Thomas James# George-Powell

  Notes:

Education:
1914-1916 The College, Weston super Mare
1916-1920 Brean House School, Weston super Mare, 'Oxon Senior Certificate'
1921-1923 Bath Commercial College. Final Accountancy Examn A.B.T. 1923 (some certs that say 'Cannings College, Queens Sq, Bath).

Career;
Wiltshire CC, County Surveyors Dept 1923- Dec 1929
Articled Pupil 3 years.
Assistant Under Agreement 2 years
Junior Assistant 1 year
Articled to the County Architect & Surveyor, Wiltshire (his father!).
(In parallel with Wilts Articles) Two years training with College of Estate Management, London 1925-28.

Surrey CC, County Engineers Dept. Dec 1929 - June 1931 Engineering Assistant, Highways where he largely worked on the development of the St Helier Estate, Morden.

West Sussex CC, County Engineers Dept 1931-Sept 1934
1931-1932 Resident Engineer
1933-1934 Drainage Engineer (River Board)
(Feb 1932 letter saying he is to be made redundant on 31st March next, shall be sorry to lose him, but this entirely owing to the present financial crisis). Address at this time was 5 Seamill Park Ave, Worthing.

Danes Hill Development Co, Engineer 1933-34

Buckinghamshire CC, County Engineers Dept 1934 - Sept 1935. Resident Engineer, Highways

Gloucestershire CC Engineers Dept 1935 - Oct 1944
Resident Engineer 1 year
Senior Engineering Assistant 3 years
Divisional Suryevor 4 years
Post-War Planning 1 year
Made applications for release to join the army in 1940 and 1943.

Jan 1944-Sept 1944 Site Surveyor, Turley Development Co.

Oct 1944 - Chief Assistant Surveyor, City Architects Dept., Leeds. Still had this job in CV of 1952 (which most of the above info comes from). Had a staff of 24 Engineers and Surveyors. At this point had overseen construction of 39 miles of new roads, contracts in active construction to value of £1.33m. Works on 18 different estates involving units of 420 acres ar Seacroft, 300 acres at Moortown, replacement of back to back slum clearance at Reuben Street.

By 1964 he was "Chief Surveyor, City Architects Dept, Leeds". Primary responsibility was the building of roads, mainly planning layout for the new estates built in Leeds after WW2, eg: Seacroft, Ireland Wood, Whinmoor etc

Reserved occupation in WWII; but we have found letters to and from his employers with him asking to take leave of abscence till the end of the war to serve in the Royal Engineers .. and letters back saying under no circumstances was he to join the army, and that the army had been informed that they were not to take him as his civilian work was too important. He was actually seconded to the Ministry of War Transport Agency Services for work on siting and construction of Military Camps, Aerodromes etc. He was also Rescue and Decontamination Superintendent for Area 3 & 4, Gloucestershire Civil Defence, training over 400 men for these services. Approx 1/2 his time 1939-44 was spent on this, the other 1/2 on his normal job with Glos. C.C. (Divisional Surveyor).
In 1944 job application says "Tried to join Wessex R.E. at Bristol after Munich Crisis. Application refused. Later offered a commission which had to refuse as already committed to Highways establishment in the event of war".

1911 Census; Living as son (age 6, PoB Godstone) at Rutland House, Trowbridge, Wilts (house has 10 rooms), with father, step mother and servant Louisa Smith, Katharine at boarding school.

1921 Census; living (aged 16y,11m) at Highfield, Winsley, Bradford on Avon (indexed as 'Dowell' ... even though person making return is Mr.G Powell!). PoB given as Godstone. Occupation;Home. With father and step-mother and 2 servants (House Parlourmaid and Cook-General). Occupying 10 rooms.

Roads and road construction: a monthly record of road engineering ..., Volume 13 ; 1935 ; Gloucestershire C.C. Appointment; Mr. TJ George- Powell, until recently with the Bucks. CC, has been appointed Resident Engineer for the Gloucestershire CC on the Filton-Patchway By-pass Road.

From Wendy H;The Times 23 April 1940. Marriages GEORGE POWELL : ST JOHN WRIGHT. On April 18 1940 at St Lawrence Church, Cheltenham, Thomas George Powell, of Bath & Gloucester to Ann St John Wright, of Swindon, Cheltenham.

Witnesses at wedding were Gladys Griffiths (Ann's aunt), Kate George-Powell (Thomas' sister) and Arthur St John Wright (Ann's Uncle)

From Wendy; Gloucestershire Echo ; April 20th 1940; Swindon Wedding; "Mr.T.G.Powell and Miss A.St.John Wright. The marriage took place at St. Lawrence's Church, Swindon, Cheltenham, on Thursday, between Thomas George Powell of Bath and Gloucester, and Ann St.John Wright, of Swindon, Cheltenham.
Mr.George Powell is the only son of Mr. Thomas (should be James!) G. Powell, of Bath, late County Surveyor for Wiltshire. Miss St.John Wright is the only child of the late Mr. and Mrs. C. St. John Wright, of the Malay States.
The wedding took place at the residence of the bride's aunts, Mrs.Griffiths and Mrs.Locke, of The Old Cottage, Swindon.
The bride, who was given away by her uncle, Colonel A.St John Wright, O.B.E., wore a blue two-piece suit with a fuchsia coloured turban and a silver fox fur. She carried a bouquet of white carnations tied with a fuchsia ribbon.
The bridesmaid was Miss Betty Evans, who wore a maize-coloured frock with matching bandeau and carried a bouquet of anemones. The best man was Mr. R.A. Downs, of Gloucester. (Bob Downs was a colleague of Tom's according to MTGP, not sure about Ms Evans).
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. R.J.Northcott, Vicar of Holy Apostle's, Cheltenham. Afterwards a reception was held at The Old Cottage and the bridal couple left for the Lake District, the bride wearing a grey coat and skirt and navy-blue accessories. On their return they will live at Stow-On-The-Wold.
Many cheques and beautiful presents were received from numerous friends, and among the many guests were:- Mrs.Griffiths (aunt), Colonel and Mrs. A. St. John Wright (Uncle and Aunt), Miss K.St. John Wright (aunt), Mr. and Mrs. Miller (cousins), Colonel and Mrs. Watson (cousins), Miss Sonia Watson and Mr. Cyril Watson (cousins), Mrs.Bushe Salmon (great-aunt), Mrs Locke (aunt), Flight-Lieut R.A.Bell Syer (uncle), Mrs. and Miss George Powell, Miss Evans (bridesmaid), Colonel and Mrs. Gordon Smythe, Major and Mrs. Cunynghame, Mrs.Lomer, Mrs.Gloster, Mrs. and Miss Hedley Davies, Mrs.Millar, Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs.Carpenter, junr., Mr. and Mrs. Downs, Mrs.Pugh, the Rev. R.J. Northcott, and others".
So breakdown of guests;
Mrs.Griffiths (aunt); Presumably this is Gladys Griffiths (nee Syer). Presumably Uncle Cyril was abroad.
Col. and Mrs. A.St.John Wright, Miss K.St.John Wright; obvious.
Mr. and Mrs.Miller (cousins); branch of brides family not allowed to mention.
Col and Mrs. Watson ('cousins'); Lt.Col. Evelyn Cyril Watson OBE and his wife Dulce Lilian (nee Salmon) ; who is the dau of Ina Salmon (nee Bateman); see below.
Miss Sonia Watson ('cousin'); above's daughter Ina Dulce SONIA Watson.
Mr.Cyril Watson ('cousin); above's son James CYRIL Montagu Watson.
Mrs.Bushe Salmon ('great-aunt); Ina Gertrude Bushe Salmon (nee Bateman) ; sister to Agnes Louisa Bateman ; the brides grandmother.
Mrs.Locke ('aunt'); Doris Locke (nee Syer); sister to Gladys Griffiths, so not really an aunt.
Flight-Lieut R.A.Bell Syer; Russell Syer; brother to the above, again not really an uncle.
Mrs. and Miss George Powell; Tom's step-mother and sister.
Colonel and Mrs.Gordon Smythe (uncle of famous showjumper Pat Smythe who was (or became) a friend of the bride, he lived at Swindon Manor).
http://www.jeremycurtoys.com/partone.html ; "Gordon Smythe was Pat’s uncle. He and his wife Dorothy lived in Swindon Manor in the village of Swindon just outside Cheltenham. They were well-to-do and employed a housekeeper and a cook to take care of them. No doubt the cook had a name, but I never heard it, she was always referred to as Cook. Indeed, I don’t ever remember meeting her, but I was expected to do justice to whatever she served and that was always good"
Rest; don't know, but;
Hedley Davies; some in Surrey so probably George Powell friends from James' time there.
Major Cunynghame; A Major Francis Cunynghame wrote, 1955, Reminiscences of an Epicure ; "This book by Major Cunynghame is for all epicures, on good living past and present, on wine, food, cigars and cigarettes". There is also a Major Cunynghame in Sarawak in the 1920's ; so could be a friend of Cyril Griffiths' ; don't know if Epicure and Sarawak and wedding person are one in the same though !
Lomer; quite a few of this name in Cheltenham to this day.

Apr 1940; Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette: (Find My Past) "ote T- GEORGE' f Mayor Mrs. y°ress of Bath V Car S ' Penter) and °n P f attended the Thn^ don ' Cheltenham, u d G& a George-Powell, A-f&t, 01 sister, and Ann St. ' Cheltenham. Sty s °
1941; Was best man at the marriage of Rev Keith Rintoul (MTGP's godfather) and Joan Long.

Newspaper clipping (presumably) mid-forties supplied by Jane Harris "The late Miss F.E.C. Smith, Funeral at St Michael's Cemetery, Bath. The funeral took place on Monday afternoon of Miss F.E.C.Smith, who passed away suddenly in her sleep at a Bath nursing home on February 13th. ....... After cremation, the ashes, in a small casket, were brought back to Bath and interred in St Michael's Cemetery, in the same grave in which only a month ago Mrs Gabriel Williams of 33 Pulteney Street was buried. Miss Smith had lived with Mrs Williams for 49 years, starting as nurse to a large family and ending as a dearly loved friend. The funeral party started from 22 Henrietta Street, where Miss Smith was to have resided with Mrs J George-Powell, a daughter of Mrs. Williams. Present at the interment, at which the Rev. R Cameron officiated were Mr and Mrs J George-Powell, Miss George-Powell, Mr.T.George-Powell, Mr.P.Williams, Mrs.J.Smith (sister-in-law), Mr J Smith (great nephew), Miss D Williams, Miss Wilson, Mrs.T.W.Marshall, Mrs.Janes and Miss Wilkie. Flowers were by the following:- To my darling Smithie in memory of a life-time of devotion from Gwen George-Powell; in affectionate memory of my dear old friend "Smithie", from J.George-Powell; to dearest Miss Smith with love from Katie and Tom ..... " etc.. One of the other names further down the list of flowers are

'Lydia and Pierpont Williams' MTGP remembers reference to a Pierrepoint Williams. Lydia (nee Steer) is Jane Harris' gran.
and
'Mr and Mrs Ganderton' who MTGP thinks worked with either James or Tom .
Furthermore Jane states "My mother has memories of Tom driving Aunt Gwen to see her brother (my mother’s father) in Somerset when she was a young girl. My mum was born in 1933 and so I have a feeling that this must have been during the War. My mum was very close to her Aunt Gwen and was even named after her."

Marriage Residences;
2 different addresses in Stow-On-The-Wold, on marriage cert. it is 'Wayside',
1941: On MTGP's birth certificate gives address as 'The Nook', Fosseway, Lower Slaughter, Glos.
1944 Letter he is at Bell Cottage, Park Street, S-On-The-W ; was also there on Michael's chr in 1942.
1944; Job application address is 57 Hawkswood Crescent, Leeds 5 - Horsforth
345 Easterley Road, Leeds - 1944 - 19?? (here in '47 and 48)
50 The Drive, Gledhow, Leeds 8 - 19?? - ~1961
28 Gledhow Avenue, Leeds 8 ~1961 - till death

Relationships with Pocklington family:
Seem rather ... strained. 1964 letter excerpts "When one is young the behaviour of ones elders is at time inexplicable. I appreciate that from 1914 to the mid 1930s communication between the younger members of the Powell clan and relatives in the north was limited to annual visits to a well known seaside resort by Father and Gwen, never myself or sister, unfortunate perhaps, I suspect deliberate. I did come up to Yorkshire a number of times from 1937 onwards to see certain interesting work going on in Leeds and York but did not visit Pocklington until after the war consequent on taking over the property, and as you know re-established contact there. Other members of the family I have not met within memory". This was 1964 letter to cousin Sylvia.

Thomas married Ann St John# Wright, daughter of Christopher St John# Wright and Violet Mabel# Griffiths, on 18 Apr 1940 in St.Lawrence Church, Swindon Village, Glos. (Ann St John# Wright was born on 27 Apr 1917 in 'Bancroft', 10 Mitten Road, Bexhill, East Sussex, christened on 17 May 1917 in St Peter's Church, Bexhill, East Sussex and died on 3 Sep 2017 in Roundhay, Leeds.)