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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Gloucestershire => Topic started by: double-trouble on Saturday 30 December 23 11:19 GMT (UK)
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Hi all , looking for a little help on a name that popped up yesterday on the 1939 register .
I purchased info . on Mabel ( b . 1895 ) and Joseph Helman ( b . 1886 ) who are shown to be living at the Brock Holt Post Office Telephone Exchange , Thornbury R . D . Glouc .
Having searched various maps from the time last night and this morning I am yet to find the name of Brock Holt the area .
I followed the old railway line thinking it should read HALT , but found nothing . Could it be misspelt and read BRICK ? I've looked but still nothing . I looked along the Gloucester Rd towards Gloucester and Bristol thinking that a telephone exchange may be near to the main road , but still found nothing .
Any thoughts or info . would be appreciated . Possibly local knowledge where the name is known .
Appreciate any help and an early Happy New Year .
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"Brockholt" is written like that in inverted commas, so I would assume it is the name of the residence, the same as others on the page.
Debra :D
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Although Thornbury appears at the top of the page, that's the R.D. - Rural District. The addresses appear to be in Almondsbury, including The Hill. So I suspect it will be round there somewhere (but I haven't spotted it).
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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295395823117
No year for this picture.
Debra :D
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Thanks for replies..still looking through maps at the moment . I've looked from the A38 Filton through to Alveston via Almondsbury and beyond towards far end of Thornbury Town ( Crossways ) .
It will pop up somewhere..probably not when I'm looking for it . Thankyou
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The Swan Hotel.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw0/
Go straight ahead, turn right up Red House Lane to The Hill and "The Red House" at the top of Red House Lane occupied in 1939 by Edwin PRICE, master baker and confectioner.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01svz/
The Post Office would have been around there, probably on the main road.
Debra :D
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I can't see Brock Holt either, but it does seem to be in Almondsbury parish.
There is a grave in Almondsbury parish churchyard, possibly for the parents or other relatives with a stone that has/had the inscription;
In loving memory of
Joseph Helman
who died September 30th 1902
Aged 63 years
“Oh what the joy and the glory must be
those endless Sabbaths the blessed ones see
Crown for the valiant, to weary ones rest
God shall be all & in all ever blessed”.
Also of Sarah Ann
the beloved wife of the above
who died May 9th 1924
Aged 87 years.
Here's the link in case there are any more people of interest there;
https://almondsburychurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Almondsbury-Graves.pdf
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If you do a Google search on Brockholt, Almondsbury you also get a couple of archive hits for Bockholt?
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Thanks for replies..still looking through maps at the moment . I've looked from the A38 Filton through to Alveston via Almondsbury and beyond towards far end of Thornbury Town ( Crossways ) .
It will pop up somewhere..probably not when I'm looking for it . Thankyou
Are you searching using Know Your Place?
www.kypwest.org.uk
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Yes via Bristol KYP..fantastic site that I use all the time .
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Another possible location for the post office in Almondsbury is here, dated c.1960:
https://www.francisfrith.com/almondsbury/almondsbury-the-post-office-c1960_a103036
This isn't the same as the one on the eBay postcard, but most of it is still there - adjusting the angle a bit on one of the links Debra gave gives this:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw1/
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Sat in the Swan Inn there a few times a few years back..strange , and never knew .
Of course though it might not be the place .
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Interspersed with various residences on "The Hill" the sequence is...
The Swan Hotel
Amesbury House
The Red House
"Brockholt", Post Office telephone exchange, Almondsbury
Memorial Hospital
I have given links for the hotel and The Red House.
Amesbury House still has signage on the gate.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw2/
The hospital is now a private residence and is further up Gloucester Road.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw3/
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/property/old-almondsbury-hospital-now-mansion-4655810
Joseph was born in Almondsbury and had lived there all of his life.
Debra :D
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Interspersed with various residences on "The Hill" the sequence is...
The Swan Hotel
Amesbury House
The Red House
"Brockholt", Post Office telephone exchange, Almondsbury
Memorial Hospital
In view of that, I wonder if Brockholt/the PO was somewhere near what's marked as the Police Station on this map:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/109729336
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The 1921-1943 ( Bristol KYP ) map clearly shows those properties mentioned ( alongwith the police station ) and also inc . the post office opp . side of the road . I wonder if the Brock Holt ( as a name ) was the name given to the house next door or very near ??
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Interspersed with various residences on "The Hill" the sequence is...
The Swan Hotel
Amesbury House
The Red House
"Brockholt", Post Office telephone exchange, Almondsbury
Memorial Hospital
I have given links for the hotel and The Red House.
Amesbury House still has signage on the gate.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw2/
The hospital is now a private residence and is further up Gloucester Road.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw3/
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/property/old-almondsbury-hospital-now-mansion-4655810
Joseph was born in Almondsbury and had lived there all of his life.
Debra :D
Think it is a very short distance along from here and near to the post office on the old maps which is on the opposite side of the road . The 1921 - 1943 map prev . mentioned , shows the telephone exchange ( without naming it ) and the Memorial Hospital with the P.O between and opp . as said .
May have been one of the smaller cottages still in situ / very near today ( ref . map links on google 0 .
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Another possible location for the post office in Almondsbury is here, dated c.1960:
https://www.francisfrith.com/almondsbury/almondsbury-the-post-office-c1960_a103036
This isn't the same as the one on the eBay postcard, but most of it is still there - adjusting the angle a bit on one of the links Debra gave gives this:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw1/
The four circular anchor plates are still there.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw7/
Debra :D
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Another possible location for the post office in Almondsbury is here, dated c.1960:
https://www.francisfrith.com/almondsbury/almondsbury-the-post-office-c1960_a103036
This isn't the same as the one on the eBay postcard, but most of it is still there - adjusting the angle a bit on one of the links Debra gave gives this:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw1/
Hi Debra...like I said the strange thing is I've had drinks in the Swan a couple of times a few years ago , and stayed in the Almondsbury Hotel to the left of the pub as you approach the M5.The P.O on the map years I gave yesterday , show a post office approx . 200 yards up from this point on the opposite side of the roar with cottages dotted around it . The defining answer is out there and am going to look at Thornbury / Bristol libraries in 6 weeks or so to see if there are any directories for the area..you never know .
The four circular anchor plates are still there.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw7/
Debra :D
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There is also this undated image
https://jbarchive.co.uk/products/gl-2186-almondsbury-post-office-gloucestershire
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Apologies - I hadn't explored the KYP map far enough northwards to see the post office. Anyway, I've now found it and looked at it on Google street view. I'm pretty certain that this is the same building as on the eBay postcard that Debra linked to in Reply #3. To save anyone having to scroll back to find it, this is the postcard:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295395823117
And this, I think, is the same building today, in the position shown on the KYP 1921-1943 map:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01sw8/
The next door building has been blurred, but you can see it clearly by moving around or by switching to the June 2016 view.
Posted by Nic. while I was typing:
There is also this undated image
https://jbarchive.co.uk/products/gl-2186-almondsbury-post-office-gloucestershire
This is the same picture as on the eBay postcard - a bit bigger here and zoomable too.
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I did the search yesterday from the given link and came up with that modern day look building and pos . one showing scaffolding with lorry outside . From the maps I gave details of , the post office and telephone exchange are shown and so am confident the spot is correct .
When in the area , a knock on the door may provide additional help . I have looked through local books of Almondsbury pics and although post office buildings are shown from surrounding villages , sadly not here at Almondsbury . Thankyou for replies .
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Side by side, then and now. You can see that the partial rocky fence line matches the Ebay photo.
Debra :D
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This is an earlier one but you can pick out some matching features.
Debra :D
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However at some stage it must have moved if the Frith photo was taken c1960. As I said earlier you can see the anchor plates in the wall and this is the one next to the Swan.
Debra :D
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This is from a Newspaper index hit in The British Newspaper Archive ( I don't have a sub currently to see full article) and describes the double fronted cottage, Brockholt (and fits with the 1939 Register)
Western Daily Press, Saturday 01 September 1945
... Hill, with good garden, containing 5 rooms occupied by Mr Robbins. Lot 2. The adjoining Doublefronted Cottage known as Brockholt,'' containing 7 rooms, let to the Postmaster-General as Telephone Exchange. Notice will be given for the tenancy this lot ...
Western Daily Press , Saturday 08 September 1945
... Sunnyslde. or No. 79. Almondsbury Hill, with good Garden, occupied Mr Rosser. Lot 2.—The adjoining Doublefronted Cottage. Brockholt, 7 rooms let to the Postmaster-General as a Telephone Exchange. Notice will be given for the tenancy of this lot to expire ...
Cheers
AMBLY
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Ambly and Dundee , you've certainly moved this on and looks like you've pinpointed the post office and with pictures . Thankyou for the work you've put in .