Laburnum Terrace

George & Gertrude Beard of 20 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

George Albert and Gertrude Isobel Beard moved into the house about 1928/29.  In 1927 they had been listed as living at Lower Lodge, Bristol Road.  We know that they had a son Kenneth by this time as the Council School register shows that Kenneth Beard, the son of George A Beard was accepted on the roll.

We don’t know much about George and Gertrude's early life.  We know that George Albert Beard fought in World War One.  Mrs Beard told us that her husband was gassed and was “never the same.”  When she died, we acquired a German rifle and helmet from her cellar that appeared to date from this period.  After several years, we discarded the helmet that had lost all its straps etc and was rusty and battered.  We kept the rifle until the police destroyed it in 2005 when we asked them if it would be alright if we gave the rifle to Thornbury Museum.

George and Gertrude got married in Gloucester in 1921.  Gertrude's married name was Keyse.  Their son, Kenneth G.T. was born in Gloucester in 1922.

We have heard slightly different versions of Mr Beard’s employment but it seems certain that he drove a steam driven lorry.  We have a photograph of this kind of vehicle in Thornbury at the time, given to us by Ken Worsley whose father worked for the Council and who appears in the photograph.  Ken says that he remembers that Mr Beard also worked for the Council.

Henry Smith who lived as a young lad at number 20 remembers that when George worked for the Council, he had an accident resulting from a slip on ice which caused an injury which prevented him from returning to work with the Council.

George Beard seems to have had a great interest in motors.  Mrs Excell and others remembered that George and his son used the garage on land opposite the Pitchers, which was later incorporated into Dick Shipp’s garage and sale room.  Apparently George repaired car engines there.

For more about the Beard family click here. 

This page was last updated: 14/05/2008