Taunton, Somerset

Meeting my Great Grandparents

My name is Margret Russell. My maiden name was Margret Lewis. I live in Australia.
My father Wilfred Charles Lewis was born in Taunton Somerset. His maternal grandparents were Martha (nee Harris) and Samuel Critchard who were from Kingston St Mary where they raised a family of eight daughters and one son.
Martha and Samuel operated the Norton Fitzwarren Post... [more]

maternal family history and onwards dictated by my mum age 84

My name is Hilda Mary Fenn nee Hurman. I was born at Yarford in 1924. My father was William Thomas Hurman, my mother Caroline Elizabeth nee Tucker. They are buried in the village churchyard. My two sisters and I were all married in the village church in 1952 and had receptions in the village hall. As children we attended the village... [more]

Post Office West Monkton

I lived here from around 1952 until the late 1960s with my parents RF and WM Marsh who ran the Post Office and Stores. My father used to deliver groceries to customers over quite a wide area, some of whom lived in Coombe (in another photo) and some lived across fields further into the hills where geese used to try to... [more]

Monkton House

I lived with my family in this house for a few months when we first arrived in England from Northern Ireland, it was being renovated by one "Gassy" Harris and was full of the smell of sawn timber. A few years back I revisited the house briefly and met with someone who I think was doing some temporary gardning, though... [more]

The Village Stores

Our family, that is father Stan, mother Eve and five of we children moved in 1952 to this shop from our farm in North Devon. We were a general store, delivering papers and general goods to the surrounding area. After helping Dad for a year in the shop I was fortunate in securing a apprenticeship as a compositor on The Somerset... [more]

Pear Tree Cottage Greenway

We used to visit my grandparents on Sundays. Quite often during the Spring we would drive through the flooded levels and see boats on the water.  I remember wanting desperately to go for a ride in one!  It didn't happen.  My Grandfather was Charles Perry who was a stonemason and Grandma's name was Laura. They had 4 children, Rose, George (known... [more]

Combe Florey Primary School

The village school in Combe Florey closed in about 1958 I believe, it exists as a private house now, but I can still remember the mile long walk to and from it, through the lanes every morning and afternoon. Mum would accompany us with younger siblings in a big green metal pushchair, so for her it was twice the distance.... [more]