Find Ancestors

You poor hot people down there!

Here in the west of Scotland we've had a whole depressing week of chilly, grey weather with non-stop rain. But this afternoon, at last, we've had some actual warmth - sunshine and a good breeze - lovely! Hope it lasts for a few days.

Photos sent, AQ.

oh and a special thanks to AG for the work and the descriptions of the photos

Well done all this is absolutely fabulous as they say - the sash worn by the gentleman sad down says independent order of Manchester unity around the edge adn odd fellows across the middle.

So fascinating, I will have to read the replies over and over..... thanks so much, hopefully will find a descendant that is interested in seeing this album....

Well done you guys!!

:-D

(yes, and don't suppose there would be a square inch of space on pavement down Bridge Street, this time of year, full of tourists, and punt touts, lol)

Think Jonsey had better start contacting some of these names, quite a few...

Chris :)

Thanks AG- have sent you my e-mail.

Chris H- too hot to do anything today!

AQ -

the photo is too big a file to attach to a GR message.

If you like to send me your email address, I'll send it to you that way.


Having trawled up and down Bridge Street on Google, I can't see any other building which looks any more like the one in the photo than the Chinese restaurant does.

(if it weren't so hot, I'd nip down the Town and have a nosey, lol)

Lovely article that Mavis Gibson, right area, with mention of Thompsons Lane, she died soon after.

Chris :)

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-street-scene-in-bridge-street-cambridge-with-anatolia-turkish-restaurant-24789107.html

(previous to Chinese, google images can be useful, was looking for old photo's)

I just had another thought AG, but wondered, when you get the chance, if you could pm the shop front photo to me.

I believe some alterations were made to the street in 1939 and it was widened at some point- still looking into it- also, the chinese is number 30 & 31- just wondering if numbers were also altered?

EDIT: Numbering looks to be fairly consistent. An article in 1901 places number 21 & 22 on the corner of Thompson's Lane. This is now 'Cotes' 21- 24 Bridge Street- leading to the corner of Thompsons Lane.

Well done on the family research, Chris, AQ, and Choccy!

Haven't got time just now, but must look into who the six daughters in the family group were, assuming the man in the group was Walter Edward.

If it's the same place, you can see in the pavement in front of the restaurant and other shops , a line which would have been the original edge of the pavement before it was widened. In the photo, the pavement is only one paving slab wide, plus kerb.

Ok, comparing the shop photo with the Chinese restaurant -

The shop and restaurant don't bear any similarity to each other - obviously there's been a lot of modernisation.
The width of the frontage looks about right.
The windows above the restaurant are two sash windows separated by a bit of wall about as wide as one of the windows. However, the window above the shoe shop is one centrally-placed wide window with two large panes side by side.
But the long ridges of stonework above and below the windows above the restaurant could be the same length as the wide window above the shoe-shop - they maybe just replaced windows in a different arrangement. Unfortunately the photo doesn't go far enough up to see if there's a ridge above the window or not.

The shop to the left of the restaurant is set back a bit, and not in line with the restaurant, whereas the wall to the left of the shoe shop is in line with the shop.

However, the shop window to the right of the restaurant could be the same as the window to the right of the shop, although the photo only shows the first (ie - left-hand) pane of the window. Both windows have painted wooden panelling below them, and the height of the windows, in relation to the height of the shop/restaurant frontage is about the same.
An interesting thing is that the shop to the right of the Chinese restaurant has a grating of some sort in the pavement just in front of the window, and there's the end of a very similar grating visible in the photo, in front of the window to the right of the shoe shop.

I believe this is Mavis Adelaide Gibson talking about her war experience: It mentions she was 18 at the start of the war and lived in Bridge Street. Her Mum owned a shoe shop and she had a sister Betty:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/84/a6613184.shtml

Even though Walter died in 1933, the shop retained it's name after that time:

1938 The Blue Book Cambridge Directory
Boot & Shoemakers, Dealers & Repairers
Gibson W. E 30 Bridge Street.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

All seems to fit, but AG could you take a look at 30 Bridge Street on Google street view. It's been modernised, but wondered if you could spot any similarities?

Oh, and fabulous description on the photos AG

Edward and Clara also had children-

The 1939 register for Clara (posted by Choccy):

30 Bridge Street , Cambridge M.B., Cambridgeshire, England

Clara Gibson 27 Apr 1888 Female Leather Goods Shopkeeper Widowed
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
Jack L Gibson 13 Jul 1906 Male Repairer Bootmaker Single
Eric Gibson 30 Jul 1908 Male Repairer Bootmaker Single
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
Mavis A Gibson 12 Dec 1920 Female Unpaid Domestic Dut Single 51 6
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
---------------------------------

Daughter Mavis baptism:

First name(s) MAVIS ADELAIDE
Last name GIBSON
Year Of Birth 1921
Birth date 12 Dec 1921
Baptism year 1921
Baptism date 08 May 1921
Abode of 30 Bridge St
Place CAMBRIDGE, ST PHILIP
Mother's Given Name Clara
Father's First Name Walter Edward
Father occupation bootmaker
County Cambridgeshire

Mavis died 2005 Cambridge (still single)
---------------------------------

Also son Stanley W Gibson born 1918- married May E Bullock in 1956. Stanley died 1964.

Also daughter Betty Clara (baptised Elizabeth Clara). Other possible children too.
--------------------------------

There is a private tree on Ancestry that has the children of Walter and Clara:

Owner: MiJwli
Tree name: Baker and Atkins family tree

So just to make it clearer:

Walter Edward Gibson was born 1872 Bottisham, Cambridge son of Edward & Elizabeth

He married Florence Louisa Willshire in 1900. They had Children:

Rose Louise 1901- married Victor Carter. Rose died 1957 Cambridge

Edward Hubert 1903- married 1939 to Kathleen A Smith- Edward died 1949

Vera May 1904- married 1929 to Leonard Doggett- Vera died 1941 Cambridge

Jack Louis 1906- died 1977 Cambridge

Eric 1908- died 1945 Cambridge

Their mother, Florence, died 1911 in Godstone Surrey.

Thier father, Walter, died 1933- Probate to his sister and brother-in-law (William Lancaster Robinson)
-------------------------------------------

After Florence died Walter then married his housekeeper Clara Atkins in 1912

This is Clara in 1901:

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Rose Cottage, High Street, Caterham, Godstone, Surrey, England

John Atkins Head Married Male 50 1851 Gardener Landscape Caterham, Surrey,
Emma M Atkins Daughter Single Female 26 1875 - Caterham, Surrey, England
John W Atkins Son Single Male 23 1878 Gardener (Domestic) Caterham, Surrey, England
Albert Atkins Son Single Male 19 1882 Gardener (Domestic) Caterham, Surrey, England
Eliza J Atkins Daughter Single Female 14 1887 - Caterham, Surrey, England
Clara Atkins Daughter - Female 12 1889 - Caterham, Surrey, England
Charles Atkins Son - Male 10 1891 - Caterham, Surrey, England
Stanley A Atkins Son - Male 6 1895 - Caterham, Surrey, England
Evaline M Atkins Daughter - Female 4 1897 - Caterham, Surrey, England
Nelly Atkins Daughter - Female 2 1899 - Caterham, Surrey, England
----------------------------------------

So I assume that 'Bert' (possibly Clara's brother Albert) gifted a photo album to Clara's sister, Emma in 1898.

(4 children from second Marriage on Army image, but I have to go also, fence panels being put up this morning, wouldn't do to be out there in me dressing gown, lol)

Chris :)

(oh, quick version then!)

Rose Louise 25/4/01
Edward Hubert 19/2/03
Vera May 15/10/04
Jack Louis 13/7/06
Eric 30/7/08

(Address, 18, Coulsdon Road, Caterham)


Deaths Mar 1911 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------
Gibson Florence L 37 Godstone 2a 177


Deaths Dec 1933 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Gibson Walter E 61 Cambridge 3b 555

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#calendar

(Probate 1934)


Deaths Mar 1968 (>99%)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GIBSON CLARA 79 CAMBRIDGE 4A 330

https://www.deceasedonline.com/servlet/GSDOSearch

(both on above)


(yes, Chinese now!, opposite St. John's College, just down from Magdalene Bridge/Quayside)


Always worth a check in 'Search All Member Trees' (top right of page here, under 'Search') to see if any other GR Members share names, to make contact.

I suspect E M Atkins could be Clara's sister- Emma Mary.

I have to go out- back shortly

Oh, Bert could be Clara's brother.

The Album could have been gifted in xmas 1898 and photo's put in at a later date.

So he married his housekeeper

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
1 Edith Villa's William Road Caterham, Caterham, Surrey, England

Walter Edward Gibson Head Widower Male Soldier 38 1873 Bottisham Cambs
Rose Louise Gibson Daughter - Female School 10 1901 Caterham Surrey
Edward Herbert Gibson Son - Male - 8 1903 Caterham Surrey
Vera May Gibson Daughter - Female - 6 1905 Caterham Surrey
Eric Gibson Son - Male - 2 1909 Caterham Surrey
Clara Atkins Housekeeper Single Female Housekeper 23 1888 Caterham Surrey
Joanna Suttle Visitor Married Female - 41 1870 Bottisham Cambs