08. Donald William Baggs
(Don)| 1901-05-24 | b. 36 Wells Road, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; TNA: RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1901 | bapt. Hannington, Hampshire | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1911 | living with her family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| 1914/1918 | with her sister Dot, joined the Girl Guides during the War; as part of their course they collected eggs from neighbours, and took them to a convalescent home for soldiers on the other side of the suspension bridge | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1921 | unable to work owing to health, no fixed place of work; visitor with Eva Burman and family in 4 rooms at 11 Little Carlton Street, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset | RG 15/11416 RD314 SD3 ED15 SN412 |
| 1928-04-07 | shorthand typist, of Highbank, Trelawny Road[, Bristol]; m. Harold Charles White (1903–1938, book[k]eeper, of 49 All Hallows' Road, Eastern, b. Bristol RD, s. of Charles Henry White), at St Mary's pc, Tyndall's Park, Bristol, after banns | GRO index; parish register |
| Children: | Janice Mary (1933–2005) and Austin Jeremy (1937 – after 1968), both b. Bristol RD | GRO index |
| 1933-01-27 | of 31 Woodleaze, Sea Mills, Bristol | Western Daily Press, 1933-01-28 |
| 1937-07-23 | of Sea Mills | Western Daily Press, 1933-07-26 |
| 1938-08-25 | husband of 31 Woodleaze Sea Mills, Bristol, at the date of his death | National Probate Calendar |
| 1938-10-10 | executor of her husband's will | |
| 1939-09-29 | shorthand typist (relief, various [illeg. word], living with her children at 31 Woodleaze, Bristol | 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1956 | living with her brother Leslie at 22 Meend Gardens Terrace, Cinderford, Gloucestershire | electoral register |
| 1959-04 | of 34 Calais Gate, Cormont-road, London, S.E.5, at the time of her daughter's marriage | West Sussex County Times, 1959-04-17 |
| 1960 | living with her brother Leslie at 22 Meend Gardens Terrace, Cinderford | electoral register |
| 1986 | gave a great deal of information about the family to her nephew Simon Baggs, which he included in his published A History of the Baggs Family 1899–2007 | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1990-11 | d. Sedgemoor RD | GRO index |
| 1902-08-30 | b. 36 Wells Road, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; TNA: RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1902-09-28 | of 16 Mirfield Rd, Knowle; bapt. Knowle St Martin, Bristol | parish register |
| 1910 | temporarily farmed out upon relatives in Cardiff because of her father's serious bout of rheumatic fever, staying with a maternal aunt in Cowbridge Road | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1911 | living with her family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| 1914/1918 | with her sister Jessie, joined the Girl Guides | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1921 | book keeper, employed by Bigwoods Ltd fish merchants, at Wells Rd, Bristol; living with her family and her grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| 1931/1934 | qualified as a nurse by examination, at the London Hospital | 1940 Register of Nurses; 1943 Register of Nurses |
| 1935-03-15 | registered as a nurse in London | |
| 1935 | of the London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, Stepney, London | electoral register |
| initially trained as a nurse at the London Hospital, and then became a midwife | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1938/1939 | of Convent, Rushworth Street, Southwark, London, S.E.1 | electoral registers |
| 1939-09-29 | not found in 1939 Register | 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1940 | of The Convent, Rushworth Street, Southwark, London, S.E. 1 | 1940 Register of Nurses |
| 1943 | 1943 Register of Nurses | |
| 1946 | of 67 Lillie Road, Fulham, London, S.W.6 | electoral register |
| 1947 | of 3 Woodfield Road, Ealing, London | electoral register |
| 1948/1950 | of 31 White Rose Lane, Farnham, Surrey | electoral registers |
| 1951/1952 | of 31 White Rose Lane, Woking, Surrey | |
| 1953/1954 | of 67 Lillie Road, Fulham, London, S.W.6 | |
| 1954/1955 | of 31 White Rose Lane, Woking, Surrey | |
| 1957 | ||
| 1959 | of The Convent of Reparation, Rushworth Street, Southwark, London, S.E.1 | |
| 1961 | ||
| 1963/1964 | ||
| later joined the convent near Southwark Cathedral in London, and afterwards the Convent of St John the Baptist in Hatch Lane, Windsor, taking the name of Sister Katherine Mary; devoted much of her life to the care of children who were hard of hearing | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1995-10 | d. Windsor and Maidenhead RD | GRO index |
| 1902-08-30 | b. 36 Wells Road, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; TNA: RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1902-09-28 | of 16 Mirfield Rd, Knowle; bapt. Knowle St Martin, Bristol | parish register |
| 1911 | living with his family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| as a teenager, joined the Merchant Navy and sailed extensively around the world; wrote several postcards to his parents at home in Bristol, and became an avid collector of foreign coins | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1914/1918 | while serving in the North Sea his ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat, and actually sunk; Arthur was dragged onto floating debris by a fellow seaman, and they both held on until they were rescued several hours later; thereafter Arthur had to spend several months convalescing in Grimsby Hospital before returning to the sea | |
| 1916-01-12/1916-12-29 | corporal, no 307419, with North'd Fus. 25/775 | WWI service medal and award rolls |
| 1918-03-27/-28 | corporal, no 307419, with Durh. L.I. 78274 | |
| corporal, no 307419, with 5. Lond. R. 45144 | ||
| 1920 | sailed to the USA, not rejoining his ship, but returning to Bristol on another; had a few days off before sailing to Glasgow, where he was due to make up for his lost days by helping to paint the ship while in Shieldhall Wharf | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1920-10-16T14:00 | mariner, merchant service, of 16 Lilymead-avenue, Knowle, Bristol; d. Shieldhall wharf, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, by a fall from a ladder, aboard ship, falling a considerable distance into the open hold | National Probate Calendar; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1920-10-21T13:30 |
BAGGS.—Arthur Henry, the dearly-beloved eldest son of Mr and Mrs A.H. Baggs, of Lilymead Avenue, Knowle, aged 18. Killed on 16th ins., whilst working on the s.s. Lake Graphite, at Glasgow. Funeral to-day (Thursday) service 1.30, Holy Nativity Church, 2 o-clock, Arno's Vale, upper gates |
Western Daily Press, 1920-10-21 |
| 1920-11-12 | admon at Bristol to Arthur Henry Baggs, solicitor's clerk; effects £200 | National Probate Calendar |
| 1921-01-22 | awarded British War Medal and Victory Medal | WWI service medal and award rolls |
| before 1929-02-12 | (former) clerk to Alderman Arthur William Page, JP; (would have) inherited £500 under the latter's will | Western Daily Press, 1929-02-12 |
| 1904-07-30 | b. 36 Wells Road or 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | 1939 England and Wales Register (TNA: RG 101); GRO index gives 1903-08-30; RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| 1904-10-09 | of Harrington Cleeve Rd, Knowle; bapt. St Martin, Knowle | parish register |
| 1911 | living with her family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| 1921 | home duties, at home; living with her family and her grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| 1929-11-23 | at the sixth annual dinner of the Cyclists' Touring Club, Bristol District Association, at St Stephen's Restaurant, replied to a toast to "The Ladies" | Western Daily Press, 1929-11-25 |
| 1930-05-23 | of 7 Christchurch Road, Clifton, Bristol; joint organiser of the Bristol District Association of the CTC's annual Ladies' Day, to be held on 1 June | Horfield and Bishopston Record and Montpelier & District Free Press |
| 1931-05-17 | of 7 Christchurch Road, Clifton; hon. organising secretary to the Bristol District Association of the CTC | Western Daily Press, 1931-05-06 |
| 1932-07-10 | present at the finish of a mystery cycle run, at the Plough, Crudwell, Wiltshire | Western Daily Press, 1932-07-13 |
| before 1932-09-21 |
A meeting of "B" Section members of the Bristol D.A. Cyclists' Training Club was held last week to consider the matter of the resignation of the hon. section secretary, Miss Marjorie Baggs, owing to the increasing pressure of other duties. Miss Baggs has been a member of the club for about five years, and for the past four years has carried on the onerous duties of "B" Section, taking over from Mr F. Beer. Her resignation was accepted with regret, and a vote of thanks was passed in appreciation of the manner in which she carried out her official duties. |
Western Daily Press, 1932-09-21 |
| 1932 Q4 | m. Frederick George Baker (1900–1964, b. Baptist Street, Bristol, cycle shop owner), in Bristol RD | GRO index; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| Children: | Margaret Mary (1938 – after 2010) and John (1945–1961), both b. Bristol RD | |
| 1939-09-29 | part time employment in above business [cycle dealer], living with her husband and a redacted individual [presumably their daughter] at 144 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol | 1939 England and Wales Register |
| renowned for her cooking, and always had pies, tarts and other treats in her freezer for visitors | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1989-07-05 | of 14 Greenhill Gdns, Evesham, Worcestershire; d. | GRO index; National Probate Calendar; Smallbone (2010) gives 1983-06-02, Shepway RD |
| 1989-11-13 | will proved at Bristol; not exceeding £100,000 | National Probate Calendar |
| 1908-05-27 | b. Hannington Villa, 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; TNA: RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1908-06-28 | of 6 Cleeve Rd; bapt. St Martin, Bristol | parish register |
| 1911 | living with his family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| was in the Boy Scouts as a lad; his sister Phyl remembered him climbing up a lamppost to turn off the gaslight because there was a Zeppelin overhead; was also involved in an incident over a tin of mustard gas a returning soldier had brought home | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1921 | attending school whole time; living with his family and his grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| 1927-11-30 | clerk, of Bristol; attested in the Royal Tank Corps | Royal Tank Corps enlistment records |
| 1931-11-29 | private; discharged at Barnet | |
| 1932 Q1 | m.1. Madeleine Cottrell (1908–1991, b. Bristol RD), in Bristol RD | GRO index |
| Children with first wife: | Brian J.H. (1933 – ?, b. Long Ashton, Somerset) and Clare Wilhemina (1936–1954, b. Bristol RD) | |
| 1939-09-29 | office manager, of the Greyhound Hotel, Broadmead, Bristol | 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1947 | national sales manager for an electrical company, based in Richmond, Surrey; later in life was employed as a relief publican, travelling around England for temporary holiday cover | Smallbone (2010) |
| divorced his first wife | ||
| 1964 Q3 | m.2. Pamela Edith Studd or Ashton (1909–1978), in Hove RD | GRO index |
| of Appledore, northern Devon | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1980-12 | d. Barnstaple Hospital, Devon | GRO index; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1910-02-19 | b. Hannington Villa, 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; TNA: RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1910-04-24 | of 6 Cleeve Road; bapt. St Martin, Bristol | parish register |
| 1911 | living with her family in 5 rooms at 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | RG14PN14934 RG78PN904 RD319 SD4 ED7 SN60 |
| 1921 | attending school whole time; living with her family and her grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| as a teenager, went to live with her widowed grandmother at Hannington | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1929-03-21 | sang solos from Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Parry's Judith, at a recital at St Mary's church, Tyndall's Park, Bristol | Western Daily Press |
| 1929-03-29 | contralto soloist at a special musical service at St Nathanael's church, Cotham, for Good Friday | Western Daily Press, 1929-03-28 |
| 1930 | moved to Bristol | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1934-09-17 | of 12 St Edith's Road, Sea Mills, Gloucestershire; m. John Foster Barton Hall (1907–1995, clerk, of 55 Alma Road, Clifton, b. Bristol, s. of John Foster Hall, chartered secretary with Courage breweries), at St Edith's pc, Sea Mills, after banns | GRO index; parish register; Smallbone (2010) |
| Children: | Susan M. (1939 – after 2010), Sally (1942 – after 2010), and Jane C. (1947 – after 2010), all b. Bristol RD | GRO index; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1939-09-29 | unpaid dom. duties, living with her husband (sec. B. United Breweries) at (11?) Westbury Park, Bristol | 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1950s | trained as a nurse; she and her husband were a very active and sociable couple, much loved by many; it was usually open house at 8 Cairns Road, Bristol, where they lived, and always a meal on the table, even if someone called unexpectedly, along with lots of chat and laughter | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1959-04-29 | enrolled as assistant nurse, Southmead Group Hospital Training Scheme | Nursing Register |
| 1994-11-25 | d. Bristol | GRO index; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1911-12-21 | b. Hannington Villa, 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1912-01-28 | of Harrington Cleeve Rd, Knowle; bapt. St Martin, Knowle | parish register |
| 1921 | attending school whole time; living with her family and her grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| 1928-08-10 | Bristol University matric. (English, geography, modern history, French, credit in art, biology), from St George secondary school | Western Daily Press, 1928-08-10 |
| 1937 Q4 | m.1. Francis Robert David Crockett (1911–1972, b. Alcester, Warwickshire), in Romsey RD | GRO index |
| 1939-09-29 | unpaid domestic duties, living with her husband (registered architect & surveyor) at The Flat, 108A Lichfield Rd, Stafford, Staffordshire | 1939 England and Wales Register (TNA: RG 101) |
| Children with first husband: | Christopher David (1942 – ?, b. Stafford RD) and Nicholas Davis (1943–1944, b. Bournemouth, Hampshire | GRO index; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1940 | became a civilian secretary and bookkeeper with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1944 | of Colchester, Essex | |
| 1959 | living with her husband at 52 Blackstock Road, Islington, London N4; a Louis Rees recorded at the same address as not entitled to vote in a parliamentary election | electoral register |
| c. 1964 | with her husband, moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; for the first three years Phyl worked for the Society of Friends, and for the last seven for the University of Pennsylvania, as an administrative assistant | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1969 | m.2. Jack Fields (? – ?) | |
| 1974 | retired; the couple returned to England, where they became the wardens of the Friends' meeting-house in Colchester | |
| 2004-04-11 | d. Blackburn with Darwen RD | GRO index; Find a Will |
| 2005-01-24 | will proved at Ipswich | Find a Will |
08. Donald William Baggs
(Don)| 1914-03-03 | b. Hannington Villa, 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1914-11-24 | of Harrington Cleeve Rd, Knowle; bapt. St Martin, Knowle | parish register |
| 1921 | attending school whole time; living with his family and his grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | TNA: RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| by 1921 | musically gifted; in the choir of the Holy Nativity in Knowle, and had begun piano and singing lessons | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1924/1931 | attended Wells Cathedral School on a choral scholarship | |
| 1926 | with his brothers Ken and Gordon, moved from the old school-house on the Cathedral Green to a very large house in 'The Liberty' known as The Cedars | |
| 1930 | graduated from a trainee solo boy to No. 4 out of four solo boys, and in his last year in the choir moved up to the position of head solo boy | |
| struggled academically, but blossomed on the playing field, where he had an aptitude for cricket, rugby, hockey, 'fives' (played with gloves on, but no racquet), and table tennis; was in all the first teams, and became Captain of Games in his last year | ||
| 1931 | found work with Gardiner's, and began organ lessons with Graham Harris, the organist at Christchurch, Clifton | |
| 1931-05-10 | at the annual church service of the Bristol District Association Cyclists' Touring Club, at St Cuthbert's church, Wells, "a cyclist friend of the club, Mr. Donald Baggs, officiated at the organ." | Central Somerset Gazette, 1931-05-22 |
| 1931/1939 | pianist in a concert party, providing backing music for vocalists, comedians and others at various church halls and hotels; by 1939 regularly entertaining the troops in the evenings | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1932 | Harris placed him in his first appointment at Tickenham, near Clevedon; his father bought him a motor-bike to get there and back | |
| 1933-05-14 | at the organ at the annual church service of the Bristol District Association Cyclists' Touring Club, at St Cuthbert's church, Wells; a member of the club | Shepton Mallet Journal and Wells Journal, 1933-05-19 |
| 1934-05-13 | secretary of Bristol "B" section of the Cyclists' Touring Club; played the organ at a service at St Cuthbert's church, Wells, Somerset | Shepton Mallet Journal, 1934-05-18 |
| 1935 | Harris recommended him to the vicar of Marshfield | Smallbone (2010) |
| went to work for an advertising agency, creating window displays in shops and stores, and setting up stands at trade exhibitions, involving travelling to towns such as Cheltenham, Swindon, Weymouth, and Haverfordwest; all the while he continued as organist at Marshfield, soon exchanging his motor-bike for an Austin 7, and later a Morgan | ||
| 1937-05-26 |
BLIND WOMAN SUES SEA MILLS MOTOR-CYCLIST Story of Accident at Marshfield An accident at High Street, Marshfield, on September 30, 1936, in which a blind woman—Miss Rosalie Edith Whittle, of King Street, Marshfield—received scalp wounds, led to a claim by her for damages at Bristol County Court yesterday. Defendant was Donald William Baggs, of St. Edyth's Road, Sea Mills, and Miss Whittle alleged that the manner in which he rode his motor-cycle caused the accident, while defendant alleged that Miss Whittle did not take the proper precautions in crossing the road, and that she stepped back into the path of his machine, not giving him an opportunity to avoid the accident. It was stated by Mr Castle-Miller (London) that defendant was the organist at Marshfield Church, and Miss Whittle was also crossing the road to go to the same church when the collision occurred. He alleged that defendant swerved to the off-side of the road to go behind her, but Miss Whittle, who had crossed the road hundreds of times, and knew exactly where she was, stopped in the centre of the road. The little girl who was with her was knocked into the off-side gutter, and Miss Whittle received a wound on the head. Defendant gave evidence to the effect that Miss Whittle stepped back into the path of his machine. Judgment was given for Miss Whittle for £35 and special damages, making £42 6s, with costs. |
Western Daily Press, 1937-05-27 |
| before 1939-02-25 | at the piano for a dramatic production at St Saviour's Hall, Bristol | Bristol Evening Post, 1939-02-25 |
| 1939-04-10 | organist at a wedding service at St Mary's church, Marshfield | Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 1939-04-15 |
| c. 1939 | met Nora Cook on a bus from Bristol to Marshfield | Smallbone (2010) |
| end of 1939-08 | enlisted in the 4th City of Bristol Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment, as Private 5186939 | |
| member of a dance band at Speedwell, playing a few times on the BBC's forces radio, even accompanying Vera Lynn | ||
| 1939-09-29 | not found in 1939 Register | 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1940 Q2 | m. Nora Emily Cook (1919–2004, b. Marshfield, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire), in Sudbury RD | GRO index; Smallbone (2010) |
| 1941-12-05 | left with his unit on the troop ship SS Oronsay, bound for Greenland, and then south to Freetown, Liberia, where they arrived on Christmas Day, thence onward to Durban, South Africa; there were enough musicians aboard to form a band for the duration | Smallbone (2010) |
| at Durban, joined the SS Wemyss Bay, heading for India; travelled from Bombay to Poona and on to Calcutta; after a further six months they left for Manipur, a buffer state between India and Burma; underwent training at Manipur; qualified to become the unit's wireless operator | ||
| by 1945 | had been involved in tank battles, air engagements, suicide bombings, countless jungle patrols, forced marches, hand-to-hand fighting, road-building bridge-building &c., without a break, and through two monsoon seasons; finally given leave | |
| 1945-01 | back in Calcutta; auditioned for a show, and a few weeks later joined ENSA, the entertainment unit; for next six months toured all over Bengal and Assam with a concert party, arriving back in Calcutta at the end of July, to find his name on the list for repatriation; across India to Bombay and returned to England by ship; arriving back to rejoin Nora at 12 Edyth's Road | |
| Children: | Veronica Ruth (1946 – after 1966) and Robin E. (1951 – ?), both b. Bristol RD | GRO index |
| 1949 | of 12 White Tree rd, Henleaze; tel. Westbury-on-Trym 65639 | phone books |
| 1952 | ||
| 1953 | of 12 White Tree rd, Henleaze; tel. Bristol 65639 | phone book |
| 1955 | of 106 Oldbury Court rd, Fishponds; tel. Bristol 5-5289 | phone book |
| 1956/1957 | of 106 Oldbury Court rd, Fishponds; tel. Bristol 65-5289 | phone books |
| 1967/1969 | of 22 Redhill dr, Fishponds; tel. Bristol 651472 | |
| 1971/1974 | ||
| 1977/1978 | of 22 Redhill dv, Fishponds; tel. Bristol 651472 | |
| 1980 | ||
| 2003/2007 | of 22 Redhill Drive, Bristol, BS16 2AQ | electoral registers |
| 2013-12-21 | d. | Find a Will |
| 2014-04-09 | will proved at Bristol |
| 1915-12-03 | b. Hannington Villa, 6 Cleeve Road, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1916-02-16 | of Harrington Cleeve Rd, Knowle; bapt. St Martin, Knowle | parish register |
| 1921 | attending school whole time; living with her family and her grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | TNA: RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| trained at University College Hospital, and joined Princess Mary's RAF Nursing service; a good swimmer; her sister found it was difficult to keep up with Joyce's romances, for she seemed to have a keen eye for handsome young men; a surprise when she married, but the couple have been happy ever since | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1935/1938 | qualified as a nurse, by examination, at University College Hospital, London | 1946 Nursing Register |
| 1938-06-24 | registered as a nurse, in London | |
| 1939-09-29 | state registered nurse [and something in the
Royal A. Force], living at 52 Sunnyside Rd, Twickenham, Middlesex;
recorded as " |
1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101) |
| 1939-10-02/1941 | reserve, Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service | The Air Force Lists |
| 1940 | of 12 St Edyth's Road, Sea Mills, Bristol | 1940 Nursing Register |
| 1941 | m. Richard Alfred Prew (1912–2007, b. Lewisham RD), in Aden | British armed forces and overseas banns and marriages; Smallbone (2010); UK outward passenger lists; GRO index; Billion Graves |
| Children: | Martin Richard (1942 – after 2019, b. Bristol RD), Roger Vincent (1944 – after 2019, b. Llanelly, Wales), Charles Henry (1946 – after 2019, b. Bristol RD), and Priscilla Mary (1946–2015) | GRO index; Smallbone (2010); UK outward passenger lists; electoral registers; Find a Will |
| 1943 | of 12 St Edyth's Road, Sea Mills, Bristol; still listed as "Baggs, Winifred Joyce" | 1943 Nursing Register |
| 1946 | of The Chestnuts, Farleigh Common, Warlingham, Surrey | 1946 Nursing Register |
| 1949-05-11 | with her children and her RAF flight lieutenant husband, sailed from Liverpool aboard the SS Halladale, bound for Port Said; Grade A passengers | UK outward passenger lists |
| 1953/1954 | living with her husband at The Chestnuts, Farleigh (Warlingham), Surrey | electoral registers |
| 1954 | of 1 The Chestnuts, Long Cross Road, Chertsey, Surrey | electoral register |
| 1956 | living with her husband at 27 Northern Avenue, RAF Station, Henlow, Bedfordshire | electoral register |
| 1957/1958 | of The Cedars, 7 Hitchin Road, Henlow | electoral registers |
| 1958-05-10 | of The Cedars, 7 Hitchin Road, Henlow; as a pedestrian, slightly injured by a runaway horse following a road accident between Henlow Camp and Henlow village crossroads; didn't need hospital treatment | Biggleswade Chronicle, 1958-05-16 |
| 1959/1962 | living with her husband at 27 Cheapside Road, Windsor, Berkshire | electoral registers |
| 1964 | living with her husband and their eldest son at 27 Cheapside Road, Windsor | |
| 2003 | of 6 High Street, Kintbury, Berkshire, RG17 9TW | |
| 2004/2007 | of 6 Old Granary, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0NF |
10. Kenneth George Baggs,
BEM (Ken)| 1918-06-24 | b. 16 Lilymead Avenue, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; War Office: Japanese Index Cards of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1918-08-21 | of 16 Lilymead Avenue; bapt. Holy Nativity, Bristol | parish register |
| 1921 | living with his family and his grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | TNA: RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| 1926/1935 | educated at Wells Cathedral School | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1928-06-05 | had been racing at the school sports field at the time another boy was fatally crushed by a heavy lawn roller | Central Somerset Gazette, 1928-06-08 |
| 1933-06-28 | won prizes at the school sports day: third in the school half mile handicap; second in the mile open | |
| 1937 | joined the Royal Navy Medical Branch, training in the Sick Berth Branch | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1939-02 | drafted to the Royal Navy Hospital in Hong Kong, remaining there till Hong Kong was captured by the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941 | |
| 1941-12-25 | captured | POWs in Japan or Japanese Occupied Territory, A-D, 1945 |
| 1941/1945 | a Far East Prisoner-of-War, in atrocious conditions | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1941 | of 16 Lilymead Avenue, Knowle, Bristol; leading sick berth attendant, D/MX 54450, Royal Navy | Japanese Index Cards of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees |
| 1942-08 | transported to Japan on the cargo ship Lisbon Maru; during the voyage the ship was torpedoed by an American submarine near Shanghai, resulting in the deaths of 1000 FEPOWs | Smallbone (2010) |
| learned John Masefield's poem 'The West Wind' by heart, which helped him keep his sanity during his captivity | ||
| 1945 | L S B A, of 144 Cheltham Road, Bristol 6; ; prisoner of war in Osaka PoW Camp No 1 | Prisoners of war, Far East: Osaka and Hiroshima POW Camps, Japan; name lists, as per Directive 2, September 1945 |
| 1945-09-02 | liberated | POWs in Japan or Japanese Occupied Territory, A-D, 1945 |
| mentioned in dispatches | Smallbone (2010) | |
| after 1945 | continued his naval career, initially serving again in Hong Kong | |
| 1947 Q4 | m.1. Joan Glover (1921 – ?, b. Portsmouth RD, née Blackman), in Plymouth RD | GRO index; Portsmouth Evening News, 1949-02-16 |
| after his marriage, served at the Royal Navy Hospital at Stonehouse, Plymouth, then on board HMS Blake | Smallbone (2010) | |
| Child with first wife: | Peter Kenneth Glover (1949–2008), b. Plymouth RD | GRO index; Portsmouth Evening News, 1949-02-16; Find a Will |
| 1952 Xmas | of RN Hosp. Plymouth; awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medal | Naval medal and award rolls |
| 1955/1956 | of 747 Wolseley rd, Plymouth; tel. St Budeaux 183 | phone books |
| 1958 | ||
| 1958-07-19 | proposed the toast at the AGM of the Old Boys'
Association, in the physics lab at the Bernard Buildings: The toast of "The School" was proposed by Mr. Kenneth Baggs, who was a prisoner of war in Japan for four years, and who said that during those years he had a lot of very pleasant memories of the school, of Mundys Meadow, choristers voices, Sunday afternoon walks, and so on, and such memories kept him sane. There was nothing like boredom to sap the brain. During those frightful years he made up his mind that if ever he survived and returned to England, he would certainly revisit the School. He was glad the Re-union had given him that opportunity. Mr. Baggs spoke of how the School had progressed in recent years, and wished it continued success in the future. The Head Master, in his response to the toast, thanked Mr. Baggs for his most moving tribute to his old School. |
Wells Journal, 1958-07-25 |
| 1960 | of 747 Wolseley rd, Plymouth; tel. Plymouth 32283 | phone books |
| 1962/1963 | ||
| 1960s | retired; awarded the British Empire Medal for his years of service | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1973 Q3 | m.2. Betty Kathleen Violet Smith (1920–2007), in Plymouth RD | GRO index; Rogers Family History Site; Find a Will |
| 2002 | students of Wells Cathedral School performed and recorded a musical version of The West Wind, composed by Ken Baggs | Smallbone (2010) |
| 2004 | of 1 Sumner Road, Bittaford, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0ET | electoral register |
| 2004-08-19 | d. South Hams, Plymouth, Devon | GRO index; MI; Smallbone (2010) |
| bur. Ugborough parish burial ground, Ugborough, South Hams, Devon | MI |
11. Gordon Leslie Baggs,
GM| 1920-06-14 | b. 16 Lilymead Avenue, Knowle, Bristol, Gloucestershire | GRO index; Ken Smallbone (2010) Baggs: The History of a Family. Basingstoke: The Changing Seasons |
| 1921 | living with his family and his grandmother in 7 rooms at 16 Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, Bristol | TNA: RG 15/11732 RD319 SD4 ED10 SN135 |
| a rather rumbustious child, difficult to control | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1928/1937 | at boarding school at Wells Cathedral School; when he returned home for the Christmas holidays he appeared to be quite a different child, even deserving the description of a 'model child'; excelled in sport, and represented his school in rugby, hockey and cricket | |
| 1938-07-02 | played cricket for Old Wellensians, against Wells Cathedral School; run out for a duck | Wells Journal, 1938-07-08 |
| 1939 | joined the Army, initially serving in North Africa | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1940 | purchasing officer, stationed on the Gold Coast, controlling Army budgets; according to his own words he spent his whole time shouting at the natives | |
| by 1943 | commissioned | |
| 1946 | demobbed as a major, with several medals | |
| 1947-02-12 | Captain, Temporary Major, Gordon Leslie Baggs, 258635, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Bristol 6 | Western Daily Press |
| 1947-02-21 |
GEORGE MEDAL AWARD CATHEDRAL SCHOOL OLD BOY The "London Gazette" announced that the George Medal has been awarded to Captain (temporary Major) Gordon Leslie Baggs, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. In Egypt in 1946 a member of the guard of the 18th West African Infantry Company apparently lost control of himself, fired his rifle at two other African soldiers, and then ran into the desert. Major Baggs pursued the African and although fired at and wounded in the right arm closed with him and disarmed him. This display of moral and physical courage by Major Baggs, states the official citation, has had a wonderful effect on the company. Major Baggs is the youngest of the thirteen children of the late Mr. A.H. Baggs of Bristol, and was a member from 1927 to 1935 of Wells Cathedral School. He and his two elder brothers, Donald and Kenneth, were boarders at the Cedars. He was of an adventurous disposition and intended to join one of the Colonial Police Forces but was diverted by the war. He is now, as shown above, commissioned in the Regular Army. |
Wells Journal |
| 1947-07-12 | elected assistant secretary of the Old Wellensians | Wells Journal, 1947-07-18 |
| 1947-10-10 |
George Medal for Wellensian TO ATTEND INVESTITURE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. Temporary Major Gordon Leslie Baggs of The Limes, Chamberlain-Street, Wells, who was recently awarded the George Medal will attend an Investiture at Buckingham Palace, on October 28th next. The George Medal was awarded for Major Baggs for distinguished conduct in Egypt in 1946, when he mounted his motor cycle and rode out, unarmed into the desert, and saw an armed Africa infantryman for whom he was searching. With only 100 yards between them the African took aim with his rifle, and at 10 yards fired at Major Baggs, hitting him in the arm. Despite his wound the Major jumped from his machine, closed with the African and disarmed him. This display of moral and physical courage by Major Baggs, states the official citation, had a wonderful effect on the company. Major Baggs is an old Wells Cathedral School boy and is at present employed by Messrs. Clares Textiles (Social Services). |
Wells Journal |
| 1947-11-21 | m.1. Violet Elsie Geddes-Ruffle (1926–2017, b. Mitcham, Surrey), at Ham, Petersham, Surrey; they had met at a works picnic | GRO index; England and Wales Death Index; Smallbone (2010) |
| Gordon and 'Ruff' settled at Beaumont House, New Street, Wells; Gordon was employed as national sales manager for Clare's, a clothing manufacturing company, in Union Street, but was away most of the week on his travels | Smallbone (2010) | |
| 1948-06-19 | elected assistant secretary of the Cathedral School Old Boys' Association | Wells Journal, 1948-06-25 |
| 1948-10-01 | is playing Major Blane in the play Exercise Bowler, with the Mendip Players, at the Byre Theatre | Wells Journal |
| 1948-12-30 | present at the funeral of Mrs Alice Lilian Biddulph Pinchard, at Wells Cathedral | Wells Journal, 1948-12-31 |
| Children with first wife: | Teresa Lesley (1949 – after 2019), Stephen Gordon Jeffrey (1952 – after 2019), both b. Wells, Somerset; and Simon Robert (1954 – after 2010), b. Clifton, Bristol | GRO index; Smallbone (2010); Knights of the Realm and Commonwealth index; electoral registers; Wikipedia; Cardiff University News; personal communication from Steve Baggs |
| 1949-07-09 | at the reunion dinner of the Cathedral School Old Boys; proposed a toast to "The School" | Wells Journal, 1949-07-15 |
| 1950-01 | bought 'The Old Thatched Cottage', Purbrook; Gordon then worked for textile companies, travelling vast distances by car over Europe | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1950-07-15 | elected as assist. secretary of the Old Wellensians | Shepton Mallet Journal and Wells Journal, 1950-07-21 |
| 1952 | of The Old Thatch, Parbrook; tel. Baltonsborough 310 | phone book |
| 1953 | of 22 Meend Garden Terrace, East Dean, Gloucestershire | electoral register |
| 1953/1954 | of 46 Hill view, Henleaze; tel. Bristol 62-6851 | phone books |
| 1955/1958 | of 46 Hill vw, Westbury-on-Trym; tel. Bristol 62-6851 | |
| 1956 | living with his sister Jessie at 22 Meend Gardens Terrace, Cinderford, Gloucestershire | electoral register |
| 1957-02-18 | among the representatives of the Old Wellensians at the funeral at Wells Cathedral of Violet Ritchie | Wells Journal, 1957-02-22 |
| 1960 | living with his sister Jessie at 22 Meend Gardens Terrace, Cinderford | electoral register |
| 1959/1963 | lived in Manor Farm Avenue, Shepperton, Middlesex | Smallbone (2010) |
| 1962 | moved back to Wells, where they bought 'Newlyn', a house at 8 New Street; the return was to enable their sons to attend Wells Cathedral School | |
| 1964 | the couple started their own suede and leather clothing manufacturing company, named 'Skinflair', making miniskirts at the height of the '60s Carnaby Street fashion era, and producing other fashion accessories, such as leather pants and jackets; it developed into a high fashion house, with garments being featured in major fashion magazines such as Vogue; within a few years it had become a highly successful business, and Gordon presented his wife with a blue E-type Jaguar to replace the Morris 1000 she'd been driving for years; they even had a home and office at 97 Gloucester Terrace, Paddington, London | |
| living with his wife at 76 Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, Paddington, London; three other individuals registered at the same address | electoral register | |
| 1965 | of Newlyn, New st, Bristol; tel. Wells 3502 | phone books |
| 1965-10-26 | of Newlyn, New Street, Wells; fined £3 by Glastonbury magistrates for parking in a No Waiting area | Wells Journal, 1965-10-29 |
| 1967/1969 | of Newlyn, New st, Bristol; tel. Wells 3502 | phone books |
| 1969-01-02 | founded Skinflair Ltd, of Glastonbury | Central Somerset Gazette, 1970-01-09 |
| 1970-04-24 | Skinflair featured in the lead front page story, 'LOCAL FIRM HIT PARIS JACKPOT'; is chairman of the company; article includes two photos of his daughter Terry, modelling Skinflair creations | Central Somerset Gazette, 1970-04-24 |
| 1970-07-31 | lost a court hearing for unfair dismissal of his production manager, who was awarded £426 in lieu of three months' notice, as well as 10% of the profits during those months | Cheddar Valley Gazette, 1970-08-07 |
| 1971-02-19 | one of the founders of a new squash club in Wells | Wells Journal, 1971-02-19 |
| 1971-02-26 |
A car radio, coats and cash worth £284 was taken from a car owned by Mr. Gordon Leslie Baggs, of 8 New Street, when the door of his garage was forced on Friday night. |
Wells Journal, 1971-03-05 |
| 1971-05-31 | left for Switzerland, on business | Central Somerset Gazette, 1971-06-04 |
| 1971-09-03 | expansion planned, with construction of a new factory in prospect | Central Somerset Gazette |
| 1972-02-12 | in trouble with the Customs over failing to properly declare the fashion garments his staff were bringing back from Paris; had been in bed with a bad back, but had to get up from his sick bed to sort the problem out, which he succeeded in doing, but at the price of having to cancel a Paris showing | Central Somerset Gazette, 1972-02-18 |
| 1972/1974 | of Newlyn, New St, Bristol; tel. Wells 73502 | phone books |
| 1973 | the business had secured a bank loan for an export expansion, when a new regional manager at Barclays Bank decided to foreclose on the loan, giving the couple only 48 hours to return the money that had been spent on the expansion; as a result a receiver was called in, but the company continued to trade, even after the receiver had been and gone; but during the turmoil Gordon had lost control of the company | Smallbone (2010); Wells Journal, 1972-07-28 |
| by this time the marriage was on its last legs, the relationship ending with the business; they divorced | ||
| 1973-04-09 | creditors' meeting, of Skinflair Ltd, at The Commercial Rooms, Corn Street Bristol; is now secretary of the company | Wells Journal, 1973-03-30 |
| 1973 Q2 | m.2. Susan B. Levics (1949 – ?, b. Wells RD, née Webb), at Bridgwater RD; she had worked at the factory | GRO index |
| 1973-09-14 | advertising for cutters for suede and leather clothing; tel. Glastonbury 3406 | Cheddar Valley Gazette |
| 1974-12-13 | again advertising for cutters; now as G.L. Baggs Ltd, of Chedzoy, near Bridgwater; tel. Bridgwater 4016 | Cheddar Valley Gazette |
| 1978 | of 28 Daniel Crest, Bristol; tel. Warminster 214092 | phone book |
| 1980 | founded Plimsoll Line, a travel company to cater for the needs of German and other European coach tourism groups travelling to Britain | Smallbone (2010) |
| mid 1990s | the business was sold when Gordon retired | |
| 1999-10-20 | d. Bristol RD, of complications related to Alzheimer's disease | GRO index; Find a Will; Smallbone (2010) |
| 2000-01-28 | will proved at Bristol | Find a Will |
Child of Henry and Marian Baggs | Children of Henry and Elizabeth Baggs | Baggs page | Family history home page | Website home page
This page was last revised on 2023-07-04.
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