Brentford High Street: Gomm family research

Basics

People Records

Families
1811 Directory Index
1826 Trade Directory Index
1841 Census Index
1909/10 Owners Index
1928 Trade Directory Index
Index: James Clements funeral 1934
PCC Wills 1800-1858
Dynasties

Property Records

Properties
Photos
Maps
1909/10 Valuation Index

Sources & More

History
They Said *New*
Memories
Books etc.
Web Links
Document Samples
Next
Site Technology
Author

Home

Brentford Families - Gomm

Amanda Hunt, Chris Weatherill, Peggy Rough (nee Gomm) and Karen Cross share an interest in the Gomm family. One branch of the family ran a brewery in Catherine Wheel Yard, other branches ran pubs and beerhouses, another branch were basket makers.

There were many Gomms in Brentford and the trees below have been constructed using census returns from ancestry.co.uk,freebmd entries and research kindly contributed by Amanda, Chris, Peggy and Karen. In several cases a brother, sister, nephew or niece is attached to a family and this has allowed some branches to be joined up. I would advise anybody descended from the Gomm family to confirm the links through purchase of birth and marriage certificates.

The Oxford line

William Gomm (ca 1781 - 1854?): born Oxford, a beerseller at no. 72 High Street in 1841 and 1851; married Mary (Ann?) who was born in Fulham; there is a death registration of a William Gomm in Brentford in 1854; in 1861 Mary Ann Gomm, widow, beerseller aged 68 is recorded at no. 72; children (living at no. 72 and born in Brentford unless stated otherwise) include

Thomas Gomm (ca 1825 - 1879?): a grocer in 1861; cheesemonger in 1871; possible matching death registered in Brentford 1879, aged 56
George Gomm (ca 1827 - ): a labourer in 1851
John Gomm (ca 1830 - ): at home in 1841; a grocer in 1861; gentleman in 1871
Charles Gomm (ca 1832 - ): a servant in 1851
Mary Gomm (ca 1834 - ): at home in 1841

A William Gomm, aged 17, was recorded as a nephew and shopboy in the 1861 census.

The British Subjects

Unknown Gomm had children:

Thomas Gomm (ca 1820 - ): grocer & cheesemonger at no. 340 in 1851; recorded as a British Subject;in 1861 he is recorded at the same property with a note 'no one sleeps on the premises'
John Gomm (ca 1825 - ): grocer living with his brother in 1851; a British Subject'

The above brothers could belong to the Oxford line above, as the Oxford line Thomas & John have not been found in 1851; but why the 'British Subject' birthplace?

The pottle basket makers

There were many market gardens around Brentford which grew fruit for the London markets. Pottle baskets were small baskets or punnets for fruit. Reeds and osiers used to make the baskets grew along the banks of the Thames.

James Gumm or Gomm married Anne (ca 1794) (there is a marriage between James Gum and Ann Marnder at Hanwell in 1812 which fits); Anne was living at no. 11 High Street in 1841 and was a pottle basket maker; listed with her, possibly her children, were:

Stephen James Gomm (ca 1816 - 1878): labourer in 1841; married Catherine Stokes (ca 1818, Brentford) in 1843, Brentford (his name was registered as Gum); pottle basket maker living in Eatons Buildings in 1851 (recorded as Gumm); basket maker on Back Lane, Brentford, in 1861 (niece Eliza Stokes (ca 1841, Brentford) and (her?) daughter Eliza Stokes, aged 1, were living with the family in 1861); in 1881 his widow Catherine Gomm was living at 10 Eatons Buildings next to her son Stephen Gomm; children included:
- James William Gomm (Stokes) (ca 1839 - 1893): a child of Catherine Stoke's before she married; he was aged 1 and living with his mother and grandparents in Anns Court, Brentford in 1841; he adopted the Gomm surname in 1851 and later censuses; married in 1862, Brentford, Sarah Ann James (bn Dartford Kent ca 1840, died before 1891); basket maker living at Eaton Buildings, Brentford in 1861 with his wife to be Sarah James, who was a widow, and her son James James aged 1; punnet maker in 1871; publican at The Drum. no. 319 by 1874, also recorded here in the 1881, 1891 census; children (all born Brentford and living at 319 unless noted otherwise) include:
  - James Gomm (James) (ca 1859 - ): stone mason in 1881; child of Sarah Ann's first marriage to ( ) James, surname shown as Gomm in 1871 & 1891 censuses; married Louisa J; living at 2 Walnut Tree Road in 1891; children included:
    - James Stephen Gomm (ca 1881/2)
    - Louisa Jane Gomm (1888)
    - Robert Joseph Gomm (1890): 10 months old in the 1891 census
  - Stephen James Gomm (1862 - ): lath render in 1881; married Louisa Gardiner (ca 1861, Brentford) in 1882, Brentford; licensed victualler at The Drum in 1901; in 1901 his niece Louisa Gomm (12), nephew Frederick Gomm (9) and nephew James Bates (11), all born Brentford, were living with Stephen and his wife
  - Charles William Gomm (1864 - ): lath render in 1881
  - Sarah Ann Gomm (1866 - ): married George Bates, a butcher, in Brentford in 1888; their son James was born the following year; in 1891 they lived in Paradise Place Brentford; James Bates was living with his uncle Stephen in 1901
  - Robert Gomm (ca 1868 - ): a barman in 1891
  - Jane Gomm (ca 1874 - ): a barmaid in 1891
  - John Gomm (ca 1876 - ): a barman in 1891
- Stephen Gomm (ca 1842/3 - 1901+ ): married Amelia Hannah Dowling in Brentford, 1867; punnet maker in 1871; in 1891 he was living at 9 Eatons Buildings; in 1891 & 1901 at 33 Walnut Tree Road; his wife Amelia died between 1891 and 1901; Peggy Rough notes they had 11 children, all born Brentford, including:
  - Annie Gomm (ca 1864 - ): Peggy Rough has details of descendants to the current day
  - Eliza Mary Ann Gomm (1865 - ): domestic servant living with her uncle James William in 1881
  - Stephen George Gomm (1867 - ): born Brentford, married Hannah Neighbour (1869, Brentford); labourer, living at 15 Eatons Buildings in 1891; at 2 Walnut Tree Road, Brentford in 1901; children (all born Brentford) include:
    - Robert Stephen Gomm (1895)
    - Stephen James Gomm (1899 - ): married Clara Jordan (1900 - ); worked as an undertaker or at an undertakers sometime in his life; children include:
      - Ivy Gomm (1929 - ): married Horrace Chambers; Horrace and Ivy are the grandparents of Amanda Hunt
    - John Gomm (1900 - 1972 ): married Nellie Clark (1892 - 1954) at Southall in 1922; Nellie is thought to have had a sister Phyllis and may have had a daughter Grace; Nellie may have been the daughter of James S. Clark 1854 and Larena 1861; John Gomm used to work at the Gas works, and drove a petrol tanker; he died in Winchester, Hampshire; children included:
      - Nellie G M Gomm (1923)
      - Moya Evelyn Gomm (1924): born Brentford; married Arthur Cross from Burnley Lancashire (1925-1995) at Ealing in 1950; Arthur was in the Navy; the family emigrated to Australia in 1963 on the Stratheden, as 10 pound poms; Karen Cross says 'My husband was the youngest of 8 was aged 3 when he arrived here';children included:
        three boys born in Uxbridge Middlesex
        twin girls in Malta at a Military hospital where Arthur was posted
        son at Hillingdon hospital in Uxbridge
        youngest 2 boys born Burnley Lancashire.
      - William Stephen C Gomm (1926 - 2004): born Brentford, died Torridge, Devon
      - Sheila Gomm (1938): born Southall
  - Elizabeth Amelia Gomm (ca 1869 - 1953): was living with her brother Stephen in 1901; grandmother to Peggy Rough; two children:
    - Emily Gomm (1899)
    - Joseph Gomm (1901)
  - Frederick Gomm (ca 1871/2)
  - Robert Henry Gomm (1874)
  - Mary Gomm (ca 1876/7)
  - Catherine (Kate) Gomm (1880)
  - Joseph Dowling Gomm (1881)
  - John Gomm (ca 1885/6); a 15 year old William Gomm is recorded in the 1891 census living with his widowed father: is this the same person as John?
- Elizabeth Gomm (ca 1849 - ): married John Rutter on 25 December 1868 (information from Elizabeth Thormod, a descendant of the Rutter family)
- Robert Gomm (ca 1852 - ): labourer in 1871
- Ann Gomm (ca 1854 - ): recorded as Nancy in 1871
- Jane Gomm (ca 1859 - ): married Charles Turner; they living with her widowed mother in 1881 at 10 Eatons Buildings
- John Thomas Gomm (1862 - ): punnet maker in 1881
Maria Gomm (ca 1818 - ): pottle basket maker in 1841
Elizabeth Gomm (ca 1820 - )
Sarah Gomm (ca 1825 - )

The Beehive Brewery line

William Gomm (ca 1817 - 1884?): born Brentford, beer shop keeper at the Beehive PH, no. 227 in 1851 & 1861; married Emma (ca 1820 - ) born Basingstoke Herts; possible marriage at Saint James Garlickhithe, London in 1842 to Emma Box; Emma died in 1857 and William remarried Hannah Davis, who was born in Tingewick Bucks; she brought James, Anna & Elizabeth from her first marriage to live at no. 227; in 1861 William was a brewer employing 5 men; in 1871 he was living in Catherine Wheel Yard, where the Beehive Brewery was sited: 'brewer employing 12 men 1 boy'; in 1881 William lived at Caerleon House, Boston Road, Brentford with his wife and daughter Ellen; in 1881 he was a brewer employing 17 men; William's children by his first wife Emma include

William Gomm (ca 1843 - 1869?): at home in 1861; possible death in Brentford 1869 aged 25
Emma Gomm (1846 - ): at home in 1861
Ellen Gomm (1848 - ): at home in 1861 & 1871; unmarried and living with her parents in 1881

Access to Archives includes reference in a deed dated 1834 to a James Gomm of Chesham, brewer.

The beerhouse keepers and grocers

Unknown Gomm had children including

Stephen Gomm (ca 1819 - 1884): born Brentford, married at Hackney, 1840, Zipporah Smith (ca 1816, Birmingham, Warwickshire, died 1877 Brentford); possibly a servant in 1841, Newgate Street, Christ Church, London; in 1851 a beerseller living at 14 Dorvilles Row, Hammersmith; grocer, living at 7 Phoenix Cottage, Brook Road, Brentford in 1861; in 1871 & 1881 a beer house keeper, Strawberry House, New Road, Brentford; children include
- Mary Ann Gomm (ca 1841 - ): born Smithfield, London
- William Gomm (ca 1843 - ): born London
- Zipporah Gomm (ca 1846 - ): born London
- Stephen Gomm (ca 1849 - 1872): born Hammersmith; grocers man in 1871; death registered in Brentford, 1872, aged 22
- Jane Gomm (ca 1850 - ): born Hammersmith; at home in 1871
- Elizabeth Gomm (ca 1853 - ): born Hammersmith; at home in 1881
Joseph Jacobs, a cousin from Somerset, aged 62 and his wife Jane were living with Stephen in 1881
George Gomm (ca 1827 - 1877): born Brentford, married Elizabeth Ann (born Brentford ca 1843, died 1874); there is a marriage at St James Westminster in 1851 of a GG to Elizabeth Ann Waight which fits; he was a grocer on Back Lane in 1861; a grocer at no. 339 in 1871; death of a GG registered in Brentford in 1877, age 49; children include
- George Gomm (1852 - ): working as a grocer in 1871
- Mary Ann Gomm (ca 1853 - )
- William Gomm (ca 1854 - )
- Elizabeth Gomm (ca 1856 - )
- Emma Gomm (1859 - )
- Martha Amy Gomm (1861 - )
- Thomas Gomm (ca 1864 - ); grocers lad, living with his uncle Stephen in 1881

The link between Stephen (1819) and George (1827) hangs on the Thomas Gomm, son of George & Elizabeth Ann Gomm, who appears to have moved in with his uncle when his parents died leaving him an orphan at 13.