This is Ernest's Dad - My Gt Grandfather

Thomas William Dowding

He started off as a Police Constable class 3 in the Bristol Police Force and retired as Inspector Class 1 in 1919.

Born 14th July 1865

Died 15th December 1947, Strowlands, East Brent, Somerset

Strowlands Cottage

On the right is my Gt Grandmother - Eliza Alice Price born abt. 1866

They were married at Publow in Somerset on 18th April 1889

All Saints' Church, Publow, Somerset

Ralph Sidney Albert Dowding

Ralph Sidney Albert Dowding

Born 24th February 1895

Died - Date unknown

Married a lady called Nell

Date unknown

Arthur Vernon Dowding

Arthur Vernon Dowding

Born 20th April 1901

Died 11th January 1958

Married Eva Elizabeth Davidson

23rd February 1925

Children:

Dennis Norman Dowding - born 19th August 1925, died 3rd March 1987

Raymond Dowding - born 6th September 1927

David Dowding - born 1932

Ernest Walter Dowding

Ernest Walter Dowding

Born 24th February 1904

Died 7th January 1984

Married Marjorie Patricia Brewin

26th June 1930

l-r Doris Brewin, Marjorie's sister, Ernest and Marjorie

Children:

See above

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At this point, the photographs of people run out but we can go back in names to 1709 with various illustrations:

Born 14th August 1836 in North Wraxall, Wiltshire. Haven't found a death date yet but I'm presuming it was before the 1881 census. He makes an appearance in the 1871 census.

Charles Dowding worked on the railway and was a station master at various locations including Warminster in Wiltshire and Patchway in Gloucestershire.

Charles married Dinah Williams on 29th October 1854 in Holy Trinity of St Philips Church, Bristol.

Picture from ChurchCrawler

Holy Trinity - St Philips, Bristol

They had five children:

John Dowding b c1856 d 13th May 1940 age 84

George Edward Dowding b c1861 d 14th Feb 1945 age 85

(Click HERE for more information about George's family)

Mary Ann Dowding b c1861

Albert Edwin Dowding b 23rd Aug 1863 in Portway, Warminster, Wiltshire

d 28th Oct 1921 age 58

(Click HERE for more information about Albert's family)

Thomas William Dowding b 14th July 1865 in Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire.

d 15th December 1947, Strowlands, East Brent, Somerset

Further information about the family:

John - no information found yet.

George was a 'working coal dealer' and lived at 4 Redfield Road, Lower Patchway(1901 census)

George married Susan Ann b c1857 d 20th March 1928 age 71

They had 5 children:

Frederick George Dowding b c1884

Frederick was 'labourer in coal wharf' (1901 census)

Susan Emma Dowding b c1886

Edith May Dowding b c1890 d 1st Dec 1931 age 41

Dorothy Violet Dowding b c1893

Daisy Eveline Dowding b c1896

Mary Ann Dowding - no information found yet

Albert married Comfort Elizabeth Thompson b 1868 d 24th March 1958 age 90

 They had 3 children:

Beatrice Lavinia b c 1891 

Priscilla Diana b c Feb 1892 d 12th April 1894 age 14 months

Albert Edward b 1893 d 22nd March 1919 age 26 - Accidentally killed in a motorcycle accident

The family are buried at St Mary's Churchyard, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire apart from the son Albert Edward who is interred at Weston-Super-Mare cemetery.

Both Albert and Thomas were baptised on 20th August 1865 at Stoke Gifford

An extract from the baptism register of Stoke Gifford

Stoke Gifford Vicarage and Church - 1906

Aerial Photograph of Patchway Roundabout - 1974.

The New Railway Inn can be clearly seen just north of the roundabout.

In September 2000, The New Railway Inn served as a car dealership but the top of the building is still recognisable. There are plans to demolish this building in the near future.

Born 1798 - Christened at Old Sodbury in Gloucestershire

George was an agricultural labourer in North Wraxall in the 1851 census

George married Mary Coles on 17th March 1833 at North Wraxall in Wiltshire

Mary was born c1812

They had 1 child:

Charles Dowding

St James' Church, North Wraxall, Wiltshire

Born 1776 - Christened at Old Sodbury in Gloucestershire

St John the Baptist's Church, Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire

Edward Dowding married Jane Bushel on 9th January 1797and was father to ten children.

It is from this marriage that my ancestry comes from.

Jane died on 19th June 1817 in Nettleton, Wiltshire

Edward then married Sarah Sugar in 1824 and produced a further four children that I am aware of.

Edward and Sarah lived in Castle Combe, Wiltshire - "The prettiest village in England".

Below are some photographs of Castle Combe that I took when I visited in September 2000:

St Andrew's Church tower seen from the rear

Edward Dowding's house

A view of the church from another angle

Edward died December 21st 1850

Born abt. 1735 and died April 16th 1813 in Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire; buried April 19th 1813 in Tormarton, Gloucestershire

Thomas married Susanna Horseman on June 27th 1757 in Tormarton, Gloucestershire

Picture from ChurchCrawler

St Mary Magdalen Church, Tormarton, Gloucestershire

Born 1709 in Stanton St. Quinton, Wiltshire

St Giles' Church, Stanton St Quinton, Wiltshire

Edward Dowding married Elizabeth Miller (b abt. 1713) on May 27 1722

(It sounds hard to believe that he was only 11 and she was only 9 when the got married!)