts to find mention of him in school records, the cricket club, church registers, etc., have drawn a blank. He’s first mentioned in the church magazine on the Roll of Honour in February 1916, at the same time as Bertie Baker.
So why is one honoured on the Frenchay War Memorial, and the other not? It seems unlikely we will ever know 100 years after the event.
August 2017
Arthur George Criddle
Arthur George Criddle was born in Frenchay in 1894, and grew up in a cottage near the bottom of Frenchay Hill. He attended Frenchay School, then began work in the Flock Mill. He joined the Army on 9th Sept. 1914, and was attached to the Royal Horse Artillery. The parish magazine lists him on the “Frenchay Roll of Honour” – parishioners serving in the war.
In November 1915 the Parish magazine reports that he was in hospital, but gave no reason. In September 1916 the magazine reported that he’s been discharged. We know from a surviving document that he was given an army pension, which seems to show that his medical problems were the result of his army service. He died at home in Frenchay on 29th August 1917.
The Parish Magazine recorded:
"Roll of Honour. It is with sincere regret that we record the death of Arthur George Criddle, who joined the Royal Field Artillery shortly after the outbreak of the war, and who received his discharge, owing to ill-health, after about nine months service. He died, after a long illness ... on August 30th, and his funeral, at which a very large number of parishioners were present, took place on September 2nd. He was for many years a member of our Church Choir. One of his brothers, William Ewert Criddle, of the 7th Gloucester Regiment, was killed in action in Mesopotamia in February."
It seems the army considered his death to be the result of his army service, as an official War Grave headstone was placed on his grave.
"Roll of Honour. It is with sincere regret that we record the death of Arthur George Criddle, who joined the Royal Field Artillery shortly after the outbreak of the war, and who received his discharge, owing to ill-health, after about nine months service. He died, after a long illness ... on August 30th, and his funeral, at which a very large number of parishioners were present, took place on September 2nd. He was for many years a member of our Church Choir. One of his brothers, William Ewert Criddle, of the 7th Gloucester Regiment, was killed in action in Mesopotamia in February."
It seems the army considered his death to be the result of his army service, as an official War Grave headstone was placed on his grave.
But there are a number of mysteries. His headstone gives his date of death as 28th August, the death certificate 29th, and the parish magazine the 30th! Also, he’s not named on the church war memorial, but he is on the civil war memorial on Whiteshill Common. However, his name was added after the others had been carved. An order of service for the dedication shows
that it was done before the dedication on 1st January 1922.
It’s unlikely we shall ever solve the mysteries surrounding his death, and the way his memory has been commemorated.
that it was done before the dedication on 1st January 1922.
It’s unlikely we shall ever solve the mysteries surrounding his death, and the way his memory has been commemorated.
July 2017
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David Fry and Frenchay Products Ltd
Our new display in July, features the first prototype Moulton bicycle, which has been loaned to us by Moulton Bicycles. It was made in early 1959 for Alex Moulton by David Fry, using the facilities of his company Frenchay Products Ltd. Vintage Vehicle Day, Sat. 15th July 2 - 5pm
Join us for our annual wallow in nostalgia, when elderly cars, motorcycles and bicycles gather in the museum car park for free viewing. On display this year we will have David Fry’s record-breaking car, the Freikaiserwagen, which has been restored recently by its present owner. The car set records in the 1930s and 1940s, and is already winning events again. We also hope to have a selection of Moulton bicycles, marking the fact that the very first one was made by Frenchay Products. |
June 2017
David Fry 1918 - 1967
50 years ago this month, David Fry died of a heart attack at the early age of 49. He was born in Frenchay in 1918, the elder son of Cecil and Olave Fry, of Grove House (sometimes known as Frenchay Grove, and today Riverwood House).
His father was the last Fry to be chairman of J S Fry & Sons, and David was the last member of the family to be associated with Fry’s. He was a non-executive director of the British Cocoa and Chocolate Company, Fry’s parent company.
David graduated in engineering from Cambridge, just in time to serve in the RAF during WWII. He was eventually a Squadron Leader, flying Catalina flying boats. After the war he joined Horstman Engineering in Bath for a while, before setting up Frenchay Products in the stables of Grove House in 1949. The firm was in the aircraft business, doing sub-contract work for BAC, De-Havilland, and others.
During lulls in aircraft activity, Frenchay Products turned to other engineering tasks, including manufacturing of innovative bicycles for his friend Alex Moulton, and they also made jukeboxes in the UK for a Swiss company. When the Swiss plant was burnt down, they were the sole supplier of the Chantal Meteor 200.
In 1951 the company acquired a small Kingswood based motorised valve manufacturer called Rotork, and David’s younger brother Jeremy joined the firm. In 1953 the firm moved to a purpose built plant in Kingswood, which was their home for the next 15 years. But they also had a satellite factory by the Feeder.
David was prominent in motor sport, and his car, the Freikaiserwagen, set many records, and was twice featured on the cover of Motor Sport magazine. A book about the car was published in 2008.
Following David’s death in 1967, Frenchay Products was taken over by Fairey Aviation, and so ceased to exist as a company. But ten years earlier his brother Jeremy had left Frenchay Products, and had taken the Rotork valve manufacturing activity with him to his home in Bath. Today Rotork has a £600m annual turnover, with factories around the world. Starting in July, the museum will have a new display about David and Frenchay Products.
His father was the last Fry to be chairman of J S Fry & Sons, and David was the last member of the family to be associated with Fry’s. He was a non-executive director of the British Cocoa and Chocolate Company, Fry’s parent company.
David graduated in engineering from Cambridge, just in time to serve in the RAF during WWII. He was eventually a Squadron Leader, flying Catalina flying boats. After the war he joined Horstman Engineering in Bath for a while, before setting up Frenchay Products in the stables of Grove House in 1949. The firm was in the aircraft business, doing sub-contract work for BAC, De-Havilland, and others.
During lulls in aircraft activity, Frenchay Products turned to other engineering tasks, including manufacturing of innovative bicycles for his friend Alex Moulton, and they also made jukeboxes in the UK for a Swiss company. When the Swiss plant was burnt down, they were the sole supplier of the Chantal Meteor 200.
In 1951 the company acquired a small Kingswood based motorised valve manufacturer called Rotork, and David’s younger brother Jeremy joined the firm. In 1953 the firm moved to a purpose built plant in Kingswood, which was their home for the next 15 years. But they also had a satellite factory by the Feeder.
David was prominent in motor sport, and his car, the Freikaiserwagen, set many records, and was twice featured on the cover of Motor Sport magazine. A book about the car was published in 2008.
Following David’s death in 1967, Frenchay Products was taken over by Fairey Aviation, and so ceased to exist as a company. But ten years earlier his brother Jeremy had left Frenchay Products, and had taken the Rotork valve manufacturing activity with him to his home in Bath. Today Rotork has a £600m annual turnover, with factories around the world. Starting in July, the museum will have a new display about David and Frenchay Products.
May 2017
In Memoriam, Harry Wadlow
Harry Wadlow was the son of the headmaster of Frenchay School. The Parish Magazine in October 1914 reported that he had joined the Army Service Corps, and the following October he’s a appointed a lieutenant. In September 2016 the magazine reported that he had transferred to the Royal Flying Corps., and in December that he was made Captain.
He then began a course of flying instruction. Harry’s unit, No.10 Reserve Squadron, a Training Squadron, was based at Joyce Green Airfield on the Dartford Salt Marshes in Kent. Harry was taught to fly in a de Havilland DH2 - a single engine pusher scout.
The June 1917 Parish Magazine carried the following report,
"On May 1st Captain Harry Wadlow, R.F.C., was accidentally killed while flying near Dartford, Kent. Captain Wadlow, who had a brilliant academic career at Bristol Grammar School, besides gaining the school colours in cricket, football and hockey, joined the A.S.C. as Second-Lieutenant in 1914.
He served in the Dardanelles, whence he was invalided home in 1915 and in France in 1916, in which year he was promoted Captain. He joined the R.F.C. in the same year. He was buried with full military honours in our Churchyard on May 7th in the presence of many friends and neighbours."
The school was closed on the 7th of May so that the children could attend Harry’s funeral at St John Baptist Church. The inscription on his grave is, ‘Harry Wadlow, Captain, RFC, born 26th February 1895, died 1st May 1917. Per Ardua Ad Astra.’
Harry was an only child, whose mother had died in 1901. Our book “H. J. Wadlow Headmaster of Frenchay National School 1894-1921” is available in the museum, and it has much more information.
Harry’s photograph from the Daily Mirror 10th May 1917
Annual General Meeting
11th May at 7.30pm in Frenchay Quaker Meeting House, followed at 8pm by The Frenchay Highwayman, and Frenchay Museum and the Wider World.
11th May at 7.30pm in Frenchay Quaker Meeting House, followed at 8pm by The Frenchay Highwayman, and Frenchay Museum and the Wider World.
April 2017
New Visiting Display - The Dings Crusaders Rugby Club
Welcome to our new neighbours - “The Dings Crusaders” was founded 120 years ago, and they will be playing in their new Frenchay ground from next season. Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
Our First Hospital
Dr. Edward Crossman of Whiteshill House, opened Hambrook Hospital 150 years ago this year. The hospital was in a large house near the White Horse pub, and the founding document states that it “is designed for the accommodation of poor persons suffering from accidents or diseases which cannot be adequately treated at the homes of the patients”. There were no less than 7 doctors on the staff, though only 1 nurse! She was the only salaried person, and she had to live in. Patients had to pay a weekly fee, but sponsors were sought to support those unable to pay. A committee of local worthies, headed by three trustees, oversaw everything.
With the creation of the NHS in 1948, Hambrook Hospital was combined with Frenchay Hospital. In 1951 the decision was taken to close Hambrook Hospital, and in 1952 it became a hostel for student nurses. Student nurses were already housed in Frenchay House and Frenchay Lodge, but Hambrook was for male students – they were keeping them far apart!
Reopening by the Duchess of Beaufort in 1905 after a major extension
March 2017
Frenchay's Famous Highwayman
Exactly 250 years ago, newspapers throughout the country were carrying news of the arrest of the notorious highwayman Edward Higgins, who lived in Frenchay. Judging by the national coverage of his miss-deeds, Higgins was as well known as Dick Turpin, who’d been active twenty years earlier.
Newspapers as far away as Aberdeen ran the story. The Leeds Intelligencer of 3rd March 1767 says that he had been arrested in Bristol, and was being held in Gloucester Castle, which was used as a gaol.
It says that he was born in Worcestershire, but lived for many years in Knutsford, Cheshire, with his wife and five children. His former house there has a plaque, which says, “Edward Higgins. Notorious Mid 18th Century Highwayman, portrayed by De Quincey and Others, Lived Here”. But by the time of his arrest, he was living in The Grove, at the bottom of Frenchay Hill.
Elliott in his book “Winterbourne, Gloucestershire” says that he came to Frenchay in 1765, and fitted large bolts to the doors to withstand a siege. (Are they still there?) He adopted the name “Hickson” and lived in a splendid manner, keeping hunters, and he was popular in Clifton Society.
Later in the year see what fate awaited him...
Exactly 250 years ago, newspapers throughout the country were carrying news of the arrest of the notorious highwayman Edward Higgins, who lived in Frenchay. Judging by the national coverage of his miss-deeds, Higgins was as well known as Dick Turpin, who’d been active twenty years earlier.
Newspapers as far away as Aberdeen ran the story. The Leeds Intelligencer of 3rd March 1767 says that he had been arrested in Bristol, and was being held in Gloucester Castle, which was used as a gaol.
It says that he was born in Worcestershire, but lived for many years in Knutsford, Cheshire, with his wife and five children. His former house there has a plaque, which says, “Edward Higgins. Notorious Mid 18th Century Highwayman, portrayed by De Quincey and Others, Lived Here”. But by the time of his arrest, he was living in The Grove, at the bottom of Frenchay Hill.
Elliott in his book “Winterbourne, Gloucestershire” says that he came to Frenchay in 1765, and fitted large bolts to the doors to withstand a siege. (Are they still there?) He adopted the name “Hickson” and lived in a splendid manner, keeping hunters, and he was popular in Clifton Society.
Later in the year see what fate awaited him...
An Illustrated Talk
The Golden Age of Alpinism and British Victorian Climbers
Hywel Lloyd of the Alpine Club tells of mountaineers in the Alps from the 1850s to 1900, including Frank Tuckett of Frenchay.
This talk complements the Alpine Club’s Visiting Exhibition.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road.
Thursday March 9th 7.30pm. Admission is £2
Don’t miss the Alpine Club Exhibition in the Museum
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
The Golden Age of Alpinism and British Victorian Climbers
Hywel Lloyd of the Alpine Club tells of mountaineers in the Alps from the 1850s to 1900, including Frank Tuckett of Frenchay.
This talk complements the Alpine Club’s Visiting Exhibition.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road.
Thursday March 9th 7.30pm. Admission is £2
Don’t miss the Alpine Club Exhibition in the Museum
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
February 2017
In Memoriam - William Ewart Criddle
William Ewart Criddle was baptised in Frenchay church on 4th June 1892. He was part of a large Frenchay family. He had 12 siblings, many of whom died young. In 1902 his mother gave birth to triplets, one died at birth, and the others were baptised at home. However Edward died aged 12 hours, and Albert aged 5 days. They were buried a few days apart in the churchyard. William left Frenchay School in 1906, and became a butcher’s assistant.
He married Edith Moon in 1915, and joined the Army in January 1916. The following month their son Roy was born. The Parish Magazine of September 1916 reported that he had “gone to the Front”, and the following month that he had “gone to India”. In April 1917 the magazine reported,
“It is with deep regret that we record the death of Private William Criddle, Gloucestershire Regiment, who fell in action in Mesopotamia on February 10. He was a well-known football player in the Frenchay A.F.C., in the Bristol and District Association League ... We sympathise very sincerely with the relatives of these soldiers who have fallen in their country's service.”
William was part of the 7th (Service) Battalion Glo’ster Regiment fighting the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which supported Germany. When he was “killed in action” in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) on the 10th February 1917, he was buried in Amara War Cemetery, about 100 miles north of Basra. There is no headstone on his grave, as by 1935 the acid soil in that area destroyed them, but his name is inscribed on the wall surrounding the cemetery, as well as the Church War Memorial, and the one on Whiteshill Common.
Annual Talks Series - Out and about in Bristol 1914 – 1918
John Penny tells of day-to-day life in Bristol during the Great War.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road, Thursday February 9th at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.
William Ewart Criddle was baptised in Frenchay church on 4th June 1892. He was part of a large Frenchay family. He had 12 siblings, many of whom died young. In 1902 his mother gave birth to triplets, one died at birth, and the others were baptised at home. However Edward died aged 12 hours, and Albert aged 5 days. They were buried a few days apart in the churchyard. William left Frenchay School in 1906, and became a butcher’s assistant.
He married Edith Moon in 1915, and joined the Army in January 1916. The following month their son Roy was born. The Parish Magazine of September 1916 reported that he had “gone to the Front”, and the following month that he had “gone to India”. In April 1917 the magazine reported,
“It is with deep regret that we record the death of Private William Criddle, Gloucestershire Regiment, who fell in action in Mesopotamia on February 10. He was a well-known football player in the Frenchay A.F.C., in the Bristol and District Association League ... We sympathise very sincerely with the relatives of these soldiers who have fallen in their country's service.”
William was part of the 7th (Service) Battalion Glo’ster Regiment fighting the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which supported Germany. When he was “killed in action” in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) on the 10th February 1917, he was buried in Amara War Cemetery, about 100 miles north of Basra. There is no headstone on his grave, as by 1935 the acid soil in that area destroyed them, but his name is inscribed on the wall surrounding the cemetery, as well as the Church War Memorial, and the one on Whiteshill Common.
Annual Talks Series - Out and about in Bristol 1914 – 1918
John Penny tells of day-to-day life in Bristol during the Great War.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road, Thursday February 9th at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.
January 2017
When we reopen on 7th January after our winter spring clean, the visiting exhibition will be by the Alpine Club, the world’s oldest and most prestigious mountaineering society.
Founded in 1857, they organised the first successful Everest expedition in 1953. Frank Tuckett of Frenchay was an early member, and he was Vice-president from 1866-68.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
Annual Talks Series - The Local Brass Industry
Tony Coverdale tells of the pioneering industrialists who led the world in brass production in our area. At Kingswood the world’s first integrated factory allowed raw ores to enter at one end, and finished goods leave at the other.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road, Thursday January 12th at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.
Founded in 1857, they organised the first successful Everest expedition in 1953. Frank Tuckett of Frenchay was an early member, and he was Vice-president from 1866-68.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
Annual Talks Series - The Local Brass Industry
Tony Coverdale tells of the pioneering industrialists who led the world in brass production in our area. At Kingswood the world’s first integrated factory allowed raw ores to enter at one end, and finished goods leave at the other.
The Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road, Thursday January 12th at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.
December 2016
December Close
During December the museum is closed for a deep clean and to change some of the displays. If you would like to help we are not known for turning help away, so call us on 9569324 or 9570942 to find out more.
We have a wealth of local books, and reproductions of watercolours of Alpine views by Marion Fox, which would make ideal Christmas presents. So if during the closed period you want to have a browse, or want to see something in the museum for any other reason, please call 9570942.
Until 30th Nov. open Wed 1-4pm and Sat & Sun 2-5pm. Entry is free. The museum reopens on January 7th.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Frenchay Flock Mill
Most of you will be familiar with the five houses at the bottom of Frenchay Hill known as Frenchay Flock Mill. The old mill buildings were demolished about fifteen years ago to build the present houses, but the Flock Mill had been used for light industrial purposes for some years before that.
Until 1910 this had been Frenchay Iron Works founded in 1761. There was another iron works by Cleeve Road bridge, but the two amalgamated in 1810, the one on Frenchay Hill then being known as the Lower Iron Works. By the latter part of the 19th Century it mainly produced tools and was owned by Thomas Moore. A postcard from the early 20th Century shows the sign on the building reads, “T. Moore Frenchay Edge Tool and File Works”.
We knew of no examples of the work’s output, although it’s probable they made the original iron kissing-gates around Tuckett’s Field. However, we’ve just acquired an “edge tool” that was almost certainly made there. It’s a large axehead that’s almost 12 inches deep. It was made from a single sheet of steel, that was bent double around a former to create a channel for the wooden handle, then the two halves coming together to form the blade were hammer-welded together, and an edge ground for cutting. The blade is stamped with a trademark, and the word “FRENCHAY” in block capitals. It will be on display when we re-open in January.
During December the museum is closed for a deep clean and to change some of the displays. If you would like to help we are not known for turning help away, so call us on 9569324 or 9570942 to find out more.
We have a wealth of local books, and reproductions of watercolours of Alpine views by Marion Fox, which would make ideal Christmas presents. So if during the closed period you want to have a browse, or want to see something in the museum for any other reason, please call 9570942.
Until 30th Nov. open Wed 1-4pm and Sat & Sun 2-5pm. Entry is free. The museum reopens on January 7th.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Frenchay Flock Mill
Most of you will be familiar with the five houses at the bottom of Frenchay Hill known as Frenchay Flock Mill. The old mill buildings were demolished about fifteen years ago to build the present houses, but the Flock Mill had been used for light industrial purposes for some years before that.
Until 1910 this had been Frenchay Iron Works founded in 1761. There was another iron works by Cleeve Road bridge, but the two amalgamated in 1810, the one on Frenchay Hill then being known as the Lower Iron Works. By the latter part of the 19th Century it mainly produced tools and was owned by Thomas Moore. A postcard from the early 20th Century shows the sign on the building reads, “T. Moore Frenchay Edge Tool and File Works”.
We knew of no examples of the work’s output, although it’s probable they made the original iron kissing-gates around Tuckett’s Field. However, we’ve just acquired an “edge tool” that was almost certainly made there. It’s a large axehead that’s almost 12 inches deep. It was made from a single sheet of steel, that was bent double around a former to create a channel for the wooden handle, then the two halves coming together to form the blade were hammer-welded together, and an edge ground for cutting. The blade is stamped with a trademark, and the word “FRENCHAY” in block capitals. It will be on display when we re-open in January.
October 2016
Another Death on the Somme
Private Norman Rowley Spafford of the 12th Glos. Regiment, was wounded at High Wood on the Somme on 3rd September 1916. He was repatriated, but he died on 1st October in a Military Hospital in Birmingham. He was buried in Frenchay churchyard.
The family had lived in Milton Lodge in Stapleton, and the 1901 census lists the father Arthur, sons Arthur jnr. & Norman, a governess and two servants. Arthur is a ‘cotton manufacturer’, and employs men. They were obviously middle class, so it’s surprising that Norman wasn’t an officer. They almost certainly attended Frenchay church, as another son, Leslie, was buried there when he died aged 7 in 1896.
By the time of the 1911 census they’re living in Weston-Super-Mare, and Norman is an insurance clerk. The Parish Magazine of November 1917 carried the news that “... a very handsome brass pulpit desk (was) given by Mr. and Mrs. Spafford in memory of Norman Spafford, of the 12th Glosters... He was buried near the East Gate of the Churchyard, in the same grave in which, 21 years ago, was laid his brother Leslie, aged 7, as a memorial of whom the beautiful font cover was given. At Evensong on Sunday, Oct. 21st, the pulpit desk was consecrated to the Glory of God and the further adornment of His House. That desk on the pulpit is inscribed in Norman’s memory, and is still used every week.
Annual Talks Series - All Welcome, admission £2.
Our season of local history talks gets underway on 13th October at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road. The first talk is Frenchay Hospital’s Hidden History. Alan Freke shares some interesting facts that you (probably) didn’t know about Frenchay Park and the hospital’s early history.
Hidden Gems
Due to a delayed visiting exhibition, we are displaying some pictures from storage. They include the oil portraits of Revd. Randall Vickers and his wife Emma of Cedar Hall (featured in an item in the Community News back in May.) There are paintings by Tom Burrough of the Old House (who many of you will remember), and there’s a sketch of Frenchay Park House by the former England cricketer-turned-artist Jack Russell.
The Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
Private Norman Rowley Spafford of the 12th Glos. Regiment, was wounded at High Wood on the Somme on 3rd September 1916. He was repatriated, but he died on 1st October in a Military Hospital in Birmingham. He was buried in Frenchay churchyard.
The family had lived in Milton Lodge in Stapleton, and the 1901 census lists the father Arthur, sons Arthur jnr. & Norman, a governess and two servants. Arthur is a ‘cotton manufacturer’, and employs men. They were obviously middle class, so it’s surprising that Norman wasn’t an officer. They almost certainly attended Frenchay church, as another son, Leslie, was buried there when he died aged 7 in 1896.
By the time of the 1911 census they’re living in Weston-Super-Mare, and Norman is an insurance clerk. The Parish Magazine of November 1917 carried the news that “... a very handsome brass pulpit desk (was) given by Mr. and Mrs. Spafford in memory of Norman Spafford, of the 12th Glosters... He was buried near the East Gate of the Churchyard, in the same grave in which, 21 years ago, was laid his brother Leslie, aged 7, as a memorial of whom the beautiful font cover was given. At Evensong on Sunday, Oct. 21st, the pulpit desk was consecrated to the Glory of God and the further adornment of His House. That desk on the pulpit is inscribed in Norman’s memory, and is still used every week.
Annual Talks Series - All Welcome, admission £2.
Our season of local history talks gets underway on 13th October at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Beckspool Road. The first talk is Frenchay Hospital’s Hidden History. Alan Freke shares some interesting facts that you (probably) didn’t know about Frenchay Park and the hospital’s early history.
Hidden Gems
Due to a delayed visiting exhibition, we are displaying some pictures from storage. They include the oil portraits of Revd. Randall Vickers and his wife Emma of Cedar Hall (featured in an item in the Community News back in May.) There are paintings by Tom Burrough of the Old House (who many of you will remember), and there’s a sketch of Frenchay Park House by the former England cricketer-turned-artist Jack Russell.
The Museum is open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm, and Wed. 1-4pm. Entry is free.
August 2016
Frenchay’s WWI Casualties
Apart from Sargeant Charles Godwin of Lake House, who died in action in the first month of the war, Frenchay had been fortunate. But with start of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July 1916 that changed. The following month Frenchay had news of its first loss in that battle.
The Parish Magazine reported:
And now comes the great sorrow of this month's record, the death of Lieutenant Kilby. Poor Jack! true sportsman, the genial, courteous captain of our cricket team, with courage to uphold the tone of the Club even at the risk of proficiency: a fact not forgotten when he applied for a commission. His young widow, with whom all must sympathise most deeply, writes:--"Mr. Hedges, a brother officer of the 7th Trench Mortar Battery, wrote to me that they were getting their guns into position when a German shell burst on them wounding Jack and burying himself. However, he thought Jack would, at the time he wrote, be well on his way to England and that there was no need whatever for worry. He wished he had had a 'blighty' one too! Later, however, when he reached the ambulance station he found Jack had passed away."
Apart from Sargeant Charles Godwin of Lake House, who died in action in the first month of the war, Frenchay had been fortunate. But with start of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July 1916 that changed. The following month Frenchay had news of its first loss in that battle.
The Parish Magazine reported:
And now comes the great sorrow of this month's record, the death of Lieutenant Kilby. Poor Jack! true sportsman, the genial, courteous captain of our cricket team, with courage to uphold the tone of the Club even at the risk of proficiency: a fact not forgotten when he applied for a commission. His young widow, with whom all must sympathise most deeply, writes:--"Mr. Hedges, a brother officer of the 7th Trench Mortar Battery, wrote to me that they were getting their guns into position when a German shell burst on them wounding Jack and burying himself. However, he thought Jack would, at the time he wrote, be well on his way to England and that there was no need whatever for worry. He wished he had had a 'blighty' one too! Later, however, when he reached the ambulance station he found Jack had passed away."
He died on August 21st 1916, the day he was wounded, and was buried in Forceville Communal Cemetery. Jack was born in Bristol in 1889, but the family was living in Downend by 1901. Jack became a teacher at St. Gabriel’s School, Easton, and a memorial service in his memory was held there in September 1916. He married Minnie Luton of Hambrook on Boxing Day 1911 in All Saints Church, WInterbourne Down. There were no children, and Minnie didn’t remarry. She died in Hambrook in 1935.
But the day following Jack Kilby’s death, newspapers across the world carried front page articles about Captain Hugh Kinred, of the 14th Glo'sters ("Bristol Bantams"), who enlisted in 1915 when he was Frenchay’s curate. He had saved the lives of seven of his companions when he threw himself on a bomb that landed in their trench. His steel waistcoat saved him, and he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. His is an intriguing story, twice divorced, for two years prohibited from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The saga is on our Museum website at, www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/Archives/PagesBiogy/Kinred-Hugh.htm
But the day following Jack Kilby’s death, newspapers across the world carried front page articles about Captain Hugh Kinred, of the 14th Glo'sters ("Bristol Bantams"), who enlisted in 1915 when he was Frenchay’s curate. He had saved the lives of seven of his companions when he threw himself on a bomb that landed in their trench. His steel waistcoat saved him, and he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. His is an intriguing story, twice divorced, for two years prohibited from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The saga is on our Museum website at, www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/Archives/PagesBiogy/Kinred-Hugh.htm
July 2016
Whiteshill Evangelical Church Bi-centenary
We are currently hosting an excellent exhibition about Whiteshill Evangelical Church, which opened 200 years ago this August.
The display captures the fascinating story of the church’s history, which has featured moments of triumph, and tragedy.
One notable incident concerned Harry Alan Brown, who was minister there from 1890. When the maid arrived one the morning In July 1906 to get breakfast for the family, she found him, his wife, and her sister all dead, a cut-throat razor lying nearby!
It was such a shocking event that it seems to have been whitewashed out of local memory. When C.H.B. Elliott wrote his book “Winterbourne, Gloucestershire”, published in 1936, writing of the church he says, “Mr. H. Alban Brown came in 1890, and on his death in 1906 it was decided, as a memorial of his ministry, to secure the house called "Holme Lea" as the Manse.” No mention of the manner of his death, or that of his wife and her sister.
We have published a book about the Brown family, “A Winterbourne Tale”. Copies are available in the museum for £2. The exhibition runs until mid-August.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry
We are currently hosting an excellent exhibition about Whiteshill Evangelical Church, which opened 200 years ago this August.
The display captures the fascinating story of the church’s history, which has featured moments of triumph, and tragedy.
One notable incident concerned Harry Alan Brown, who was minister there from 1890. When the maid arrived one the morning In July 1906 to get breakfast for the family, she found him, his wife, and her sister all dead, a cut-throat razor lying nearby!
It was such a shocking event that it seems to have been whitewashed out of local memory. When C.H.B. Elliott wrote his book “Winterbourne, Gloucestershire”, published in 1936, writing of the church he says, “Mr. H. Alban Brown came in 1890, and on his death in 1906 it was decided, as a memorial of his ministry, to secure the house called "Holme Lea" as the Manse.” No mention of the manner of his death, or that of his wife and her sister.
We have published a book about the Brown family, “A Winterbourne Tale”. Copies are available in the museum for £2. The exhibition runs until mid-August.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry
June 2016
Ernest Ralph Clark 1908-1995
We are sometimes contacted by people who have discovered us, mostly on the internet, and who are able to add to our knowledge of Frenchay.
One such recent contact was from the son of Ernest Clark, who had just discovered the hospital had closed, and he wondered if the building “Clark Hall”, named after his father, had been demolished. It had, but we have photographs of it. He then told us about his father who had a pivotal role in establishing the hospital as we knew it.
Born in Bristol in 1908, he worked for Bristol Council in the Treasurer’s Department, before moving into the Public Health Department in 1937. During the war he was Establishment Officer with Bristol Casualty Services and the Civil Defence.
In August 1945 the Americans left Frenchay, and the hospital was handed back to Bristol Corporation. They appointed Ernest as “Steward of Frenchay Hospital” and he had the task of sorting out the hospital, and bringing together teams who had worked on other sites to form the post-war hospital. For example, during the war the Burden Neurological Institute in Stoke Lane had been requisitioned by the government, and used for brain surgery. When the facility was handed back to the Burden Trust, this brain surgery team was transferred to the embryonic Frenchay Hospital, and grew into a nationally acclaimed facility.
When the National Health Service was created in 1948 he was appointed Group Secretary of Cossham and Frenchay Group Management Committee, a post he was to hold until his retirement in 1968. He then took his expertise to Lebanon as a representative of the Ministry of Overseas Development, where for two years he worked helping to set up a hospital in Beirut. He then retired to Warwickshire, where he died in 1995.
We are sometimes contacted by people who have discovered us, mostly on the internet, and who are able to add to our knowledge of Frenchay.
One such recent contact was from the son of Ernest Clark, who had just discovered the hospital had closed, and he wondered if the building “Clark Hall”, named after his father, had been demolished. It had, but we have photographs of it. He then told us about his father who had a pivotal role in establishing the hospital as we knew it.
Born in Bristol in 1908, he worked for Bristol Council in the Treasurer’s Department, before moving into the Public Health Department in 1937. During the war he was Establishment Officer with Bristol Casualty Services and the Civil Defence.
In August 1945 the Americans left Frenchay, and the hospital was handed back to Bristol Corporation. They appointed Ernest as “Steward of Frenchay Hospital” and he had the task of sorting out the hospital, and bringing together teams who had worked on other sites to form the post-war hospital. For example, during the war the Burden Neurological Institute in Stoke Lane had been requisitioned by the government, and used for brain surgery. When the facility was handed back to the Burden Trust, this brain surgery team was transferred to the embryonic Frenchay Hospital, and grew into a nationally acclaimed facility.
When the National Health Service was created in 1948 he was appointed Group Secretary of Cossham and Frenchay Group Management Committee, a post he was to hold until his retirement in 1968. He then took his expertise to Lebanon as a representative of the Ministry of Overseas Development, where for two years he worked helping to set up a hospital in Beirut. He then retired to Warwickshire, where he died in 1995.
May 2016
Revd. William Randall Vickers
In 1904, at the age of 66, the Revd. W. R. Vickers retired from Naburn, York, the parish he had served for most of his career, to live in Frenchay. He and his wife Emma (who was from Edinburgh) bought Cedar Hall, but why they came to live in Frenchay is a mystery.
He came from a family who owned an engineering company in Leeds (it’s still going), though his father was a surgeon in London. There appear to be no links to the West Country, let alone Frenchay, so why retire here? Their son, Kenneth Hortham Vickers, graduated from Oxford University in 1905 and became a history lecturer at the University College, Bristol.
Revd. Vickers became very involved with the parish church, and by 1909 is listed in the parish magazine as one of the clergy serving the parish. He took many services and both he and Emma were very active in parish affairs. In 1908 his son Kenneth moved to London University, but in 1911 returned to marry Alice Crossman, daughter of Dr. Edward Crossman, the founder of Hambrook Hospital.
In 1917, Emma gave the crucifix on the north side of the church, as a memorial to all those in the parish who lost their lives during the war. The Revd. Vickers died on the 28th of May 1918, his 80th birthday. His grave is easy to find as it has a stone cross laid along it, and it is adjacent to the crucifix on the north side of the church.
Recently his granddaughter offered wonderful oil paintings of William and Emma to the museum, which are a valuable addition to our collection. We have also been given a copy of a book about the family firm in Leeds, which is valuable background material.
Exhibitions
The visiting exhibition about the bells of Frenchay Church continues, but on 18th May, a new exhibition by Whiteshill Evanglical Church goes on display. The church was opened 200 years ago and they are staging a number of events to mark their bi-centenary.
AGM
The AGM will be held at 7:30pm on Thur 12th May in the Quaker Meeting House. The formal AGM will be followed by videos, one of which is about BBC's Children in Need from 25 years ago, which features the Radio Lollipop project in Frenchay Hospital. The Radio Lollipop stained glass window is now on display in the museum. All are welcome at the AGM.
The museum is open Sat and Sun, 2 - 5pm and Wed, 1- 4pm. Free entry.
In 1904, at the age of 66, the Revd. W. R. Vickers retired from Naburn, York, the parish he had served for most of his career, to live in Frenchay. He and his wife Emma (who was from Edinburgh) bought Cedar Hall, but why they came to live in Frenchay is a mystery.
He came from a family who owned an engineering company in Leeds (it’s still going), though his father was a surgeon in London. There appear to be no links to the West Country, let alone Frenchay, so why retire here? Their son, Kenneth Hortham Vickers, graduated from Oxford University in 1905 and became a history lecturer at the University College, Bristol.
Revd. Vickers became very involved with the parish church, and by 1909 is listed in the parish magazine as one of the clergy serving the parish. He took many services and both he and Emma were very active in parish affairs. In 1908 his son Kenneth moved to London University, but in 1911 returned to marry Alice Crossman, daughter of Dr. Edward Crossman, the founder of Hambrook Hospital.
In 1917, Emma gave the crucifix on the north side of the church, as a memorial to all those in the parish who lost their lives during the war. The Revd. Vickers died on the 28th of May 1918, his 80th birthday. His grave is easy to find as it has a stone cross laid along it, and it is adjacent to the crucifix on the north side of the church.
Recently his granddaughter offered wonderful oil paintings of William and Emma to the museum, which are a valuable addition to our collection. We have also been given a copy of a book about the family firm in Leeds, which is valuable background material.
Exhibitions
The visiting exhibition about the bells of Frenchay Church continues, but on 18th May, a new exhibition by Whiteshill Evanglical Church goes on display. The church was opened 200 years ago and they are staging a number of events to mark their bi-centenary.
AGM
The AGM will be held at 7:30pm on Thur 12th May in the Quaker Meeting House. The formal AGM will be followed by videos, one of which is about BBC's Children in Need from 25 years ago, which features the Radio Lollipop project in Frenchay Hospital. The Radio Lollipop stained glass window is now on display in the museum. All are welcome at the AGM.
The museum is open Sat and Sun, 2 - 5pm and Wed, 1- 4pm. Free entry.
April 2016
Working with Other Museums
A recent screening of Michael Portillo’s “Great Railway Journeys” on BBC2, featured the Baltimore and Ohio Railway Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The B&O was America’s first railway. Construction started in 1828, and the first section was opened in May 1830. But in January of that year Frederick Tuckett from Frenchay visited Baltimore, and had a trip along the part finished line. We have his journal from 1829-30, when he travelled widely in the USA.
We contacted the B&O Museum and emailed them a copy of the journal. They were delighted to receive it, as it a gave a first hand account of the railway. They commented on the fact that he stayed with Evan Thomas, who’s known as the “Father of American Railways”, as he was the President and driving force behind the B&O.
Tuckett wrote, “My friend Evan Thomas then took me out to the Rail ... we found a numerous company there. A party of the members of the State Legislature, accompanied by some of the directors, came out for the purpose of taking a ride and we joined them, making a party of 20.”
He also describes the construction methods, and the locomotives. After his return to England he became a railway engineer, working for Brunel on the GWR, before going to New Zealand as the Principal Surveyor of the New Zealand Company.
You can download the whole American journal from our website at frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/FrederickTuckettLetters.htm
If you’re visiting Pontresina in Switzerland this year, be sure to visit the museum there, as they have a new display about Lizzie Tuckett. Their curator came to see us last summer to collect information and we supplied many images used in the exhibition.
The visiting exhibition by the bellringers of Frenchay Church continues. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm and Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
A recent screening of Michael Portillo’s “Great Railway Journeys” on BBC2, featured the Baltimore and Ohio Railway Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The B&O was America’s first railway. Construction started in 1828, and the first section was opened in May 1830. But in January of that year Frederick Tuckett from Frenchay visited Baltimore, and had a trip along the part finished line. We have his journal from 1829-30, when he travelled widely in the USA.
We contacted the B&O Museum and emailed them a copy of the journal. They were delighted to receive it, as it a gave a first hand account of the railway. They commented on the fact that he stayed with Evan Thomas, who’s known as the “Father of American Railways”, as he was the President and driving force behind the B&O.
Tuckett wrote, “My friend Evan Thomas then took me out to the Rail ... we found a numerous company there. A party of the members of the State Legislature, accompanied by some of the directors, came out for the purpose of taking a ride and we joined them, making a party of 20.”
He also describes the construction methods, and the locomotives. After his return to England he became a railway engineer, working for Brunel on the GWR, before going to New Zealand as the Principal Surveyor of the New Zealand Company.
You can download the whole American journal from our website at frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk/FrederickTuckettLetters.htm
If you’re visiting Pontresina in Switzerland this year, be sure to visit the museum there, as they have a new display about Lizzie Tuckett. Their curator came to see us last summer to collect information and we supplied many images used in the exhibition.
The visiting exhibition by the bellringers of Frenchay Church continues. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm and Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
March 2016
Working with Schools
We were delighted to receive an invitation from Griffin Class at Frenchay School, to visit them and see the museum they had made in their classroom. We were impressed with their collection and their knowledge of local buildings. They were in the throes of making models of a number of buildings and we left them with an old wooden model of the church to inspire them. They are planning to produce a book about the history of the village, which we look forward to seeing. A few weeks later we led them on a guided tour of the village, which they all seemed to enjoy.
We were also approached by teachers from St. Michael’s Winterbourne, who were planning a school project on chocolate. Two of them visited the museum and seemed very impressed with what we had to show them. We have made available computer resources for them to plan their project, as well as copies of catalogues and Fry children’s games.
This was not a new request for us, as Bristol City Council’s Education Dept. approached us in January with a similar request. They are producing a module for Bristol schools to use on chocolate and the city, so we have been working with a member of their staff on providing suitable materials for Bristol schools.
The visiting exhibition by the bellringers of Frenchay Church continues. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
To find out more about the museum, or to search our archives, go to our website www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
We were delighted to receive an invitation from Griffin Class at Frenchay School, to visit them and see the museum they had made in their classroom. We were impressed with their collection and their knowledge of local buildings. They were in the throes of making models of a number of buildings and we left them with an old wooden model of the church to inspire them. They are planning to produce a book about the history of the village, which we look forward to seeing. A few weeks later we led them on a guided tour of the village, which they all seemed to enjoy.
We were also approached by teachers from St. Michael’s Winterbourne, who were planning a school project on chocolate. Two of them visited the museum and seemed very impressed with what we had to show them. We have made available computer resources for them to plan their project, as well as copies of catalogues and Fry children’s games.
This was not a new request for us, as Bristol City Council’s Education Dept. approached us in January with a similar request. They are producing a module for Bristol schools to use on chocolate and the city, so we have been working with a member of their staff on providing suitable materials for Bristol schools.
The visiting exhibition by the bellringers of Frenchay Church continues. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
To find out more about the museum, or to search our archives, go to our website www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
The museum is open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
February 2016
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In the Spring of 2015 NBT gave permission for us to save the Radio Lollipop stained glass window from Ward 25, and villager Roy Oaten, of JB Glass in Filton Avenue, removed the from the building, then repaired and stored it until a way could be found to display it.
Thanks to the efforts of Richard Thomas of PTIT Solutions in Frome Valley Road, Jeff Feltham of Exhibition and Displays Direct Ltd. of Staple Hill offered to make a suitable illuminated display panel. Volunteers have now installed it in the museum. A big “Thank You” to all those who so generously supported this project. |
We know very little about Radio Lollipop - perhaps you were involved? Have you any stories about Radio Lollipop that you can share with us. We can be contacted at [email protected], or ‘phone 0117 9570942.
Drop in and be amazed by the 5' by 4' colourful window, which features (amongst others) Pudsey Bear, a hot air balloon, and Concorde!
Our visiting exhibition is by the bellringers of Frenchay Church. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
To find out more about the museum, or to search our archives, go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Drop in and be amazed by the 5' by 4' colourful window, which features (amongst others) Pudsey Bear, a hot air balloon, and Concorde!
Our visiting exhibition is by the bellringers of Frenchay Church. The bells were installed 25 years ago as a DIY project by villagers and friends, and the display shows how it was done.
To find out more about the museum, or to search our archives, go to our website frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
December 2015
At the time of writing, we’re still waiting for South Glos. to formally offer to sell the museum to the trustees. This has been a long and frustrating process, but there is every indication that the process should be complete before the year’s end.
During December the museum is closed for a deep clean and refreshing some of the displays. We also hope to create a display of the Radio Lollipop window. If you would like to get involved, we are not known for turning help away, so call us on 9569324 or 9570942, to find out more.
We have a wealth of books, and reproductions of watercolours of Alpine views by Marion Fox, which would make ideal Christmas presents, so if you want to have a browse, or want to see something in the museum for any other reason, please call 9570942. The museum reopens on January 6th.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk
At the time of writing, we’re still waiting for South Glos. to formally offer to sell the museum to the trustees. This has been a long and frustrating process, but there is every indication that the process should be complete before the year’s end.
During December the museum is closed for a deep clean and refreshing some of the displays. We also hope to create a display of the Radio Lollipop window. If you would like to get involved, we are not known for turning help away, so call us on 9569324 or 9570942, to find out more.
We have a wealth of books, and reproductions of watercolours of Alpine views by Marion Fox, which would make ideal Christmas presents, so if you want to have a browse, or want to see something in the museum for any other reason, please call 9570942. The museum reopens on January 6th.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk
August 2015
Paintings by Local Artists
The visiting exhibition by the Greater Fishponds Neighbourhood Partnership ends at the beginning of August and a display by Daniel Kembrey of a collection of paintings by local artists will follow.The scenic beauty of the Frome valley has attracted artists for many years, and the Harris brothers were especially prolific in the late 19th and early 20 th Century. Some of their paintings will feature in the display, as well as one by their sister.
Paintings by Local Artists
The visiting exhibition by the Greater Fishponds Neighbourhood Partnership ends at the beginning of August and a display by Daniel Kembrey of a collection of paintings by local artists will follow.The scenic beauty of the Frome valley has attracted artists for many years, and the Harris brothers were especially prolific in the late 19th and early 20 th Century. Some of their paintings will feature in the display, as well as one by their sister.
To find out more about the museum and to search our archives go to our website: www.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk.
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
Open Sat., & Sun. 2-5pm, & Wed. 1-4pm. Free Entry.
June 2015
The Amazing Life of the Revd. Hugh Kinred
Recently a reporter from the Daily Mirror contacted us interested in a curate from Frenchay who became a war hero in 1916. They wanted to run a story about him, as artefacts relating to his heroic action in WWI were coming up for auction in London.
We said we’d do a little digging, and let them know. Newspapers around the world reported his amazing bravery during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, but what else was there to say about Revd. Kinred? Surely a quick look at Crockford’s Clerical Directory would give all the answers? Wrong!
He became curate in Frenchay’s in 1914, but what had he been doing before that? His account of his Far Eastern missionary activities, malaria, and time in Siberia, were contradicted by reports in the Singapore press saying he was a plantation manager!
We do know from his army record that in 1915 he resigned as Frenchay’s curate, and signed on in the 12th Gloucesters. He was a lieutenant when he saved the seven men at Neuve Chapelle. His army record also states that before the war he had been a corporal in British Malay States Rifles.
The story we unearthed was far from a typical one for a clergyman of the time, including being banned at one time from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and being involved in two messy divorces!
To find out more go to the Frenchay Museum website and follow the links. Or if you visit the museum, there is a little booklet in the research area that has the full story.
The Amazing Life of the Revd. Hugh Kinred
Recently a reporter from the Daily Mirror contacted us interested in a curate from Frenchay who became a war hero in 1916. They wanted to run a story about him, as artefacts relating to his heroic action in WWI were coming up for auction in London.
We said we’d do a little digging, and let them know. Newspapers around the world reported his amazing bravery during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, but what else was there to say about Revd. Kinred? Surely a quick look at Crockford’s Clerical Directory would give all the answers? Wrong!
He became curate in Frenchay’s in 1914, but what had he been doing before that? His account of his Far Eastern missionary activities, malaria, and time in Siberia, were contradicted by reports in the Singapore press saying he was a plantation manager!
We do know from his army record that in 1915 he resigned as Frenchay’s curate, and signed on in the 12th Gloucesters. He was a lieutenant when he saved the seven men at Neuve Chapelle. His army record also states that before the war he had been a corporal in British Malay States Rifles.
The story we unearthed was far from a typical one for a clergyman of the time, including being banned at one time from preaching by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and being involved in two messy divorces!
To find out more go to the Frenchay Museum website and follow the links. Or if you visit the museum, there is a little booklet in the research area that has the full story.
When did you last the museum? There’s always a lot to see and the publications provide a fascinating insight into the history of Frenchay.
Did you know that there is a room set aside for special exhibitions? If you have a hobby or special interest you could use the room to stage a display. There is no charge for this and it is an opportunity to reach a wider audience. Around 1,500 people from all over the world visit the museum each year.
If you are interested in using the exhibition room please contact the museum on 0117 9570942 or visit our website.
Did you know that there is a room set aside for special exhibitions? If you have a hobby or special interest you could use the room to stage a display. There is no charge for this and it is an opportunity to reach a wider audience. Around 1,500 people from all over the world visit the museum each year.
If you are interested in using the exhibition room please contact the museum on 0117 9570942 or visit our website.
