BLANCHE ELIZABETH BRAIN (1899 -1961) daughter of WILLIAM BRAIN
and ALICE BRAIN (nee BANFIELD) Born 29th October 1899 at near Deep Pit, Crofts End,
St. George, Bristol. Her father William was a Coal Miner and later an insurance salesman.
He also had been born in the Crofts End area. Blanche was the granddaughter of MOSES BRAIN
(died 1887) and SARAH BRAIN (nee HAYNES) (died abt 1891) and ALFRED BANFIELD (died 1918)
and MARY ANN BANFIELD (nee BATEMAN).(died abt 1914) Blanche's great grandfather WILLIAM BATEMAN
who was born abt 1819 died in 1905 when Blanche was abt 5 years old Blanche married August 1st ,1925 at
St Ambrose, Whitehall, Bristol EDWIN CREESE son of ALBERT CREESE and SARAH JANE CREESE
(nee HOUGHTON) of Easton, Bristol. They were parents of my mother JOAN MARGARET CREESE
My grandmother's entire known ancestry to date is from the villages of Gloucestershire near Kingswood, Bristol.

1901 Census 62 Deep Pit Road, St. George, Bristol, Gloucestershire William Brain 33 Head Coal Miner (Hewer?) .............. St George, Gloucestershire Alice Brain 32 Wife .......................................................... Kingswood, Gloucestershire Roseana Brain 13 dau ....................................................... St George, Gloucestershire Frederick Brain 9 son ........................................................ St George, Gloucestershire Ellen Brain 8 dau ................................................................. St George, Gloucestershire Florence Brain 6 dau ........................................................... St George, Gloucestershire Alice Brain 5 dau .................................................................. St George, Gloucestershire Ethel Brain 2 dau ................................................................. St George, Gloucestershire Blanche Brain 1 dau ............................................................ St George, Gloucestershire ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 2393; Folio: 100; Page: 10

Blanche was educated at Summerhill Church School, St George, Gloucestershire

1911 Census 5 Tennyson Terrace, Speedwell, St. George, Bristol William Brain Head 43 (married 24 years) Invalid (formerly insurance agent) ................. Bristol Alice Brain Wife 42 married ........................................................................................................... Bristol Roseana Brain Daughter 23 single Cardboard box maker Fry's Choc Works ................ Bristol Frederick Brain Son 19 Sterotyper Bennet Bros Printers ..................................................... Bristol Ellen Brain Daughter 18 Packer Chocolate Frys....................................................................... Bristol Florence Brain Daughter 16 dau Packer Choclate Frys ......................................................... Bristol Alice Louisa Brain Daughter 15 Card Board Box maker Frys Choc works....................... Bristol Ethel Brain Daughter 12 School.................................................................................................... Bristol Blanche Elizabeth Brain Daughter 11 School ........................................................................... Bristol Evelyn Brain Daughter 7 School ................................................................................................... Bristol Doris Brain Daughter 4 School ...................................................................................................... Bristol 9 children born alive and 9 alive at the time of the census ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blanche (left) and her mother Alice Brain (nee Banfield) (right)

1925 she was living at 25 Speedwell Road, St George

 

Blanche's father William Brain had been an Incline Rider (collier) at Deep Pit, St George. Later he was an Insurance Salesman. He died when Blanche was aged 18 of Miners lung disease. Blanche herself worked as a tobacco stripper at Bedminster, Bristol. She would catch the tram from near her home in Speedwell Road all the way to Bedminster every day. It was whilst working here that she lost a part of her finger in an accident when she caught her hand in the machinery. As a single woman if she went out at night she always carried a hat pin with her for protection (her B in L Mr. Collier told me) She was also a very strict disciplinarian. A friend of my mother's (Nina) remembers my mother being punished by being hit with a wooden spoon (on at least one occasion) when she was late home. I have heard several relations and family friends make very negative comments about Blanche. I have only ever heard praise for Edwin Creese my grandfather who seems to have been universally loved.