Morley and Edith Carver

9 St John Street & 9 Pullins Green

Edith was born in Thornbury in 1884.  Edith Mary Ann was the daughter of James and Eliza Ann Pullen who had lived in Pullins Green and in Horse Shoe Lane.  Her brother, Herbert Pullen who lived for many years in two different houses on Pullins Green.  In 1909 she married Morley Carver in Thornbury. 

Morley was born in Dursley in 1869, the son of  Cornelius, a tailor and his wife, Charlotte.  The 1881 Census shows that they lived in Long Street in Dursley.  Morley was 12 years old and was the eldest of six children.  The 1891 Census shows the family's address was Lower Mills.  Morley became a tailor, like his father and in 1891 they were living at Lower Mills, Dursley.

Morley and Edith had several children:  Leslie Reginald J. born in Ross on 20th October 1909,  Herbert who was born in Thornbury in 1911 but who died in 1914 aged 3, Arthur Mervyn born on 25th January 1914, and Frances Lillian born on 3rd August 1916. 

Morley died in 1918.  His death was registered in the Chipping Sodbury District, which could include Yate at that time.  The Council School records show Edith as the parent when the children started school in 1919.  The records also show the older children were transferred from a  school in Yate so it would appear they that Edith moved to 9 St John Street from Yate.

The Electoral Registers indicate that she moved to 9 Pullins Green by 1930. 

Edith shared the house with her family.  Her son, Leslie is shown there in the 1935 electoral register, and both he and his wife, Bertha are sharing her house from 1946 onwards in 9 Pullins Green and later after 1950 when they had all moved to 52 Gloucester Road.  In 1958 Edith was living in the small almshouse at 9 St Mary Street which was managed by the Town Trust.  She died in Thornbury Hospital on 25th April 1958.  Leslie and Bertha carried on living at 52 Gloucester Road and were both listed there in the 1970 register.

Her daughter, Frances Lillian and her husband, Rupert Trotman, were also sharing the house from before the War until after it.  They are listed as living in number 9 in both the 1938 and 1946 electoral registers.  By 1950 they had moved to Eastbury Close.   During the War, Rupert (shown on the right) served as a Lance Corporal in the R.A.S.C.  The Gazette dated 8th August 1942 reported that Rupert who had been serving in the Middle East since March of last year has been reported as 'missing' following recent fighting in that area'.  It added that 'Mr Trotman, who is married and whose home is in Thornbury, is the son of Mr & Mrs Trotman of Tytherington.  He was educated at Tytherington C. of E. School and before joining up nearly two years ago was a traveller for Mr Bell, draper of Gloucester.  He had been a bell-ringer both at Tytherington and Thornbury Churches'.  In late 1943, it was reported that Rupert had been a prisoner of war.  When he was released at the end of the War, he was so thrilled to be coming home that he walked all the way from Bristol!  He died in the 1950's.

Her son, Leslie Reginald J. Carver was born in Ross on 20th October 1909.  In 1911 the Census shows that he was living at 8 Pullins Green with his mother Edith and grandmother Eliza Pullen.  From about 1935 he lived at 9 Pullins Green with his mother, Edith.  After his marriage in 1941 to Bertha Frampton in Bristol his wife  also lived there.

They had two children, Marion born in 1949 in Thornbury and David also born in Thornbury in 1953.

The 1954 Electoral Roll shows that Leslie and Bertha with their family lived at 52 Gloucester Road. 

We have a photograph taken about this period of Leslie and Bertha.  It is shown here on the left.  Bertha has a bunch of flowers and Leslie, wearing spectacles, is standing next to her.  Leslie received a presentation of a clock from Dearings of Thornbury Ltd  for 30 years service in the firm.   The presentation took place at the Nell Gwynne Cafe in the High Street, before which he and his wife with the directors of Dearings and another employee (Joe Davis and his wife) went into Bristol to the Hippodrome to see "Zip goes a Million."  He died in 1997 in the Gloucester District aged 87.

Arthur Mervyn Carver was born in 1914.  He married Frances M Taylor in 1938 in Thornbury.  He died in 1990. We would be very grateful for any further details about Arthur.

 This page was last updated: 12/08/2011