1 Sawmill Lane

Frank Holpin and his family

The 1946 electoral register shows that 1 Saw Mill Lane was occupied by Frank Worthy Holpin and his wife, Florence.  Frank was born on 22nd July 1912, one of the eight children of William Holpin and his wife, Celia Alice (nee Smith). 

Frank went to the Buckover School when the family were living in Grovesend, but later transferred to the Council School in 1918.  Before the war Frank did odd jobs for the building trade.  In 1938 they were listed in the electoral register as living at 15 Market Site.

The family must have moved to Saw Mill Lane in the early years of the Second World War.  They were not listed as living there in the 1939 electoral register, but by 1941 the school records of the Council School show them in Saw Mill when the child of an evacuee family (the McWhirters) started school.  The Gazette of 12th July 1941 has an account of a road accident and gives Sawmill Lane as the family address: "Three Thornbury people were injured when the motor car in which they were riding as passengers overturned on the out skirts of WSM.  They were Florence Holpin (32) who received cuts on her head, Annie McWhitton (36) and Wallace McWhitton (4½ ) who had received lacerations to the head. All live in Sawmill Lane."

During the war Frank cut timber.  After the war he worked with Bert Pridham in the electricity company which later became the MEB.  His work included digging holes for electricity poles.

Frank was known locally by the name of 'Wormy' - this may have been a corruption of his middle name of Worthy or the way he wriggled in and out of the opposition like Stanley Matthews.

Frank married Florence Attwood who came from Oakhill in Somerset.  She was working as a housekeeper for Gaynors on the Plain.  She met Frank at Almondsbury Tump which was a popular place for young people to socialise away from town.  They were courting for seven years.  Frank and Florence had two boys Ron in 1942 and Edward John six years later.

In the 50's the family moved to 40 Bath Road.  Frank Worthy Holpin died 17/1/1971 aged 58 years.  Florence Holpin died 9/5/1997 aged 88 years.

This page was last updated: 24/09/2007