William and Alice Brain (nee Banfield) of Bristol

WILLIAM BRAIN my great grandfather born abt 1867 at Crofts End, Deep Pit, St. George, Bristol;
died Abt. 1919 at 25 Speedwell Road, St. George, Bristol. He was the son of MOSES BRAIN and
SARAH BRAIN (nee HAYNES). He married ALICE BANFIELD May 30th 1887 at St. Mary's, Bitton,
Gloucestershire. Alice was daughter of ALFRED BANFIELD and MARY ANN BANFIELD (nee BATEMAN)

William Brain was a collier and later an Insurance Agent. He died about 1919 aged abt52 years of the
Miners lung disease after a long illness. He was a great local Character in the Speedwell area.
He spent his days after he was unable to work out side his home by the window at 25 Speedwell
Road watching the world go by. He was a keen supporter of the Crofts End Mission.

1 WILLIAM BRAIN b: Abt. 1867 in St George, Gloucestershire d: Abt. 1919 in Speedwell Road, St George, Bristol
.. +ALICE BANFIELD b: 04 Apr 1868 in Hopewell Hill, Kingswood, Gloucestershire d: 17 Mar 1950 in 25 Speedwell Road, St George,
.. 2 BLANCHE ELIZABETH BRAIN b: 29 Oct 1899 in Deep Pit, Crofts End, St George, Bristol d: 1962 in Bristol
....... +EDWIN CREESE b: 16 Feb 1896 in 50 Thrissell St, Easton, Bristol d: 1948 in Seamills, Bristol
...... 3 JOAN MARGARET CREESE b: 18 Jan 1931 in Bristol d: 09 Sep 1974 in Bristol
........... +NORMAN SIDNEY TAYLOR b: 30 Dec 1926 in Bristol d: 25 Nov 1980 in Keynsham, Bristol
........... 4 PAUL b: 01 Aug 1963 in Bristol

1871 Census 61 Crofts End, St George, Gloucestershire, England

Moses Brain Head M 44 Coal Miner ................ Gloucestershire, Mangotsfield
Sarah Brain Wife M 40 .................................................. Gloucestershire, Oldland
Sarah J Brain Dau S 16 Cotton Weaver ................ Gloucestershre, St George
George Brain Son S 13 Coal Miner ....................... Gloucestershire, St George
Alice Brain Dau 11 Scholar ....................................... Gloucestershire St George
James Brain Son 8 Scholar ..................................... Gloucestershire, St George
Martha Brain Dau 6 Scholar ..................................... Gloucestershire, St George
WILLIAM BRAIN Son 3 .............................................. Gloucestershire, St George
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RG10; Piece: 2555; Folio: 10; Page: 12; GSU roll: 835264

1881 Census Crofts End,Bristol St George, Gloucester, England

Moses BRAIN Head M Male 55 Coal Miner.................... Mangotsfield, Gloucester
Sarah BRAIN Wife M Female 50 ................................................... Bitton, Gloucester
James BRAIN Son U Male 18 Coal Miner ................................... Bitton, Gloucester
Martha BRAIN Daur Female 16 Cotton Weaver ........................ Bitton, Gloucester
WILLIAM BRAIN Son Male 14 , Coal Miner ......................... St George, Gloucester
Samuel F. BRAIN Son Male 7 , Scholar ............................... St George, Gloucester
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Family History Library Film 1341600 Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2492 / 129 page Number 29

ALICE BANFIELD my great grandmother born April 4th 1868 at Hopewell Hill, Kingswood,
Gloucestershire; died March 17th 1950 at 25 Speedwell Road, St. George, Bristol. She was the daughter of
ALFRED BANFIELD and MARY ANN BANFIELD (nee BATEMAN) her father was a collier and her mother Mary ann
at the time of her marriage appears to have been working down the mines too!.

Blanche with her mother Alice Brain (nee Banfield) and later with her daughter Joan Creese.

Gt grandmother Alice Brain (nee Banfield) 1868-1950

My father and mother knew her well. Her son in law (Mr Collier) who lived with her and his family at her home
25 Speedwell Road related that she was a typical straight laced Victorian very fond of The Crofts End Mission which
was just round the corner. Alice out lived at least three of her children and several sons in law, including my grandfather
Edwin Creese who died in 1948. My mother (and father) knew Alice well.

A grandson wrote

Alice Brain suffered a stroke during 1937,that left her paralyised below the waist on the right hand side. Her right leg was completely useless.

After the stroke Gran moved into the parlour (that was what the front room was called in those days). I never EVER saw her outside of the parlour. She spent most of her time in bed,her bed was across the room just inside the window so that when she was sat up in bed she could watch what was going on outside on Speedwell Road. She could move about the room by hopping on her left foot while steadying herself against the walls with her hands. My mother took her meals in to her,for toilet she used a commode. Alice was a Christian,very much so but she kept it private,she never talked about dying,she always talked about going to be with William.I was custodian of the fireplace,as soon as I got up each morning I had to clean out her firegrate,then lay and light her fire,then make sure that it was burning well before going to school, then also tend the fire when I came home from school. Alice is buried at Avon View cemetry,I do not know the plot number.

Crofts End Mission was very important to the Brain family, to understand why you have to know the history.In Alice Brains time the area
had several coal mines,Speedwell pit was about 1/2 mile up the road,The Deep Pit (always pronounced D pit) only about 1/4 of a mile
behind the house,most of the Brain family were miners,as you often find with people employed in a dangerous occupation,they were a close knitcommunity.Only 7 houses away in No11 lived a miner named George Brown, George felt that he received a call from god to teach the messageof the bible to the miners and their families. He started by running bible classes in the front room of a house in a street of houses now known as freestone rank.( When I was a boy it was called Friezestone Rank for a very good reason.During the 18th and 19th centuries many of the grand houses had sculptured friezes made from limestone, the stone masons always called limestone, friezestone. The terraced houses 491 to 531 Whitehall Road are all built from limestone blocks,hence friezestone rank. During the bible lessons the miners decided to build their own church,at each meeting those present were asked to donate either a penny or a brick,in those days bricks were made right alongside The Crofts End Mission site.(The clay quarry and the brick kilns existed up until the 1950s when John Somers bought the site for a timber yard.) The people of the Crofts End community actually built the church with their own hands.Then George became the full time minister. All of the Brain family attended the Mission.

(1) Roseanna Brain born January 11th 1889; died February 15th 1933 in Poplar Road, St. George aged 44 years, Rose married
Frederick Cannon.They had one daughter Rose Cannon who died in childhood. The Cannons owned and ran the
general store on the corner of Poplar Road and Speedwell Road. When Rose died, Fred sold the store to Rose's sister and B in L
Gilbert and Ellen Perrett . Fred then moved to Channons Hill for the rest of his days.

(2) Frederick Brain born abt 1892 Died in St. George, Bristol?; married Elizabeth Bushley; of St. George
Worked for Bennetts Publishers, Kingswood? Had issue.

(3) Ellen Brain known as Nell, married Gilbert Perrett. They lived at 11 Poplar Road, St. George, Bristol.
Gilbert was secretary to "Crofts End Mission" He was a stone mason. After the death of her sister Roseanna
Cannon (nee Brain) Gilbert and Ellen Perret bought their shop off her brother in law Frederick Cannon
The Perretts moved in and ran the store during the war years (Second World War) during that time
No 11 was occupied by Ethel Perrett, Gilberts sister and his only living relative. When the Perretts
sold the store they moved back to 11 Poplar Road, .Ethel died first, then Nell, and Gilbert Perret last.

No issue.

(4) Florence Brain born abt 1895 in Deep Pit St. George nr Bristol; died March 12th 1939 in Bristol aged 44 years ; married Charles Brown.
Charles Brown worked at Frys in central Bristol.

No issue.

(5) Alice Brain born 1896; died October 25th 1920 aged 24 years; married Arthur Baily. Arthur Baily
worked on Bristol Tramways.

No Issue.

(6) Ethel Brain born January 11th 1898, married Arthur Leonard Tozer Jul-Aug-Sep 1924.
who was born January 11th 1898; and died February 24th, 1976 in Seamills, Bristol.
Arthur was the son of Samuel and Emily Tozer of Bedminster, Bristol. Arthur's father had been born in Rackenford, Devon in 1860.
Rackenford was where my Moore ancestors originated.

Ethel worked at Robinsons in Bristol.

Had issue.

(7) BLANCHE ELIZABETH BRAIN born October 29th 1899 in near Deep Pit, Crofts End, St. George, Bristol; died 1962 in Seamills, Bristol?
married EDWIN CREESE August 1st 1925 in St Ambrose, Whitehall, Bristol. He died in 1948 at 9 Elberton Road,
Seamills, Bristol. Blanche died in 1962. My grandparents and parents of my mother JOAN MARGARET CREESE 1931 - 1974

(8) Evelyn Brain born June 7th 1903 in Poplar Road, St. George. Died August 2nd 1982 Brentry, Bristol;
married (1st) husband Harold Bryant killed in The Blitz, Bristol by the Luftwafte. One of Bristol's first civilian casualties of World War
Harold was a member of The AFS. He was killed during an air raid on Bristol while he was on duty as a fireman with the Axiliary Fire Service.

Had issue

(2nd) husband John Patten
According to a nephew John was a softly spoken Welshman with a pronounced Welsh accent. A very nice man.

(9) Doris Brain born April 4th 1908 at 25 Speedwell Road, St. George ?; died March 23rd, 1982 of Station Road, Staplehill, nr Bristol;
married Alfred Collier; he died in 1996.

Had issue