Clutton History Archive

1901 Census (31 March)

House not built until 1903

1911 Census (2 April)

Albert Edward Weeks – Head of Family – Age 40 – Married – Coal Miner, Hewer – Born Clutton, Somerset
Elsie Weeks – Wife – Age 26 – Married – Born Coleford, Somerset
Edward Weeks – Son – Age 16 – Single – Coal Miner, Carter below ground – Born Clutton, Somerset
George Weeks – Son – Age 14 – Coal Miner, Carter below ground – Born Clutton, Somerset
Amy Weeks – Daughter – Age 13 – School – Born Clutton, Somerset
Wilfred Weeks – Son – Age 11 – School – Born Clutton, Somerset
Maud Weeks – Daughter – Age 10 – School – Born Clutton, Somerset
Millie Weeks – Daughter – Age 7 – School – Born Clutton, Somerset
Albert Weeks – Son – Age 4 – Born Clutton, Somerset
Reginald Weeks – Son – Age 2 – Born Clutton, Somerset
Clarice Weeks – Daughter – Age 1 – Born Clutton, Somerset

1920 Auction of the Earl of Warwick’s land and properties – Mr. G. Taviner (Rent 4s 7d per week). Lot No. 95 comprising of Nos. 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 Maynard Terrace.

Fifty six cottages in Maynard Terrace were lotted in groups of three, four, and five but as there were no offers the auction closed and negotiations took place privately for the houses. Several of them together with some of the other lots were withdrawn, were disposed of, and negotiations are proceeding in regard to the others. It should be stated that all the properties are occupied and none of the tenants are under notice to quit. [Bristol Times and Mirror, 27 August 1920].

1921 Census (Planned for 24 April but did not take place until 19 June due to the Black Friday Strike)

George Taviner – Head – Age 30 – Married – Coal Miner, Hewer, Greyfield Colliery Company Ltd. (Out of Work) – Born Clutton, Somerset
Florence Maud Taviner – Wife – Age 31 – Married – Household Duties – Born Clutton Somerset
Beatrice Norah Dando – Sister-in-Law – Age 17 – Single – Domestic Servant, Private – Born Clutton, Somerset

1939 Register (29 September 1939)

• John Ashman – Labourer General Heavy, Married, b. 13 April 1914

Gladys Ashman – Unpaid Domestic Duties, Married, b. 6 July 1916
One record closed under 100 year rule

• John Ashman also lived at number 51 Maynard Terrace

1945 Auction of the Earl of Warwick’s land and properties – It is assumed that this property did not sell in the 1920 Auction and was put up for auction on 16 August 1945. Lot 66 – Tenant Mr. J. G. Ashman, rent £21 0s 4d p.a. which includes part rates of £4 2s 4d.

Dwellings, with the price when withdrawn, were : 47 to 56, Maynard Terrace (10 houses), £2,100.
[Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer, 24 August 1945]

REGISTER OF ELECTORS

1903 to 1905 – Not specified
1906 to 1910 – Albert Edward Weeks
1912 – Albert Edward Weeks
1913 to 1915 – Not specified
1918 to 1922 – George Taviner
1921 to 1923 – Florence Maud Taviner[[/span]]
1923 – Elizabeth Taviner
1924 to 1937 – Frederick Arthur Cook
1928 to 1937 – Amy Isabella Cook
1938 to > – Gladys Louvain Ashman, John George Ashman
1960 to 1965 – Geoffrey Ashman
1966 – Janet A. Ashman
1967 – Audrey J. Tucker, Michael D. Tucker

NEWSPAPER REPORTS

Friday 22 July 1910, Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer

A Neighbour’s Quarrel

Albert Edward Weeks. a coal miner, of Maynard Terrance, Clutton, was summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Denning, wife of Seward Denning, a blacksmith, of Maynard Terrace, Clutton, on July 1. There was a cross summons issued by Weeks against Mrs. Denning foe an alleged assault at same time and place.

By consent of the parties the cases were taken together.

Mrs. Denning stated that she lived a few doors away from Weeks. On July 1 between five and six in the evening, in consequence of something Mrs. Baker said to her she went to Mr. Weeks and asked him "what it he was going to give it to her for.” Weeks replied "for hitting my young ‘un" Witness explained that she had parted children from fighting some few days previously but she did strike either of them. One of these was a child of Weeks. Weeks said struck the child and left the mark of her ring upon him, but witness proceeded to explain to him what she did when Weeks gave her a blow in the face, and followed it up by knocking her about the head and face. She received several blows but did not fall to the ground. She tried to strike Weeks back, but could not do so as he held her right arm and prevented her. Mrs. Sands pulled Weeks off her, and Mrs. Baker got him away.

Cross Examined : Mrs. Denning denied that she used a bad expression to Weeks as soon as she came to his house. She admitted going into Weeks’ house before anything was said or before any blow was struck. She did not scrawl him down the face first.

Mary Ann Baker, wife of George Baker, corroborated.

P.C. Marsh, called by the Clerk, said he had a complaint on the 1st inst. From Mrs. Denning, and noticed her face was swollen under the left eye and her hair was down about her shoulders. He saw Weeks and noticed there were some scratches on his face. The woman evidently had had a rough time.

Weeks elected to give evidence in his defence and in support of the summons issued against Mrs. Denning. As soon as he was sworn the Clerk questioned him after the manner of cross examination, and in reply to the questions he stated that Mrs. Denning came into his house and put her hand upon his chest and scrawled him down the face saying, “You -, what are you going to give it to me for.” He (weeks) caught hold of her and put her out of the house. He might have struck her in the face and also given her some half dozen blows. She did not mention about parting the two children from fighting until after she had scrawled him down the face. He (Weeks) should not have objected to Mrs. Denning correcting his child if it was doing wrong. All the bother took place in his (weeks) house or on his premises.

John Weeks, son of the defendant, was called, and the Clerk cross examined him with searching questions. He said that Mrs. Denning said something about the children fighting and then scratched his father down the face.

Elsie West, housekeeper for Weeks, gave further evidence in answer to questions put to her by the Clerk.

The magistrates retired with the Clerk, and upon reassembling the Chairman announced that they dismissed the charge against Mrs. Denning. They considered that Weeks assaulted the woman extremely violently and uncalled for, and they took a very serious view of it. They sentenced Weeks to 28 days hard labour.

After he had been removed a son of Weeks appealed to the Bench to impose a fine in the case and pointed out that his father had six children dependent upon him.

The Clerk told him he should have thought of that before assaulting the woman.

Before Messrs. W. H. Page (in the chair) and J. S. Norman.

Saturday 23 July 1910, Bristol Times and Mirror

Temple Cloud Petty Sessions

Before Colonel Scobell, chairman; Messers. W. H. C. Shaw, E. C. Bird, H. W. Page and J. G. Norman.

Assaulting a Woman

Albert Edward Weeks, coal miner, of Clutton, was charged with assaulting Elizabeth Denning, the wife of Seward Denning, blacksmith, of Clutton. There was a cross summons against Mrs. Denning for assaulting Weeks. Her evidence was that on July 1, in consequence of something she was told she went to defendant’s house in Maynard Terrace, and asked why he threatened her. He replied that it was for striking his boy, which she denied, and explained that the boys were fighting and she separated them. Defendant then struck her a violent blow in the face, and seizing her hair, dealt her several heavy blows in the face and head. She admitted scratching his face after he struck her. Week’s story was that the complainant came to his house in a great passion, and she attacked him and scratched his face, and that he then struck her possibly five or six times, and may have caused the bruises spoken of. The summons against Mrs. Denning was dismissed and Weeks was sentenced to 28 days’ hard labour.

Friday 26 April 1912, Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer.

Clutton Man sent to Prison.

Albert Edward Weeks, a collier, of Maynard Terrace, Clutton, was summoned for feloniously stealing in the months of February, March, and a quantity of wood the property of the Greyfield Collieries Company.

Thomas James Cornish who prosecuted on behalf of the Greyfield Collieries Company, stated that he was a railway wagons inspector living Greyfield, and in the employ of the Greyfield Collieries Company. They had been dismantling some of the buildings at the old Greyfield Colliery, and witness had been assisting in taking off the roof of the engine shed on February 14, and had placed some of the root timber by railway siding in the vicinity of the pit. Among that timber there were some quartering, and upon that timber were some holes where the nails had been drawn out, and also marks where the galvanized iron which formed the roof had rested upon it. On April 10 witness missed some of the timber which was the boarding which had formed part of the screens at the colliery and which up to that day had not been pulled down. On April 11 witness missed two or three pieces of board from the side of the screen, and as he was walking to Clutton he examined the quartering which had been stacked on the railway siding, and found some of that was also missing. Finding these things gone witness reported the matter to the head manager of the colliery, Mr. Twist, who put the matter in the hands of the police. On April 12 witness, in company with P.S. Pollard and P.C. Pitman, went to defendant’s house at Maynard Terrace. They all three went into the back kitchen of the house and saw there the boarding first which formed part of the screens at the colliery. The boards (produced) were originally nine to 13 feet long, but when they found them they had been sawn in two. They also found there the frame (produced) which was part of the roof of the building. Witness did not see defendant before they got outside the house when he heard the policeman tell defendant he would be charged with stealing the timber. The police sergeant then caused the boarding and frame work to be removed to Greyfield Clutton, where he compared the boarding with the boarding at the screen at the colliery, and found that it exactly corresponded with each other. Witness valued the timber at 12s. 6d. In answer to the Bench, witness said that defendant lived about half a mile from where the timber was stacked. When the colliery was at work he believed the defendant worked there, but he could not say for certain. Witness had seen defendant loitering about the place some few days previous to the missing of the wood.

P.C. Pitman and P.S. Pollard also gave evidence bearing out the witness’s story.

Defendant preferred the case to be dealt with summarily, and in answer to the charge pleaded not guilty. In his statement to the Bench defendant said he bought the frame as produced with the wood upon it and put the wood upon it himself. He had two sons. One of them kept some tame rabbits at defendant’s house at the top of the garden which he had previously used for a pig sty. His other son did not take any interest in rabbits, and wanted some chickens so defendant was going to divide the house into two parts with the frame. He made the frame a number of weeks before he came out on strike, and the quantity of wood upon the frame was five short pieces and two long ones. The short pieces were 2 feet 4 inches, and the long pieces were 4 feet 10 inches ling. As he did not have enough board to finish the frame he kept it in the back kitchen right in front of the door, and if he had stolen that wood he certainly would not have kept it in a position where everybody could see it.

George Weeks, a brother of defendant, also gave evidence in support of the defence. He was a coal miner, living at Maynard Terrace, Clutton. He worked at New Pit, Clutton, when he was at work before the strike, but he was not at work now, and was living a gentleman’s life. (Laughter) About seven or eight years ago he bought a sow’s house of a Frederick Carter, of High Littleton, and the wood in the frame was some of the wood, which was in the hen’s house, but which he had sold to his brother. Cross examined by the clerk witness said that some parts of the house which he had sold his brother was composed of railway sleepers, but the outside of the house which constituted the fowl’s pen he brother had kept in the house for some years. He could not swear, however, that the wood (produced) was the identical wood, but it was something like it. In answer to further questions, witness said he could expect his brother to occupy a small house and be able to store wood in his back kitchen, but he could not say for certain what his brother kept in the house. He would not swear that was the wood that he sold his brother, because it was so long ago, and witness had not seen it since his brother bought it.

In answer to the Bench, defendant said he had been working at the colliery all his life, but had never been in trouble there before.

Mr. Hadley, on behalf of the Greyfield Collieries Company, expressed a wish not to unduly press the charge. They simply prosecuted to prevent others acting in the same way, and in the end the Chairman remarked that the timber had not been taken merely for firewood. That had been proved, and defendant would have to go to gaol for 21 days hard labour.

Friday 6 December 1946, Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer.

For Sale – Play Pen in good condition; also Figured Satin Dress, full length, suite person 5ft. 8in., or 5ft.9 in. Mrs. J. Ashman, 54, Maynard Terrace, Clutton.

Friday 26 February 1965, Somerset Standard

Congratulations

Tucker : Ashman – The engagement is announced of Michael, eldest son of Mr and Mrs J. Tucker, of 47, Townend, Chew Stoke to Audrey, only daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Ashman. 54 Maynard Terrace, Clutton.

Friday 9 September 1966, Somerset Standard

Personal Thanks

Mr and Mrs J. Ashman, of 54 Maynard Terrace, Clutton, would like to thank relatives and friends for the lovely presents Audrey and Mike received on their wedding, also the help given to make it such a happy occasion. Also to thank Audrey Willcox for giving all the flowers for church and hall decorations and the Co-op for catering.

Monday 23 October 1967, Evening Post

Good luck and bad came to Mrs. Gladys Ashman, Maynard’s Terrace, Clutton.

Within hours of learning she had won £250 on our competition, her 88 year old mother was taken ill.

“But my mother was delighted as any of us when she heard I had won the money,” said Mrs. Ashman,

She is a native of High Littleton. He husband is a railwayman and she has a son Geoffrey, and a daughter Audrey who have both recently married.

They are building up their new homes and Mrs. Ashman plans to use some of the money to help them with the expenditure. “There should be enough left for a little celebration party,” she added.

Mrs. Ashman never goes to football matches but studies soccer on television. She has been trying her luck ever since the Evening Post competition started.

Friday 30 November 1973, Somerset Standard

Articles For Sale

22” Phillips TV, slimline, BBC2 with clock and time switch, in perfect condition, with table. £30 ono. J. Ashman, 54 Maynard Ter, Clutton.