GLOUCESTER ROAD

Coombe Cottage - The Reeves Family

The Electoral Roll shows that by 1921 Percy Reeves had moved into a house in Gloucester Road which we believe to be Coombe Cottage.  They were to live in the house for the next 40 years.

Percy Reeves was born in 1889.  Based upon the 1901 Census details, he was the son of Eliza Ann Reeves.  In the 1891 Census Percy was one year old and living in Pullins Green, Oldbury with his uncle, George Reeves, and his wife, Bessie Ann (nee Savery). 

Percy's mother, Eliza, married George Cole in 1894.  The 1901 Census shows that at the age of 11 Percy was living with his stepfather George Cole a carter and his wife, Elizabeth.  George and Elizabeth had two other children at this time Evelyn Cole aged 4 and Edith Cole aged 9 months.

On 27th January 1908 Percy joined the Army in the Gloucester Regiment.  He was described as a farm labourer aged 18 years 2 months, height 5ft 8 inches, weight 126 lbs, chest 36.5 inches with 2.5 inch range with a fresh complexion, brown hair and grey eyes.  We don't know how long Percy served in the Army at that time, but he was transferred to the Army Reserve.  When the First World War started he was mobilized again on 5th August 1914 and he served in France.  His army papers mention the Army Service Corps.  He was demobbed on 22nd April 1919.  He was awarded the 1914 Star campaign medal, often called the Mons Star.  This medal was only awarded to those expeditionary forces who served in France from the outbreak of War to 22/23rd November 1914.

On 12th June 1920 Percy married Edith Worsley.  Edith was born in the March quarter of 1890, the daughter of James Worsley, a roadman and his wife, Hester, who lived at Easton Hill. 

Percy Reeves was described as a labourer when his children were baptised and as a brickmaker according to the marriages records of his daughters.  We understand he worked at the Cattybrook Brick Works.

Percy and Edith had a daughter Edith Hester on 26th March 1921 who started school at the National School (now called St Mary's School) in Thornbury in 1924.  She was at school there until 1935 when she left to start work.  Edith married Thomas Alfred Bennett in 1942 and was a cook at Thornbury Grammar School until she died at the early age of 23 in July 1944.

On 15th July 1922 a son Donald was born and he started too at the National School in 1926.  In later life Donald and his wife Margaret lived at 2 Pullins Green.  Click here to read more

Percy and Edith's second daughter Dorothy was born 26th April 1924 and she started school at the National School in 1928.  Dorothy married Douglas King, the son of Walter and Eliza King of Laburnum House in Gloucester Road.  Click here to read more

Their fourth child Herbert Reeves was born 1st January 1927.

Their fifth child Margaret Mary Reeves was born 6th October 1929.  She married Harold Samuel King, another son of Walter and Eliza King of Laburnum House Gloucester Road.

Their sixth Evelyn was born 6th December 1931.

By 1931 Edith's father, James Worsley (shown here above right) had moved into Coombe Cottage with his daughter and son in law.  James 's wife, Hester, had died on 5th April 1918 aged 52.  James lived there until he died May 18th 1954 aged 90.   His son in law Percy Reeves (shown here on the left outside the house with his wife Edith) lived in the house until his death on 16th April 1958.  The Electoral Roll shows that Edith Reeves remained at this house until she died on 22nd June 1965 and was buried in Thornbury Cemetery with her husband Percy.

This page was last updated: 04/06/2011