The Symes Family

Frank Symes - the saddler

Frank Symes was born in Thornbury in 1863.  He was the youngest of William and Matilda Symes's nine children.  

The 1881 census shows that Frank had become a saddler, living at home with his parents in St John Street (Pullins Green).   The Thornbury Trade Directory of 1889 suggests that Frank tried his hand as running 'refreshment rooms', however this seemed a short-lived enterprise as he was soon back operating as a saddler.

Frank married Augusta Hill in Thornbury in 1889.  He is shown as being a saddler at this time.  Augusta was aged 26, a cook, the daughter of Edward James Hill, a bailiff from Stapleford in Wiltshire. 

Frank had a saddler's shop at 18 High Street.  In 1891 he was there living with Augusta.  They had had a baby boy, Claude Frank, born in August 1890 but Claude died in January 1891.

In the 1890's Frank extended his business interests becoming Secretary to the Rational Sick and Burial Association in addition to his work as saddler.

In 1901 Frank was shown as a saddler and harness maker.  By this time they had had three more children:  Maud Augusta born on 24th July 1891, Frank Gilbert born on 23rd December 1893 and Archibald Harold born on 25th September 1895.  The photograph shown above is of Frank outside his shop and is believed to have been taken about 1916.  The shop must have been very successful.   At about this time Frank's young assistant, Herbert Henry Allen, applied for an exemption from fighting in the First World War.  The reason given for applying for the exemption was that the shop was so busy maintaining 100 farmers and 300 horses. The application was granted in that Herbert's call up was delayed until December 1917.

When Frank retired in 1926, his assistant, Mr W. Roach took over the business.  Augusta died in 1926 aged 63 years and Frank in 1931 aged 68 years.

Of Frank and Augusta's children:

Maud - started at the National School in March 1896.  She left in 1904 to go to a private school.

Frank Gilbert - started at the National School in 1898 and after 7 years he moved to the Grammar School on 14th January 1908.  He left at the end of the same year to become a saddler like his father.  Frank married Lilian B. Sims in Thornbury in 1922.

Archibald Harold - started at the National School in 1899 and after 7 years here he moved to the Grammar School on 16th October 1907.   The School Governors awarded him an exemption from school fees for four years.  The School records show he was expecting to be a teacher, but after school he became an apprentice to a draper, but appears to have given that up.  He joined the Army in the early days of the War. There is a little report in the South Gloucestershire Chronicle dated 26th February 1915 which shows that Private A Symes was selected to represent the Aldershot Command at football.  It said that he was a member of the R.A.M.C. and that he had played for the Thornbury Grammar School Old Boys in 1914.  A week later the newspaper reported that he played well as 'guadian' and he had made several good saves.  Archibald continued the Symes tradition however by opening a shop.  He is shown in various trade directories as a confectioner in the High Street.

Click here if you wish to read more about the early history of the Symes family

This page was last updated: 20/05/2010