UPDATE 22.11.2021. I received this super message from Jo this morning with such lovely information about the Scudamore Family: “Thoroughly enjoyed your piece on the Scudamore’s of Downend and Bromley Heath. I grew up in the area and knew the Scudamore family. I kept my horse on their land, so would see them most days. Adrian and William Cuthella (we knew him as Curly) worked on the market garden all hours, they could always be seen in the fields tending their crops with their old tractors. I remember they grew the most amazing vegetables, and would often give me a cabbage or something to take home. They were really the most lovely, kind, gentle men, who always had the time to talk to you, they loved nature. I often came across Curly, asleep by the river, or sat quietly just watching nature.

William Cuthella did marry in 1944, name transcribed incorrectly as Sendamore, he married Marion J Gowing, and had 2 boys. This is the Marion who you thought maybe a cousin. I know both boys married and had children. (Boys names were Norman & Julius)

The daughter of Adrian Scudamore (born John William Adrian & wife Beryl (Hawkins) had two daughters Jane & Helen), developed the old farm houses/some of the land, in early 2000, and built some new houses. I remember the old farm well, it was an absolute wonder, full of old farm machinery and things, l it was like being in a time warp, and stepping back in time. The farm houses were quite dilapidated by then. Both Adrian and Curly moved into new houses built on the land. I think Curly’s sons must be still around somewhere, and a son of Godfrey’s lives on the land. (Godfrey William Richard & his wife Josephine (Whittern) had a son Nicholas & a daughter Eva) So hopefully, someone will contact you regarding the photographs, if they haven’t done so already.

Your article brought back many happy memories of my childhood/teenage years, of the endless days spent in the fields, by the river, with our horses and friends. Wonderful times.“

I have added the extra information to Jo’s message in bold above and also added this information to the Scudamore family tree I have on Ancestry.

This is the last part of the Blogs about Alex’s old photos. Now you find out that all 125 of them once belonged to Alexander Claud William Scudamore. Alex lived most of his life in the Downend area of Bristol. The family home was called ‘Fir Shade’ in some of Alex’s photos and then changed. So I believe they moved to The Laurels all together and into their later years, it was quite a large house as there are many of them listed in the electoral registers, they also started to run a Market Garden from The Laurels, more on that later.

How amazing that he must have been going through his old photos on several occasions and decided to write not just an explanation, but his thoughts and feelings too, on the back of each one. Oh how I wish everyone did this! What a gift he has left for future generations. I really wish and hope that I can find someone among the family’s descendants who will cherish this collection and give them a permanent home.

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He seems a very gentle thoughtful man, some of his comments are very personal, more like he’s writing a diary of his life. Alex loved to write poetry when he had days out (sadly none was with this collection of photos) and he also played the Violin. Most of his poems he says were written in the log kept in Tubby’s car, so somewhere someone may have them or they will have been discarded.

The Scudamore Holiday Bungalow at Walton Bay.

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The slopes over Walton Bay have changed a lot since then, now mostly residential mobile homes, the area all along the coast there looks very nice when you wander with Google Street. Great views.

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Lots more info here about the Church mentioned on the back of the last photo above of Alex Scudamore, thanks to Michael Hudd, researcher of The St Stephen’s story 1904-2004. Soundwell, Bristol: https://www.saintstephensoundwell.org/uploads/5/7/1/7/57171245/st._stephens_-_the_first_hundred_years.pdf

This is a screenshot above of the Arnold family that are buried here, information from https://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?grave=449308 The company was Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd, High Street and Station Road, Wickwar, Gloucestershire.

So who were Alex’s family. Alexander Claud William Scudamore.

Father Albert William Scudamore was born in Apr 1870 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom as the fifth child of William Scudamore and Hannah Werrett (SCUDAMORE, ALBERT WILLIAM WERRETT GRO Reference: 1870 J Quarter in CHIPPING SODBURY Volume 06A Page 176 ) He had seven siblings, namely: Herbert William, Sidney Richard William, Ada Mary, Frank, Amy Hannah, William, and William Daniel. When he was 25, he married Edith Clare Haskins, daughter of Thomas Ho/askins and Frances Ho/askins, in Oct 1895 in Highworth, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. He died in Aug 1928 registered in Keynsham, Somerset, England.

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Albert William Scudamore lived in Chipping Sodbury, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England in the 1871 census. He lived in Gloucester, St James, Barton St Mary, Bristol, Gloucestershire in 1891, and in 1901 and then in Mangotsfield, England in 1911. He was buried on 13 Aug 1928 in Yate, St Mary, Gloucestershire, England.

Albert William Scudamore and Edith Clare Haskins had the following children:

Norman Raleigh Werrett Scudamore was born in 1896 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, NORMAN RALEIGH WERRETT HASKINS GRO Reference: 1896 D Quarter in CHIPPING SODBURY Volume 06A Page 207 ) Norman was a Master Tailor and I’ve not found any marriage for him. Norman served in WW1 :

Name Norman Roryleigh (Raleigh) Werrett Scudamore
Military Year 1914-1920
Rank Corporal
Unit 23rd (County of London) Battalion
Company WO 329
Regiment or Corps London Regiment
Regiment Number 703880
Medal Awarded British War Medal and Victory Medal

Norman died on 10 Feb 1978 at Welsman, Princes Street, Bristol, Gloucestershire, was it a residential home?

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Amy Edith Mary Scudamore was born in Jun Q 1898 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, AMY EDITH MARY HACKINS GRO Reference: 1898 J Quarter in CHIPPING SODBURY Volume 06A Page 198 ). She died in Sep Q 1898 in Barton Regis, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, AMY EDITH MARY 0 GRO Reference: 1898 S Quarter in BARTON REGIS Volume 06A Page 111 )
Coral Winnifred Hannah Scudamore was born on 30 May 1899 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, CORAL WINIFRED HANNAH HASKINS GRO Reference: 1899 S Quarter in BRISTOL Volume 06A Page 197 ). Coral married Roland Lacey on 21 Apr 1928 in Bristol, Englandhe had been born in Cookham, Berkshire. They had two sons Michael and Peter. Roland died on 1 October 1970 and Coral died in Jun 1986 in Bristol. They lived at 44 Neville Rd, Bishopston, Bristol, Gloucestershire.

Alexander Claud William Scudamore was born on 05 Apr 1901 in Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, ALEXANDER CLAUDE WILLIAM HASKINS GRO Reference: 1901 J Quarter in BRISTOL Volume 06A Page 210 ). As far as I am aware he never married or had any children. He died in Apr 1970 in Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England.

Rollo William Ethelbert Scudamore was born on 09 Aug 1903 in Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England (SCUDAMORE, ROLLS WILLIAM ETHELBERT HASKINS GRO Reference: 1903 S Quarter in BRISTOL Volume 06A Page 212 ) Godfrey married Dora in the summer of 1939 and they had four children Raphael 1940, Naomi 1942, Mauvourneen 1944 and Godwyn in 1951. Rollo died on 13 Dec 1973 in Fox Glade, Cleeve Hill, Downend, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Dora died in 1998 in Bristol.

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Godfrey William Richard Scudamore was born on 21 Apr 1907 in Keynsham, Somerset, England (SCUDAMORE, GODFREY WILLIAM RICHARD HASKINS GRO Reference: 1907 J Quarter in KEYNSHAM Volume 05C Page 534 ) He married Josephine E Whittern in Jul 1941 in Kingswood, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. They had two children Eva 1942 and Nicholas 1944 the children were born in Sodbury, Gloucestshire. Godfrey died on 28 Nov 1964 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire and Josephine died in Bristol on 7 Nov 2006 she was almost 97 being born on 20 Nov 1909.

William Cuthilla Scudamore was born on 09 Feb 1909 in Keynsham, Somerset, England (SCUDAMORE, WILLIAM CUTHELLA HASKINS GRO Reference: 1909 M Quarter in KEYNSHAM Volume 05C Page 496 ) I found no marriage for him or any children. He died on 01 Nov 2001 in South Gloucester, England and Wales.

Interesting to see a mention of the great Cricketer W.G.Grace above, ‘W. G. Grace was born in Downend, near Bristol, on 18 July 1848 at his parents’ home, Downend House, and was baptised at the local church on 8 August. He was called Gilbert in the family circle, except by his mother, who apparently called him Willie, but otherwise, as “W. G.”, he was universally known by his initials. His parents were Henry Mills Grace and Martha (née Pocock), who were married in Bristol on Thursday, 3 November 1831 and lived out their lives at Downend, where Henry Grace was the local GP. Downend is near Mangotsfield and, although it is now a suburb of Bristol, it was then “a distinct village surrounded by countryside” and about four miles from Bristol‘. Info from Wikipedia.

John William Adrian Scudamore was born on 29 Sep 1911 in Keynsham, Somerset, England (SCUDAMORE, JOHN WILLIAM ADRIAN HASKINS GRO Reference: 1911 D Quarter in KEYNSHAM Volume 05C Page 920 ). John married Beryl J Hawkins in Jul 1945 in Kingswood, Gloucestershire. They had two daughters, Jane in 1947 and Helen in 1948. John died on 12 Apr 2008 in Bristol, Gloucestershire.

Bromley Heath Farm Market Garden. In 1944 William Cuthella and brother John William, and later with William’s wife Beryl took over Bromley Heath Farm and ran a Market Garden there for over 50 years. In the Electoral registers of 1953 there is also a Marion Scudamore living there with them (A cousin maybe?) In the 1939 Register below Godfrey was also a Markert Gardener, then he married Josephine in 1941, the couple lived at the Old Mill, Hambrook only less than 3 miles from Downend. So I presume he also continued to be involved in the Market Garden with his two brothers. I am also wondering if Alex joined his brothers with the Market Garden as he does say that he was a travelling salesman for the Monumental Masons Company for just three and a half years.

This is the 1939 Register record of the Scudamore family home:

It looks like the Market Garden was started here by the brothers at ‘Fir Shade’ (The Laurels) and then continued at Bromley Farm in 1944.

Household members (8 people)Living at No 2 & 3 The Laurels, Dial Lane, Mangotsfield.

Clara E (Edith C) Scudamore 24 Dec 1871 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Widowed 341 1
Norman R W Scudamore 28 Sep 1896 Male Master Tailor Single 341 2
Richard G W (Godfrey W R) Scudamore 21 Apr 1907 Male Market Gardener Own Account Single 341 3
ALEX: William A C Scudamore 05 Apr 1901 Male Traveller Monumental Master Single 341 4
Ethelbert R W (Rollo William) Scudamore 09 Aug 1903 Male Timber Merchant Own Account Married 341 5
Adrian John William Scudamore 29 Sep 1911 Male Market Gardener Own Account Single 341 6
William Cuthella Scudamore 09 Feb 1909 Male Market Gardener Own Account Single 341 7
Dora Thomas Scudamore 01 Jan 1908 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 341 8

I found a super map with lots of information about the area the family lived in: Mangotsfield, Downend and mentioning Bromley Heath Farm ‘Parish Trails’ via South Gloucestershire Council: https://hosted.southglos.gov.uk/acrobat/easyaccess2/downend.pdf The brothers market garden gets a mention on page 4.

I have made a small family tree on Ancestry of the family Scudamore, here’s the direct link : https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/tree/177642051/settings/info

Some photos of Cousins of Alex:

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These last few old photos need no words from me as Alex has written about them so well.

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The lasts words I leave to Alex “I am still the master of my own destiny A/S”

I still have one small puzzle about the family to solve, I haven’t yet managed to confirm Mother Edith Clare Haskins/Hoskins family. I could send for possible Edith Birth certs or their marriage cert but they’re not my family so if you can help that would be great. Also there is a small old photo in Alex’s collection here below that is also a mystery!!

The question also I have is, was Alex’s Mother born by a different surname? I’ve followed many leads for her birth but not come up with one I am totally certain about yet, despite having her birth date via the 1939 Register. I feel if I could find more about Cicley, above, then I might find out more about Edith. I shall keep looking! I have her parents as Thomas and Frances Hoskins on the tree as they seem the most likely but I cannot confirm this for sure without certs.

I have also been trying to find a connection between this Scudamore Family and another family of the same name that I researched back in August 2019 ‘Rosemary Anne Scudamore’ (3 Blogs) although some Ancestors in both families came from Somerset I haven’t found the connection yet, surely there has to be one…..doesn’t there??

Hope you’ve all enjoyed the story that Alex’s old photos tell.

Till next time then………..