Frederick and Gertrude Smith

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Helena
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:24 am
Location: Broadstairs

Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by Helena »

Uncle Fred and Auntie Gert used to live at Nayland Road. Uncle Fred was, I believe, a church warden at St Mary's Church Bures. We, as a family, lost touch with them and I am trying to find out if anyone knows when they died.

My grandma was Ethel Katie Salmon (nee Smith) and was married to Wilfred Jack Salmon. They lived at Ferriers Cottage and later in life moved to Lamarsh Hill Bungalows (backing onto the allotments). My great grandparents were Arthur John Smith and Elizabeth May (Mary) Perry. Great granddad worked as a porter and signalman for the GER.

If anyone has any information about Uncle Fred such as what he did after the war (I am aware he was a radio operator in the RAF), or if you remember my grandparents, I would love to know.
alan
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:49 am

Re: Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by alan »

Yes, I can recall Fred very well. Fred and his wife Gertrude lived in Nayland Rd before moving into Babergh DC maintained bungalows (Eves Orchard) at the bottom of Friends Field.
Fred was always immaculately dressed, typical upright RAF person, he also drove a racing green coloured Metro which regularly passed my house
Fred wasn't a Churchwarden but was a Sidesman at St Marys Church for many years, Gertie used to be in charge of the flower arranging.


Fred was in a unit of the Home Guard before enlisting with the RAF in 1941
However, I can find no service record on the internet such as Ancestry.
You may well have to carry out a paid search of the National Archives or the Burma association
http://bures.me.uk/secret.htm
http://bures.me.uk/LDV.htm

This entry was also in the local newspaper :-
August 6th 1952
At a meeting of Bures St Mary parish council Mr Fred Smith drew attention to the excessive noise made by men carrying out night soil collection on behalf of Melford Rural District Council, last Friday said Mr Smith they arrived outside my house at 3—10 am with a large motor vehicle, as the engine was still running at 3-50 I got up and went outside to find the men asleep in the cab, by way of explanation the driver said they have to have a break sometime and if they stopped the engine he would be unable to start it again.

Date of death somewhere around 2003/4.
The grave is marked with a small wooden plaque but no date given

No doubt the Clerk to the Burial Board could supply you with a precise date
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Helena
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:24 am
Location: Broadstairs

Re: Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by Helena »

WOW thank you so much, I certainly didn't expect photos! Thank you also for your email.

What is a sidesman exactly? I wasn't aware he was in the Home Guard as well.

But the photo does help quite a bit, the fact that it states he was 91 years and I know his birth was registered Jan 1913, Sudbury that puts his death at 2004. Can you or anyone else out there confirm what the R stands for as his middle name? I have today found and death for a Frederick Robert Smith born 23 December 1912 death registered August 2004, Colchester.

I have managed to trace Auntie Gert's death. Gertrude Maud born 21 October 1912 death registered March 2005, Sudbury.

How do I contact the Clerk to the Burial Board - I have others buried in the cemetary? Also, I am aware that I can find pre-1900 BMD at Bury St Edmunds but where do I search for 20th century BMDs?

On the Bures Entertainment Committee minutes you directed me to there is a Mr E Salmon and Mrs P Salmon listed on the committee, that is my great Uncle Ted and Aunt Phoebe - Ted is the one in the photo for the Bowls club. Ted and Phoebe lived down Water Lane (next door to Sidney Cooper - who is also being enquired about on the message board under Eves/Cooper - I will post something later). I have a very vague memory of visiting Ted and Phoebe in that I remember having to walk over a little stream - bearing in mind Ted died in 1966 (I was born in 1964) and Phoebe in 1975 I really do not remember them.
alan
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:49 am

Re: Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by alan »

Answers to some of your questions:

Church Sidesman:- A sidesperson, correctly known as a sidesman or usher, in the Anglican Church is responsible for greeting members of the congregation, overseeing seating arrangements in church, and for taking the collection.[1] In England they are usually appointed by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and receive guidance in their duties from the churchwardens.

The name is a corruption of the term "synod's man", a title referring to prominent members of the congregation who represented the parish to the Diocesan Synod.


Burial Clerk: I cant post an email address online but look at the Parish Web pages on this web site
The same Clerk deals with both Hamlet and St Mary. You need to ask about fees for this information.

Deaths would have been registered at the nearest BMD office which for us locally is either Sudbury or Colchester
They would not have been registered as "Bures"
Fred possibly died in Colchester,( perhaps the Hospital) so that`s where is death would have been registered.
Helena
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:24 am
Location: Broadstairs

Re: Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by Helena »

Many thanks.

I obviously asked the wrong question about BMDs, what I should have asked about was where are the 20th century parish records held if not at Bury St Edmonds.

You probably know information about the Bures Entertainment Committee, but if not information provided by my dad is as follow:

Mr B Deaves owned the carpentry business by the 8 Bells
Mr S Fetherstone lived in the big white house on station hill on the corner with Water Lane
Miss R Mynott owned/run Mynotts shop on the corner of the high street opposite Church
Miss J Brand run Brands a shop on the high street
Mr Creek was the Headmaster at the school
Mr G Swallow used to live next door to my grandparents (Wilfred Jack and Ethel Salmon) at Ferriers Cottage
Mrs Scarlett lived on Colchester Road
Mr G Drake owned and run the butchers
Mr H Morton worked for Deaves carpentry
Mr G Lewis was my great uncle and was married to Winifred (nee Salmon)
Mr L Mills lived on Colchester Road
Mr Perkins owned and run the chemist near the butchers
alan
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:49 am

Re: Frederick and Gertrude Smith

Post by alan »

There are no records kept at the church, all at BSE
Fred Smith died Aug 2004
Gertrude Smith died March 2005
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