​Bemerton HISTORY
preserving the past for the future
YOUR HOUSE
20-48 St Andrews Road
Who lived here?
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20 St Andrews Road
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Peter and Marjorie Offer and their young daughter lived in this house in 1911. At that time the property was known as 1a Southside. Peter worked as a fireman on the railways. The family lived here until the 1950s.
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22 St Andrews Road
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Sidney and Ellen Joiner and their young son Harry lived in this house, previously known as 1 Southside, in 1911. Sidney was a head shunter on the railways. Shunters safely moved trains between the yards and platforms – they marshalled the trains, hooked on locomotives and detached defective carriages. They also directed and moved freight trains, organized rail freight and conducted safety checks.
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24 St Andrews Road
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This house was unoccupied at the time of the census, which was taken on 2nd April 1911. By 1925 Fred and Maud Pickett lived here when Fred was as a recruiting sergeant in the Army. Members of the family continued to live here until the 1980s.
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26 St Andrews Road
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In 1911 Frank and Elizabeth Love lived here in 3 Southside with their niece and Elizabeth’s retired parents. Frank was a boiler washer, which was another name for an engine cleaner. By 1925 Frank had progressed in his job and had become a fireman on the railways. He and Elizabeth continued to live here until the 1940s.
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28 St Andrews Road
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Charles and Sarah Waters and their three children were in this house between the 1900s to 1920s when it was known as 4 Southside, when Charles was employed as a railway platelayer. Their son William worked as a domestic gardener while their other son Tom was employed as an ironmonger’s porter. The youngest child Evelyn was eight years old. By 1955 the Felthams had moved in and operated a builder's business from here and from the barn in Lower Road
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30 St Andrews Road
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This house was originally known as 5 Southside. In 1911 William and Elsie Enticott lived here with their baby son. William was a railway fireman. During the war years, Percy Young and his family occupied the house. Percy was a main line engine driver and a pigeon fancier, and his pigeons were used to take messages for the Army. His neighbour’s lad used to take the messages down to the Hut in Lower Road, which had been requisitioned by the military, and hand them over to the duty sergeant.
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32 St Andrews Road
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Fred and Ada Moore and their daughter Hilda lived in this house in 1911 when it was known as 6 Southside. Fred was a coalman on the railways and Sidney Shearing, their boarder, worked as a fitter in the Scout motor company which was located on the site now occupied by Sydenhams in Churchfields Road.
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34 St Andrews Road
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This house was unoccupied on 2nd April 1911 at the time of the census but by 1925 Fred and Ada Moore were here until the 1950s.
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36 St Andrews Road
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Fred and Jane Knight and their three children lived here in
8 Southside in 1911. Fred was a dormitory attendant at the local railway depot. Many railway staff, once they had completed their shift, were unable to reach home and were accommodated in temporary accommodation at the rail depot. Fred would have been employed looking after the needs of those sleeping there overnight.
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38 St Andrews Road
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In 1911 Tom and Winnie Pearce lived in 9 Southside with their baby son Walter. Tom was a railway engine stoker and his family lived here until the 1970s.
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40 St Andrews Road
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At 10 Southside, Harry and Maud Baker and baby Jack lived here with their boarder in 1911. Harry was a railway fireman and their boarder Tom Clark was a railway engine cleaner.
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42 St Andrews Road
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In 1911 John Blanchard was employed as a railway engine driver. He lived here with his wife Maud and their young daughter Evelinea when the house was known as 11 Southside.
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44 St Andrews Road
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Ernie and Agnes Knight and their baby son Kenneth lived here in 12 Southside in 1911. Ernie was employed as a land agent’s clerk. A land agent was someone who managed an estate on behalf of its owners or who dealt with the sale.
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46 St Andrews Road
George Bullen was a railway porter. He and his wife Ellen and their young daughter lived in this house known as 13 Southside in 1911. In 1932 Charles Chaplin, who lived at 8 St Andrews Road, bought this property along with 48, next door, from Fred Hand’s son, following the death of his father who lived at 24 Skew Bridge Road.
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48 St Andrews Road
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Joseph and Amy Pickett and baby Freda lived at 14 Southside in 1911 when Joseph was working as a railway engine driver.
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