The Cottage, 1 Horseshoe Lane

The Burns and Higgins families

We know from several locals that the house was occupied in the early 1900's by the Burns family.  

William Henry Burns was born in Bristol in 1891, the son of Albert and Mary Burns.  In 1913 William married Ella Peglar.  Ella was born in Tortworth about 1896, the daughter of Ellen Lillian Peglar.  William was a dentist by profession, although he had worked for a time as a conductor on the motor buses travelling between Filton and Thornbury.  He had been working as a dentist in Wales when the War broke out and he enlisted with the 7th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry in September 1914.  After a period of training he was sent to France.  He was a Private serving as a stretcher bearer on the Somme when he was killed on 25th July 1916.  He was aged 25.  At the time of his death, his parents were living at 135 Lower Cheltenham Place, Ashley Hill, Bristol and Ella's address was given as "Pullens Green".  We have taken this to mean this house which was on the  corner of Horseshoe Lane and Gillingstool but facing Pullins Green.   Miss Joan Higgins, Nelson's half sister,  has told us that Ella was living here at that time.

William and Ella had three boys, Francis William Walter born 26th May 1914 and Mervyn Albert Thomas born 25th July 1915.  Walter went to Rendcomb, a private school near Cirencester, the other two went to Thornbury Grammar School.

In June quarter 1923 Ella re-married, this time to Nelson Spencer Higgins, the son of Oliver Higgins, the blacksmith.  Nelson had been born on 10th September 1896.  Click here to read more about Oliver Higgins

We understand that Nelson and Ella had one adopted daughter, Audrey Jean Higgins, born 6th January 1934.

Nelson had returned from the fighting in the First World War with shrapnel wounds.  Although some of the shrapnel had been removed, he was warned that he would have major problems if the other bits moved, and they did!  Nelson operated the coal delivery business for his father from the coal yard at the railway station.  Nelson's manhandling of the heavy sacks brought on pains and he had difficulty in maintaining the business.  We have been told that Nelson sold part of his round to Alfred Davis in 1928 and when he finally gave up around 1935, the rest of the coal business was sold to Edward George Watts.

Having lost her first husband in the First World War, Ella lost two of her three sons in the Second World War.  Flight Sergeant Francis William Walter Burns was killed in the Middle East on 18th March 1942.  He was on the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve.  Prior to the fighting, Francis (shown in the photo on the left) lived in Derby with his wife, Edna Maud and worked as a clerk for London Midland and Scottish Railways (LMS).

Flight Sergeant Mervyn Burns was killed in action on 11th August 1942.  We have been told that Mervyn was involved in the Battle of Britain and that he crashed near Dover when trying to get back to base.  Mervyn was the husband of Isobel Rose, and he had worked for Trayhurns the Thornbury butchers prior to joining the RAF.  Isobel died on 12 June 1997 aged 78 years.

Nelson and Ella were shown to be living at The Malt House in 1942 when Francis died.  We understand that Nelson moved there to 'help Mr Judd'  and that the house in Morton was used to house children evacuated from areas of the country under threat of being bombed.

By 1946, the family had moved to Castle Street.  Nelson died on 28th May 1947.  His obituary shows that he had been a rent collector for Thornbury Rural District Council for a number of years.  It said that in his younger days he had been a 'clever footballer' and prominent member of the local football team.

This page was last updated: 15/12/2009