The Family of Albert and Amelia Thompson

Click here to read about Albert Ernest Thompson

Denis Thompson.  Albert and Amelia's eldest son Denis Wilfred Thompson was born on 23rd August 1902.  In 1912 Denis and his brother Henry started Council Upper School in Thornbury having been educated previously in Hawkesbury Upton in Gloucestershire.

The photograph on the left shows Denis and his brother Henry in their football strip.  Denis is the boy on the left.

In September 1915 he started to attend Thornbury Grammar school.  He left school with the intention of becoming a baker like his father.

In 1924  Denis spent time in Manchester learning the trade from Ernest Schulbe at the confectioners school of Art in Wilmslow Road Withington.  In the early twentieth century the Germans were unsurpassed in their cake decoration and Ernest Schulbe who had emigrated to Manchester was a famous exponent of the art of icing.

Denis became a master baker and with brother Henry took over the premises in the High Street from his father.  The business in the High Street offered luncheons and teas.  Outside catering was provided for such things as wedding receptions at the Cossham Hall. 

Denis married  Norah Lily Walker the daughter of Mr and Mrs E Walker of Lower Hazel on July 20th 1926.  A thumbnail photograph of the wedding is on the left.  Click on it to see a larger version and details of other people in the photograph. We believe that Denis and Norah Lily Thompson may have moved into a house which is now 32 Castle Street after their marriage.

Denis and Lily's son Edward Albert was born on 9th March 1928.  When he started the Council School in 1932 his address was Castle Street.  Edward went to the Council School in 1934 by which time the family was living in the High Street.  Brian Denis was born 18th March 1935.  They  had one daughter Jean.

We have a declaration dated 1938 which was made by Percy Luce in connection with properties owned by the Cossham family at the top end of the High Street.  The plan accompanying the declaration  shows that at that time Denis Wilfred Thompson was occupying a house owned by Edward Wise (AKA Wisse) which is now known as number 79 High Street.  We assume therefore that they had been living here since 1934 or earlier.

The photograph on the right is of Denis and Norah Lily on the beach at Weston Super Mare about 1930 with their son Edward.

The three children did well at school.  In 1938 Edward left the Council School and went to Thornbury Grammar, having passed the scholarship.  His younger sister, Jean Diana Thompson followed him to the Grammar school in 1943 and Brian Dennis in 1946.

The 1950 electoral register shows Dennis and Norah continued to live in 79 High Street (although it was then known a 2 High Street as until street numbering was introduced about 1953 the houses in the row were numbered from the top.  By the 1954 electoral register, Dennis and Norah were living at 67 High Street.  We have been told that Dennis's son, Edward, went to work in Uganda for the police and he came back in the 1950's to take over the family business.  He finally sold the business to Christofer Bells in 1959.  Dennis Wilfred Thompson died 27th February 1966 aged 63.  His wife Norah died in 1987.

The other children of Albert Ernest and Amelia Thompson were;

Edna Frances Thompson was born May 5th 1909.  She started Thornbury Grammar School in 1921 and left in 1925 because she was needed to help at home.  She married George Ord then aged 27 and a carpenter on 24th May 1924.  George was the son of William Ord a miner.  Click here to read more about George and Edna Ord.

Eileen May Thompson was born on 20th October 1915.  She married Howard Conway Lewis the son of Arthur Conway Lewis on 19th June 1941.  Click here to read about Howard Conway Lewis and his family.

Henry George Thompson was born 29th April 1905.  He started at the Grammar school in 1918 and left in 1921 to become a baker.   On August 7th 1944 then aged 39 and described as a master baker and confectioner he married Grace Holpin, the daughter of William Holpin, at the United Reformed Church in Thornbury.  Click here to read more about Henry and Grace Thompson.  The probate of 1951 shows that Henry and Grace were living in the High Street at that time, although they had previously lived in Pullins Green.

John Winston Thompson born 2nd February 1907 and known as "Jack." He started at Thornbury Grammar school in 1921 and left in 1923 to become a baker.  He married Elizabeth Brock in Llanelly in 1937.  She was a teacher at the Council School for four years before her marriage and was the daughter of Mr and Mrs G Brock of Tyesha Road Llanelly.  They later opened up the Rudgeway Stores.  We have shown him here on the left in his baker's uniform but he is a familiar figure in many of the football photographs taken in Thornbury.  Please click on it for a larger image.  We have also included a photograph of Thornbury football team with Jack as the goalkeeper.  He is standing in the middle of the back row. Please click on the thumbnail image on the right for a larger photograph of the team.  John Winston Thompson died 6th September 1985.  His wife Elizabeth Ann died in 2008.  Jack and Elizabeth had three children; Mary David and Richard.

Betty Thompson who was born 31st October 1918.  Betty went to Thornbury Grammar School.  Apparently she was very good at sport too like the other Thompsons but this time not football and cricket but hockey and running.  She left school to work in the tea shop for her father.  She married Vic Jones from Oldbury whom she met at a local dance.  Vic was born in the Anchor at Oldbury which his parents George and Annie owned. George was posted to North Africa, Italy and Sicily during World War Two but managed to get leave to marry Betty in December 1942.  He was a salmon fisherman on the Severn and saw the decline of that important local industry.  They had four children; June, the twins Rosemary and Geoff and Philip.  Betty and Vic produced much of their food themselves with their vegetable garden and chickens.  Betty was known for baking the local delicacy Oldbury Tarts which are made with gooseberries and a special pastry crust.  Vic Jones died in 2009.

In 2009 a local researcher, Tony Cherry, undertook a series of interviews with Jean Gulwell (the daughter of Denis Thompson) and several people who had worked for the Thompson's bakery.  Tony has kindly agreed to us sharing his notes which give an good insight into what the bakery was like and how it operated.  Click here to read these notes

This page was last updated: 29/01/2012