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Brentford Families - Wood and Towe of Catherine Wheel Yard

Samuel Wood was born in Wattisfield, Suffolk in 1801. On 1 October 1832 he married Mary Ann Marriner, the daughter of John Marriner and Catherine John. In the 1841 census they appeared with 2 daughters in or near 54 Old Brentford High Street, Cage Square, where he was a hairdresser. Living with the family were William Perry and Thomas Dobson.

In 1851 the family were living in the same area of Old Brentford, but probably off the High Street (Pump Lane possibly). By this time the family comprised Mary Ann, daughters Maria (16), Catharine (11) Edward (7) Caroline (4) and Julia (6 months). In 1861 they were living at 129 High Street, New Brentford, Samuel was still a hairdresser. Their son Samuel was their last born in 1854, my g/grandfather.

Samuel senior died in 1863 and Mary Ann in 1866.

Catharine Wood had an illegitimate son Philip in 1861, another, James, followed in 1866, fathers not known. In the 1871 census she was living with her brother Samuel (my g/grandfather) and her two sons in Catherine Wheel Yard. Also in the Yard that year was Avery Thatcher who was born in Long Whitting, Berkshire, he was a general labourer.

In 1876 Catharine married Avery and remained living in the Yard at number 42 with her two sons & Samuel plus Avery’s brother and Catherine’s maternal uncle, Edward Marriner. (Note the census original states it is Charlotte who married Avery but freebmd and Parish records shows it was Catherine). Catharine died in 1886 aged just 46.

Also living in the Yard in 1871 were the Towe family, James and Martha, James was a Labourer, in 1881 he was a dock labourer. They had 4 children daughters Martha Alice, Emily and Florence and son William. James and Martha continued to live in the Yard after the children had left home, in 1891 they were at number 13. James died in 1897 and Martha in 1900.

In the 1881 census Martha Alice was working for undertaker and builder James and Frances Barnes at 95 High Street, next to the Yard. In 1886 she married Philip Wood. In the 1891 census they had moved to Isleworth and in 1901 and 1911 the family were living at 9 South Western Terrace, Brentford, Philip was a foreman packer. A newspaper cutting shows Martha Wood's (nee Towe) death aged 94 on December 10th (in 1957 I think) indicating that her husband Philip had died 12 years before, he had worked for Pears for 46 years from the age of 12 and was responsible for starting the canteen there! Martha had a stroke during the war and had been confined to a chair ever since, about 15 years. She had lived in Isleworth for 72 years.

In 1887 Philip’s younger brother James married Alice’s younger sister Florence, they were living at 26 Catherine Wheel Yard in 1891 with their two sons James and Albert. James was a Great Western railway shunter. In 1901 they had moved to no 41 with three more children, Florence’s single sister Emily was also living with them.

In 1890 Samuel Wood married Elizabeth Lear and they moved to Distillery road, Brentford. They had one son, Edward James Wood, my grandfather.

Published January 2010