Some years ago I found a number of  bottles in what I believe was at one time a rubbish tip in Brislington. For the present I am not divulging the whereabouts of the site in the hope that I can have a proper dig one day soon, now that I am retired (! Ha! I seem to have more to do than ever!) They are all fairly small and some have glass stoppers. Two are green, ink bottles, I think, and several others, all clear glass,  have embossed writing: i.e.

Grossmith & Son, Perfumers, London; (obvious)

Pascall, London, (who I think manufactured sweets)

Eiffel Tower Lemonade, Foster Clark Ltd, Maidstone 

Bisurated Magnesia, Bismac Ltd, London; (Indigestion!)

Edwards' "Uzon" Brilliantine; (remember antimacassars?)

Langdale's Cinnamon.(a herbal remedy, still going strong.)

Judging from my very basic research, I think they were made in the 1920s. I have informed Brislington Archaeology Society and I hope that soon they will be professionally photographed for the Society’s on-line museum. Watch this space.

Every cloud has one they say. Following the “demo” on 18th August my granddaughter and I went to the meeting at The Pilgrim. En route I met Heidi of Milbanke Close, with her children. She is one of the organisers and I thanked her and promised support to Protect Brislington’s Green Spaces.  At the pub we signed the petitions. Not that petitions do much good from my experience of working for a Member of Parliament.

The Pilgrim has Pillinger connections – the widowed Maria Pillinger (her husband was accidentally killed on Brislington Hill) was landlady there in the middle of the 19th century.

In the pub, I struck up a conversation with a kindred spirit, Jill Jacobs. Much to my surprise, after such a brief acquaintance, Jill thrust a sheaf of old photos into my hand and said she would trust them with me, until we should meet again.  I must have an honest face.

The photos were of the Burt family who lived in Brislington at the turn of the 20th century. I scanned the photos – see below. The family groups, Bob & Agnes Burt and their children were dated 1914 and 1905, making them ideal for census investigation.

In 1911, the family is listed as follows:

Robert Burt, head, married 36, bricklayer, born Bristol

Agnes Burt, wife, 37, born Wellington, Somerset, and their children:

Elsie, 14, scholar, born Taunton, Clifford, 13, scholar, born Taunton, Hilda, 11, scholar, born Taunton, Gladys, 10, scholar, born Bristol and Ivy, 8, born Bristol.

And here’s the surprise. They were living at Nelson’s Glory, Brislington. So what, you may say. Readers of The History of the Pillinger Family, Part 2, will know that Nelson’s Glory, in the 1820s was the abode of Henry Pillinger and his family! Synchronicity, or what?

So there we have Maria, the landlady of the Pilgrim and Henry at Nelson’s Glory, not to forget Julia from Bath in a previous post, I can’t help thinking that they’re all upstairs holding a Pillinger symposium to which they are trying to invite me. Not yet, I earnestly hope.

The following are the photographs of the Burt family:

In 1905: Mother : Agnes Burt. Father: Bob Burt

children from left to right Hilda, Ivy, Elsie, Gladys, Clifford.

In September, 1914:

Mother: Agnes Burt; Father Bob Burt and in between, Lena, the latest arrival.

adult children, from left to right: Hilda, Elsie, Cliff, Gladys, Ivy

Gladys Burt in 1922, with unnamed boy friend at Poplar House, School Road,  Brislington.

Bob Burt, 1935 at Poplar House.

Agnes Burt, with “Bob” – a grandson? and John Evans also at Poplar House

Agnes & the family dog, what a shame we don’t know its name.

Robert Burt married Agnes Thorne in 1897 at Wellington and by 1901 they were living at 34 Sandgate Road, Brislington. As a bricklayer, perhaps Bob had a hand in the building of these new houses. It must have been a recent move for as we have seen their children, aged 3, 2 & 1, Elsie, Clifford and Hilda, had all been born in Taunton.

In 1891 Robert, then about 14, was living at Road, Stoke St Mary, Taunton with his elder brother Albert (18) and widowed mother Sarah, aged 44. Though the two boys had been born in Bristol, Sarah’s birthplace was Old Cleeve in Somerset. Robert and Albert were the sons of Sarah’s marriage to Robert Burt and she had a previous son, William Tarr, born 1863.  Robert senior died in 1876, the same year that his son and namesake was born.  In 1881, Sarah, then 36, was living at 14 Kenilworth Terrace, St Philips, and working as a charwoman. Two of her sons were with her, William Tarr, aged 18, (a porter in a printing office who was born at Washford in Somerset) and young Robert, a scholar of five. Brother Albert, aged seven was staying at the time of the census with his paternal grandmother, Mary Ann Burt, aged 60, a widow, who was farming at Thurlbear in Somerset, assisted by her son, Andrew Burt.

In 1871, young William Tarr, aged seven, was a boarder at a house at St Decumans, Highbridge, belonging to a Sarah Sully, aged 68. Among other boarders was a John Burt, a freestone sawyer, born Montacute, but without further research I cannot say whether John Burt and Robert Burt senior were related or if this was simply coincidence.  Meanwhile, Robert, senior, 21, was living on his father’s farm, Netherclay, Thurlbear with six brothers and sisters. His father, Worthy Burt, born about 1823 married Mary Ann Williams at Taunton in 1847. Her father, Robert Williams, an “Ag lab” born 1789 was living with the family in 1871.  I have yet to establish with any certainty the whereabouts of Sarah Burt, formerly Tarr in 1871.  

In order to find more about Agnes Thorne, I would need her marriage certificate to discover her father’s name. So far, census searches have proved inconclusive.

The BAFHS open day will be held at the Severnside Suite, Thornbury Leisure Centre on 18th September. Come and Join us!

Along with my son and granddaughter, I was out on Wednesday 18th August with the “demo” which met at Victory Park to walk our fields draw attention to the shocking plan which would lay waste to our green spaces and allotments. The idea is to build NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX DWELLINGS thereon. I’ll write it again, so that you will know this is not a mistake. NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX.

It should have appeared with the last post, but owing to a Ghost in the Machine – didn’t.

A few weeks ago I was out with my daughter Celia and she pulled into a garage on Park Row for petrol. I noticed this plaque, on the wall: 

Though I once went through an “arty-farty” period and was vaguely aware of the actor William Macready that was about as far as it went. I was prompted, who knows through what agency, to take a photograph of the plaque. Having parked, we then strolled across the road to the Bristol University Theatre Collection (well worth a visit, especially if you have theatrical ancestors: http: //www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/) where I have every hope one day of discovering more about Lottie Moreton. (see previous blog about this unfortunate soubrette.)  

And that might have been that, except that I downloaded the photo and began idly to seek references to the “Macready Chutes”.

First up, 1841, and Sarah Macready, 50, “lessee of a theatre” was living in a lodging house in Queen Square, Bristol kept by Marianne Vickerman, aged 45.  Sarah, nee Desmond, an actress, was the second wife of William Macready, Manager of the Theatre Royal who had died on 11 April 1829, leaving her with “two orphans”.  (The famous actor William Macready was a son of the first marriage.)

The census of 1851 shows Sarah aged 58, “lessee of theatres” living at Walcot, Bath in the Assembly Rooms with her son in law James H. Chute, aged 41, who was proprietor of the establishment, born Stoke, Hampshire, his wife, (Sarah’s daughter), Mazzarina E., aged 26, born Swansea and their two sons William aged 5 and Henry, 2. A daughter aged 10 days was unnamed.

James Henry Chute and Mazzarina Emily Macready had been married at Westminster in the winter of 1844. Here then were the “Macready Chutes” of the plaque.

Sarah Macready’s obituary with details of her life and career appeared in the Bristol Mercury of 12 March 1853, her age given as 64.

I have so far been unable to locate the family in the 1861 census, but it is clear from advertisements that James Henry Chute was manager of the Theatre Royal at this time. On 2 June 1861 the “Royal Dramatic College” thanked him for donating a portrait of “W. Macready, sen., esq.”

James Henry took over the Princes Theatre in 1866. http: //www.its-behind-you.com/princesbristol.html 

In 1871, James Henry, now 60, “dramatic manager” and Mazzarina, 46, and five of their children between the ages of 20 and 6 years were residing at 2 Park Row, next to a school for the “deaf and dumb”. Henry, aged 2 in 1851, was now twenty two and an assistant house surgeon at the Bristol Infirmary.

Now here’s the surprise. Evidence of the voice from the ether that had prompted me to take the photo? Living with the Chutes was Julia Pillinger, aged 50, spinster, a music teacher. Visitors to this blog will know that I have studied, as far as possible, all the Pillingers in the World and though I can claim no specific relationship to Julia, she is as dear to me as all the rest. She will be found in my History of the Pillinger Family, Part 3, as a twig on the branch that came originally from Box, Wiltshire. Following the death of George Pillinger in Bath, his wife Julia decided to try her luck as a singer in Bristol. Her daughter, Julia junior was sent away to study music in London, one of the very few Pillingers who could boast any sort of education prior to the present era. On her return, mother and daughter set up a “School of Music” in Queen Square, at the same time giving concerts which are reported at length in the local newspapers of the day. I had been aware that Julia junior had lived with the Chutes, but had only noted them in passing, having no idea that they were so hugely important in the dramatic circles of Bristol. Thus from a lowly lodger, scratching a living as a music teacher, as I had imagined, Julia has jumped up the ladder of success in my estimation. And don’t forget Queen Square -  this must have been where Julia Pillinger, senior, apothecary’s widow and aspiring theatrical (by 1841, she was remarried to Richard Harris) struck up an acquaintance with Sarah Macready, the widow of an actor manager. And here’s another thing - Richard, was a “carver and gilder” surely this must mean that he made scenery for the Theatre Royal?  It seems the connection Pillinger-Harris-Macready-Chute continued for at least thirty years.     

You never know what you’ll find next. Family history is wonderful.

Julia Maria Pillinger died in the winter of 1876. Mr & Mrs Chute did not long survive her. Mazzarina died aged 54 in March 1878 of Bright’s disease and James Henry aged 67 of liver failure the following July. They were survived by six sons and three daughters, two of whom, George and James took over the management of the Princes Theatre.   

George Macready Chute and his wife Abigail Philomena were living at Cotham Gardens, Westbury on Trym in 1891. In 1901 they were in Sidmouth with their son Desmond, aged five. In 1911 they were in Folkestone whilst Desmond, now 15 was boarding at Downside School. Despite apparently no longer living in Bristol, George M.’s occupation throughout is “Theatrical Proprietor/Manager.” According to the plaque the family was associated with the Princes Theatre until 1931.

Who is the solemn little black boy standing next to the teacher, a rather severe looking Miss Emma Jane Martin, in the picture of the local Infants’ class, boys, on page 73 of  “Brislington” in The Images of England series?  He looks to be about  five or six years old. It is difficult to search without a name, and I am having to assume that he was British born as I can find no relevant child in the district whose place of birth is shown as West Indies, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Bermuda, USA, Africa, Gold Coast in the census of 1911.  

Who were his parents? A black family in our small village must have been unusual at the time, and known to everyone. How did he/they come to live here?

I am continually updating my book “Black Bristolians”, and I wonder if anybody can help with this mystery.

The Bristol Times is a supplement in the Evening Post which appears on Mondays. Recently, there has been correspondence about Bristol South Baths which was used for other activities rather the obvious. I sent my contribution which appeared on Monday 26th July

“Your letters about Bristol South Baths brought back memories happy and sad. As well as roller skating they used to have pantomimes there with the performers amazingly strutting their stuff across the boards laid out over the water. My mother took me and my little brother, by bus from Kingswood, in the early fifties. The strapping “principal boy” was a traditional thigh slapping female and perhaps the pantomime was “Dick Whittington” for I remember joining in singing the bizarre “Open the Door, Richard”.

As to roller skating, about six years later, when working as a petrol pump attendant at Jack Lamb’s Garage in Downend, I became friends with a boy called Barry Turton who worked in the butcher’s across the road. Once a week we would roar off on his motor bike, me on the back, through the freezing fog of the winter nights. Arriving at Bristol South we would join the queue to hire the unwieldy skates which had to be strapped on over your shoes. The most decrepit and ancient pair, with a broken leather toe piece and/or missing laces always seemed to be reserved for me. Some “posh” people had their own skates. What luxury! The noise was deafening: the shouts and screams as people fell over, the racket the wheels made on the wooden boards magnified by the ever present swimming pool echo. I was a useless skater and stuck close to the side but Barry, who was very handsome, treated his fans to an exhibition of fancy footwork in the middle of the arena.

The next summer I went away for six months travelling round Europe (I was a little ahead of my time) – and when I returned home in the autumn of 1959, I heard the tragic news that Barry had been accidentally killed in a motor-cycle accident. He was nineteen.”

Last night, the 28th July, I was delighted to receive a telephone call from Barry’s younger brother, Roger, who by coincidence is visiting the UK from Australia where he now lives. We were able to share a few more memories of Barry. He told me that his mother died a few years ago but that she would have been very happy to know that he is still remembered with affection. 

I recently received the following email:

My name is Brian Sheen. I am researching a Walter Brain the son of William Brain and Sarah Tripp nee Edwards, William was a Farmer a Publican and also a Mine owner.

Walter was living at home in the 1861 census for Stapleton Gloucester. There is no trace of him in the 1871 census yet in the 1881 census he and his (wife) plus 6 Children all born in Bath are there, Walter’s occupation is a furniture salesman, their youngest Thomas William being born © 1866 as I said in Bath.

Walter’s wife puts her name on the birth certificate of their daughter, (the line I’m tracing) Leonora Tamar as Annie Pettigrove Brain formerly Howes.

I have a copy of the marriage certificate for Annie Pettigrove daughter of Daniel Pettigrove and Hester (Esther) Hudd; the marriage took place in St Philip and Jacob Church July 20 1840 after Banns. Annie at the time was a minor.

I can find no trace of a marriage between Walter Brain and Annie Pettigrove nee Howes what so ever. I searched through www.freeBMD.co.uk and www.ancestory.co.uk, trying all sorts of spelling combinations for Brain and Howes, all to no avail.

As I said Annie has put her name on the birth certificate as if she were married to Walter Brain.

From your information on the Brain family; would you by any chance have anything on this Walter and Annie Brain of Bath please?

Thank you.

I replied:

Dear Brian

The Brain papers were left to me by my friend, the late Walter Anthony Brain who I knew as Tony. His name suggests that he belonged to the branch of the Brain family that you are researching. (I am descended from Hugh Brain who also came from the Bitton area.)

I have looked through Tony's lists and there is no Brain/Howes marriage shown. (I think your marriage for Annie Pettygrove Hudd is a red herring. The name Pettygrove is not unusual in the Kingswood district.) I have also checked the Bath Register Office index of marriages - no luck - and the births index which unlike 19th century FreeBMD gives the mother's maiden name. All the children were registered at Bath 1866-81, all Brain/Howes.

Walter was missing somewhere in 1871, perhaps on the road as he was a salesman, but I have found Annie in Devizes. I used the most unusual name among those she chose for her children (Flora) to do a search and found the family as follows:

Thomas Howes, head, married, innkeeper, Black Swan, 25 Market Place, wife Ann, and children Thomas, Rhoda, Tamar and Lilly. All were born Bitton except Lilly who was born Melbourne, Australia!  Visiting were Annie Brain, daughter, 25, Thomas W. Brain, grandson, 4 and Flora L Brain, granddaughter, 2, plus several servants.

I can't throw any light on Walter's whereabouts in 1871 - or why (apparently) he and Annie did not marry. It would seem to suggest that one or other had a previous marriage, but so far I have drawn a blank on this too.  Could they have been in Australia at some time with Annie's family?

If you have not already done so, I would suggest you might it helpful to join the Bristol & Avon Family History Society where you are likely to find other Brain researchers as the name is common in our area and fairly localised to Kingswood. See also Brain and Howes in the alphabetical lists in my Kingswood Index. See top of this website.

I have received the following email:

As direct descendants of the subject: Quaker mother and daughter, my family owns an original painting of one of these ladies when she was probably in her early twenties.  The husband of EBB, John Burgwin of Wilmington NC USA, had his portrait done in England by Boston native John Copley (recently gifted to the North Carolina Museum of Fine Art) who was an academy contemporary of Sir Joshua Moore.  I am wondering if you might be able to help me prove the painting's subject and artist.  Please contact me by email in this specific regard at your earliest convenience.  In addition, I am most interested in any information on related Bristol families including: Bush, Moore, Burgwin, etc.  Thank you for this and all you do to preserve family legacies.

Michael Denton
Richmond, Virginia, USA

Dear Michael

I would suggest you contact the Royal Academy or the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery with a copy of the portrait to see if they can offer any advice. As to “information on related Bristol families” – this is a very wide remit, particularly as two of the names are not rare. I have forwarded your email to a professional genealogist who specialises in Bristol families who may be able to help you.  I think you may find it advantageous to join the Bristol & Avon Family History Society where you may discover others researching your family.

I have put this correspondence on the blog it case anybody can help.

Good hunting!