Within my large collection of old photos, I have a smaller collection of old wedding photos through the ages.

This is just one old postcard photo I bought at the recent Festival of Cards, just because I loved the cake. It had a name label on the cake with a date, so I was hopeful I might be able to identify whose cake it had been and learn more about her.

So there were two names. On the back, it says ’Miss E Scott’. Could she have been known as ‘Ettie’ or something similar? So I first looked up Beatrice A Scott on FreeBMD, and there was just the one in the last quarter of 1913, and that was registered in Taunton, Somerset, and she married a chap called Tom Perrott.

When I started a family tree for the couple and started adding various records and family I found the actual marriage record and that did indeed confirm that they married on 7 October 1913.

This is the family story of Beatrice Annie Scott and her family, a story rooted in Devon and Somerset, spanning the late Victorian era through to the modern 20th century. It is a story of a large working family, of service, marriage, motherhood, and endurance across changing times.

The Scott Family.

Beatrice Annie Scott was born on 1 February 1883 in Burlescombe, Devon. She was the daughter of William Scott (born December 1842 in Burlescombe) and Harriet Larcombe (born 12 November 1844 in Nettlecombe, Somerset).

Her parents were married on 16 May 1869 in Bedminster, Somerset. Together they raised a remarkably large family of fourteen children over eighteen years.

William worked as a railway porter and later a foreman, while Harriet managed the home and children. Their life was rooted in working-class Victorian England, moving between Somerset and Devon.

Harriet was the daughter of Francis John Larcombe and Elizabeth Routley. She spent her early life in Somerset before marrying and starting her own large household.

Fourteen Children.

Beatrice grew up in a bustling household filled with siblings. Her older brothers and sisters were:

1 Florence Annie Elizabeth (born 1871 – died 1962)

2 Edith Harriet (1871–1952)

Birth Records.

I had suspicions over several of the children at first, because as I was adding records to the family, thinking that maybe I had found more than one set of twins. But then I realised it wasn’t that, but just the fact that William and Harriet hadn’t registered all their children within the 42 day/6 week window.

They also listed the mother’s maiden name as Sercombe, not Larcombe, maybe to muddy the waters a bit more.

Before the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1874, birth registration in England and Wales operated under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1836, which introduced civil registration from 1837.

Births were expected to be registered within 42 days (six weeks), but there was no effective enforcement or penalty for failing to do so.

As a result, registration relied largely on parents or informants taking the initiative, and many births were either registered late or not recorded at all.

Although late registration was generally permitted, sometimes months or even years after the event, it could involve additional steps or declarations.

In practice, parish baptism records often served as a more reliable source of evidence for births during this period due to the inconsistency of civil registration.

To prove my point and satisfy my curiosity, I ordered 2 digital birth certificates. One for Alice Ann Scott and one for William Alfred Scott.

3 Alice Ann (1873–1955)

4 William Alfred (1872–1933)

I believe Williams’ birth was much earlier in 1872 than stated on this birth record.

5 Francis Henry (1874–1952)

6 Helena (1876–1932)

7 Frederick James (1876–1960)

8 Miriam Sercombe (9 May 1877–1956)

9 Eveline (24 December 1877–1943)

10 Beatrice herself was followed closely by her sister, 11 Lilian May, born on 21 May 1884.

Younger siblings included:

12 Arthur Gladstone (1887–1961)

13 Ethel Littlejohn (1888–1965)

14 Walter James (1890–1973)

In 1891, the family was living in Culmstock, Devon, where Beatrice was recorded as a daughter in the household.

Leaving Home & Working Life.

By 1901, at the age of 18, Beatrice had left the family home and was working as a servant in Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset.

In 1911, she was working as a parlourmaid domestic in Farnborough, Hampshire. Like many women of her time, domestic service was her main occupation before marriage.

That same year, her mother Harriet died at the age of 67. Her father William was left a widower after 42 years of marriage.

Marriage to Tom Perrett.

On 7 October 1913, at the age of 30, Beatrice married Tom Perrett in Heathfield, Somerset. The marriage was also registered in Taunton in October 1913.

The couple began their married life in Somerset, living in places including Hillcommon near Taunton and later Oake.

Tom Perrett was born on 26 February 1885 in Hillfarrance, Somerset, the son of Elizabeth and Joseph.

When the couple married, he was a gardener; by 1921, he was a Platelayer for the Railway, and later in 1939, he was a Maintenance and Repair Staff, Permanent, Way Patrolman (Heavy Worker). He died in March 1981 in Taunton, Somerset, at the age of 96.

Family Life.

Beatrice and Tom had two children:

Alex Scott Perrett was born on 23 January 1917 in Wellington, Somerset. He married Beatrice Daisy Slocombe in April 1942 in Taunton, Somerset; they had no children. He died on 22 June 2009 in Taunton, Somerset, at the age of 92.

Eileen E Perrett, born 22 October 1920 in Hillfarrance, Somerset. She never married and died in March 2006 in Taunton, Somerset, at the age of 85.

By 1921, the family was living in Oake, Somerset, where Beatrice was recorded as carrying out home duties.

In 1939, she was still living in Somerset, described as performing unpaid domestic duties.

Loss & Change.

In January 1921, Beatrice’s father William Scott died in Wellington, Somerset, aged 75.

Over the years, Beatrice experienced the loss of many of her siblings:

• Helena (1932, Isle of Wight)
• William Alfred (1933, Manchester)
• Eveline (1943, Somerset)
• Edith Harriet (1952, New Zealand)
• Francis Henry (1952, Somerset)
• Alice Ann (1955, Croydon)
• Miriam Sercombe (1956, Taunton)
• Lilian May (1959, Taunton)
• Frederick James (1960, Bristol)
• Arthur Gladstone (1961, Swindon)
• Florence Annie Elizabeth (1962, Taunton)
• Ethel Littlejohn (1965, Newport, Wales)

One by one, the large family she had grown up in gradually passed away.

Later Years.

Beatrice lived through immense historical change, from Victorian England into the modern post-war world. Despite these changes, her life remained centred on home and family.

Beatrice died on 19 June 1966 in Taunton, Somerset, at the age of 83.

The life of Beatrice Annie Scott reflects the experience of many women of her time, born into large families, working in service, marrying later, and dedicating their lives to home and family.

Through her children and extended family, her legacy continued long after her death.

Family Summary

Beatrice Annie Scott
Born: 1 February 1883, Burlescombe, Devon
Died: 19 June 1966, Taunton, Somerset

Parents
William Scott (1846–1921)
Harriet Larcombe (1844–1911)

Spouse
Tom Perrett (1885–1981)
Married: 7 October 1913, Heathfield, Somerset

Children
Alex Scott Perrett (1917–2009)
Eileen E Perrett (1920–2006)

Siblings (selected)
Florence Annie Elizabeth Scott (1871–1962)
Edith Harriet Scott (1871–1952)
Alice Ann Scott (1873–1955)
William Alfred Scott (1873–1933)
Francis Henry Scott (1874–1952)
Helena Scott (1876–1932)
Frederick James Scott (1876–1960)
Miriam Sercombe Scott (1877–1956)
Eveline Scott (1877–1943)
Lilian May Scott (1883–1959)
Arthur Gladstone Scott (1887–1961)
Ethel Littlejohn Scott (1888–1965)
Walter James Scott (1890–1973)

Direct link to public family tree on Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/tree/210001108/family?cfpid=162766325943

You can contact me either by commenting here or via email at lynnswaffles@gmail.com 

Till next time then……….