Curtis - Dursley and Redditch

This document describes the family leading from Francis Curtis born around 1595 to the Curtis family in Redditch.

The family origins were in Gloucestershire around the small towns of Cam and Dursley. The earliest mention of the name in Gloucestershire was on the Gloucestershire Tax roll of 1327.

Walter Curteys, Rodmarton

Agatha Curteys, Aston Super Carent

Matilda Curteys, Upton St Leonard

Matilda Curtyes, Morton

Curtis is a common surname so it can be very difficult to trace the family accurately but luckily our branch of the family remained in the Cam and Dursley area until the middle of the 19th century when Robert Collier Curtis and Elizabeth Curtis moved to Redditch.

Curtis in the 17th Century

Francis Curtis (c.1595) was born around 1595 and is the earliest ancestor we have found so far. He married Sarah Parker in Cam on the 16th May 1620.[1]

Alicea Curtis (b.1602). Probably the sister of Francis. Alicea married Nicholas Chamberlaine in 1623. [2]

Thomas Curtis (c.1610). Probably the son of Francis. He had at least three children, Francis, Richard and Edward. [3]

Children of Thomas c.1630

Francis 1639-1716. The son of Thomas. He was baptised on the 20th October 1639 in Dursley. He married three times and had eight children. [4]

Francis married Joan (d.1676) in about 1664. They had five children. Anne b.1665 who married James Reeves in 1681. Hannah b.1667 who married John Watt in 1688. Mary b.1669 who married Daniel Dangerfield in 1700. Elizabeth b.1670 who married John Trotman in 1692. Martha b.1672 who married John Cobb in 1698. Joan died in 1676.

Francis married Elizabeth Attwood in North Nibley,Gloucestershire on the 4th January 1685. They had one daughter Joan born in 1686. Joan was married in 1714.

Francis finally married Catherine Pegler in Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire on the 3rd March 1686. Francis was 50 and Catherine was 26. Catherine's father was Thomas Pegler of Kingscote. The had two children Francis and Thomas.[5]

Catherine died on the 2nd April 1749 and there is a memorial in Dursley.[6]

We have not found a will for Francis. Francis died on the 2nd April  1716 aged 77.[7]

Richard (c.1645). Possibly the son of Thomas. He married Mary

Edward (c.1650). Possibly the son of Thomas. He married Honour

Children of Francis and Catherine c.1695

Francis and Catherine had two children.

Thomas (1690-1757). The son of Francis and Catherine.[8] He married Mary Browning on the 10th June 1717 in Dursley. Mary's father was possibly Samuel Browning a shoemaker and her mother Elizabeth Jobbins a servant who were married in Dursley on the 24th September 1683.

Francis (b.1692). The son of Francis and Catherine.[9] He was christened on the 5th March 1692 in Dursley. He married Mary Fowles in Dursley on the 29th May 1724. They had two children: Francis (c.1725) and Elizabeth (b.1727).

Children of Thomas and Mary c.1720

Thomas and Mary had five children.[10]

Thomas (1720-1757). The son of Thomas and Mary. He was christened on the 1st November 1720 in Dursley. He was a carpenter.

Samuel (b.1721). The son of Thomas and Mary. He was christened on Christmas day 1721 in Dursley. He married Anne Mors on the 30th October 1748 in Coaley. We think that his first wife died after the birth of a son and he later married Mary Tyrell in 1752 in Cam.

William (b.1723). The son of Thomas and Mary. He married Mary Heath in Cam on the 2nd May 1757. He was living in Dursley when he was married. Mary came from Cam and her father was John Heath born about 1695 and her mother may have been Susanna Amy. They were married at Gloucester, St Nicholas on the 18th April 1723.

Mary (b.1726). The daughter of Thomas and Mary. She was christsened on the 29th October 1728. She married Thomas Hancock on the 19th August 1744 in Dursley.

Catherine (b.1728). The daughter of Thomas and Mary. She was christened on the 18th Februrary 1728 in Dursley.

Children of William and Mary c.1750

William and Mary had seven children.[11]

Thomas (1757-1844). The son of William and Mary. He was christened on the 21st December 1757 in Dursley. He married Sarah Cussons in 1779 in Wootton Under Edge. He died in Dursley in 1844.

Katherine (bd.1759}. The daughter of William and Mary. She was christened on the 6th May 1759 in Dursley and died in the same year

William Curtis (1760-c.1840). The son of William and Mary. He was christened on the 3rd May 1760. He married Sarah Purchas in Dursley on the 6th August 1797.

William signed the marriage certificate of his son John in 1837 - he was 77.

Sarah was christened in Dursley in 1777 and was 17 years younger than William. Her father was John Purchase and her mother may have been Mary Fisher; they were married at Uley in 1772.

Katherin (b.1762). The daughter of William and Mary.She was christened on the 26th August 1762 in Dursley. She married William Workman in Dursley on the 16th August 1800.

Mary (1765-1768). The daughter of William and Mary. She was christened on the 10th March 1765 in Dursley and died as an infant three years later.

Daniel (b.1767). The son of William and Mary. He was christened on the 20th July 1767 in Dursley.

Mary (b.1769). The daughter of William and Mary. She was christened on the 20th July 1769 in Dursley.

Children of William and Sarah c.1800

William and Sarah had eight children.[12]

Elizabeth (b.1798). The daughter of William and Sarah. She was christened on the 12th August 1798 in Dursley.

Thomas (b.1803). The son of William and Sarah

William (bd.1806). The son of William and Sarah. He was christened on the 12th January 1806 in Dursely. He died as an infant.

John (bd.1807). The son of William and Sarah. He died as an infant

Louise (b.1810). The daughter of William and Sarah. She was christened on the 6th May 1810 in Dursley.

William (b.1811). William J. The son of William and Sarah. He was probably the witness on the marriage certificate for his brother John in 1837. He married Marie in about 1832 and they had two children: William Walter (b.1833) and Sidney (b.1836).

Mary Anne (b.1814). The daughter of William and Sarah.

John (b.1815). The son of William and Sarah. He was born in Dursley and was christened on the 31st May 1915. He married Selina Clark in Dursley on Christmas day 1837.

At the 1851 census they are living at Woodmancote, Dursley. Five of the children are listed. The oldest John aged 13 and the baby James H aged six months. A visitor Charlotte Thornhill of Slimbridge was staying with them. John's father in law Richard Clark, aged 76, a widower was living next door with his unmarried son Richard Clark, aged 25. [13]

He may be the John Curtis who is listed in Kelly's Directory of 1870 for Gloucestershire as a wheelwright.[14] At the 1881 census, age 66, he was living in Woodmanote and is described as a retired tanner or tanner's labourer.[15] Here is the family as listed on the census.

John Curtis, Head, Male, 66,  born Dursley, Gloucester,n Late Tanners Labourer    

Selina Curtis, Wife, Female, 61, born Dursley, Gloucester

Robert Curtis, Son, Male, 22 born Dursley, Gloucester, Pin Machinist     

Elizabeth, Curtis, Son's Wife, Female, 22, Cam, Gloucester, Late Servant    

Margaret A. Curtis, Son's daughter, not married, Female, 9 months, Dursley, Gloucester

John Curtis, Grandson, unmarried, Male, 13, Dursley, Gloucester, Stationers Errand Boy    

John Curtis aged 13 must be the son of John's sons Thomas or William.

Selina was born in Dursley in 1820. Her father was Richard Clark (b.1775) of Newport, Vale of Berkeley and her mother was Susan. She had one brother Richard (b.1825). She as described as a 'wine silter' on her marriage certificate (needles were cleaned by boiling in wine). At the 1881 census age 61 she as living with John in Woodmancote.

There is a photograph of about 1890 which may be of them. Perhaps celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Children of John and Selina (c.1840)

John and Selina had several children and one child may have been still born.

John (b.1839). The son of John and Selina.

Mary (b.1840). The daughter of John and Selina.

Thomas (b.1846). The son of John and Selina. He married Mary in about 1884 who was born in 1843 in Sibberton Gloucestershire. At the 1901 census they were living at Hill Square Quagg Cam.Thomas was described as a Cloth Carrier Labourer. They have one son Thomas, age 15, single,  born in Gloucestser. He was living at home and was described as a Wool Oiling Labourer.

Sidney (b.1848). The son of John and Selina

James (b.1851). The son of John and Selina

Robert (1858-1905). Robert Collier. The son of John and Selina. He was born on the 15th December 1858 in Woodmancote, Dursley. His father is described as a Tanner's labourer on his birth certificate.[16]

Robert married Elizabeth Terrett in Coaley in 1879. There is a photograph probably taken on their wedding day and one of him taken when he was about 35.

At the 1881 census John, age 22 and his wife Elizabeth are living with his parents in Woodmancote, Dursley. Robert is described as a Pin Machinist and Elizabeth as a former servant.[17]

Alice (John's second daughter) remembers him pulling her out of a mill race at Dursley, by her hair. This must have been about 1886.

In about 1889 they moved from Bromscombe, Gloucestershire to Redditch. Robert may have been joining a relative Fred Curtis who was a needlemaker in Redditch in Walford Street in Redditch in 1850. 'Fred Curtis and Sons, Needle manufacturer, Walfond Street, Redditch. A family story says that they originally lived in Walford Street when they first moved to Redditch.[18]

At the 1901 census they John and Elizabeth are living in Redditch at 135 St George's Road. Robert is described as a Pin Maker, aged 42.[19] The children listed were:-

Alice M Curtis,  daughter, single, 19, born Dursley, Fish Hook Maker

Herbert F Curtis, son, 17,  born Dursley, Pin maker

Robert C Curtis, sone, 15, born Dursley, Floats Fishing tackle

Selina K Curtis, daughter, 13, born Bromscombe, Gloucestershire, Needle header

Matilda Curtis, daughter, 11, born Bromscombe, Gloucestershire

John Curtis, son, 9, born Redditch

Lyttleton Curtis, son, 7, born Redditch

Sydney Curtis, son, 5, born Redditch

Jesse H Curtis, son, 2, born Redditch

Bessie O Curtis, daughter, 2 months, Redditch#

Robert was pin maker and machinist and he invented and held patents for a machine for putting glass heads on pins and for making brass pins. These machines were later used by his sons when they were in business and are now in the National Needle Museum in Redditch.

Robert died on the 14th April 1905, aged 46 years. He is described as a Pinmaker, Journeyman on his death certificate. The cause of death was 'Bronchitis 9 months. Fibrous Phthisis 2 months'. In retrospect probably caused by inhaling dust grinding pins. His daughter Alice was present at the death and the informant.[20]

The memorial card reads:-

In Memoriam

In Memory of

Robert C Curtis

Who died April 14th 1905

Aged 46 years

Interred at Redditch Cemetery April 19th

Weep not for me for I am happy still,

And mourn not at our great Father's will;

Let not this blow your faith in Jesus shake,

It was His will to give, and it is his to take.

Elizabeth Terret (Granny Curtis) was born on the 15th August 1858 in Upper Cam. There are also two large conch shells that Elizabeth took with her from Dursley when they moved to Redditch

Her father was George Terrett who was born in Cam in about 1824. He mother was Arabella (Bella) Jobbins who was born in Dursley in 1830. They were married on the 4th June 1853 in Cam. There is a photograph of George and Arabella perhaps taken on their wedding day. George was described as a Husbandman on Elizabeth's birth certificate in 1858 and was a gamekeeper at Slimbridge in 1869; this was probably the wild fowl shoot at Berkeley which later became the Slimbridge wild life sanctuary. At the 1881 census George, aged 56, is still working as a gamekeeper and living with Arabella at Knarles Cottage, Slimbridge.

Elizabeth bought a piano in 1909 for the younger children to practice on.

There are several photographs of Elizabeth from 1900 at Redditch and apparently visiting her sisters in Coaley and a photograph of her surrounded by her grandchildren when she was 70 in 1928.

Margaret (b.1859). The daughter of John and Selina.

Pin making in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire was the original seat of the pin-making industry, and until about the middle of the 19th century nearly all pins made in the country were the results of labours of the folk living on the slopes of the Cotswold Hilss. Dursley played an important part in this industry. [21]

The wire was first drawn out into long, straight pieces, and then cut to the required lengths with shears. These lengths, called 'shanks', were then pointed, a dozen at a time or more, according to the fancy of the pointer, by working backwards and forwards between the fingers and thumb, the ends of the shanks being pressed against a revolving steel cutter or mill. The making of the head was a very tedious process. Each head was a little coil of wire which was fastened to the shanks by a single stroke of the hammer; considerable deftness was required on the part of the workman engaged in heading the pins in order to turn out hundreds of pins a day. A pin making machine was exhibited at Saltaire in 1887 by the Stroudwater Pin company, of Dursley, which turned out pins completed at the rate of 100 to 180 a minute.

Children of Robert and Elizabeth (c.1885)

Robert and Elizabeth had thirteen childred and one adopted son.

Maggie Curtis (b.1880). Margaret Arabella. The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born on the 28th July 1880 in Dursley. At the 1881 census she is at home in Dursley aged 9 months. She married George Henry Holmes, registered at Bromsgrove in the December quarter 1900.[22] At the 1901 census they were living in Redditch at Back107 Beoley Road.[23]

George H Holmes, married, aged 24, Plate Polisher, Born: Birmingham

Margaret Holmes, Wife aged 20, Fish Hook Maker, Born: Dursley

They had one daughter: Bessie Lilian.

Alice Curtis (1881-1975). Alice Maud. The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born on the 20th December 1881.[24] She did not marry and looked after her younger brothers and sisters at St George's Road; the family home.

On the 5th December 1944 Alice bought a cemetery plot (H-81) in Plymouth Road cemetery in Redditch

Alice died in Redditch in 1975.

Herbert Curtis (b.1883). The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Dursley in 1883. At the 1901 census, aged 17, he was described as a Pin maker. He married Rose Adams and they had five children: Gilbert, Wilfred, Vera, Francis and Graham.

Robert Curtis. (b.1885). The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Dursley in 1885. At the 1901 census, aged 15, his occupation was described as Floats Fishing Tackle. He married Edith Davis and they had three children: Robert, Mona and Sidney.

Selina Curtis (b.1887). The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born in Bromscombe. At the 1901 census, aged 13, her occupation was described as a Needle Header. She married Matthew Wilkinson and they had five children: Daisy, Lily, Iris, Eric and Christine.

Matilda Curtis (b.1889). The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born on the 21st September 1889 in Bromscombe. At the 1901 census, aged 11, she was living at home.. She married William Knight and they had three children: Dennis, Kenneth, and Eunice.

John Curtis (b.1890).  Known as Jack. The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born on the 7th December 1890 in Redditch. At the 1901 census, aged 9, he was living at home. He married May Phillips and they had two sons: Derek and Bertram.

Littleton Curtis (b.1892). The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Reddicth in 1892. At the 1901 census, aged 7, he was living at home. He married Ada Portman and they had two children: Ronald and Winifred. He was widowed and later married Gladys Blackwell at King's Norton, Birmingham in 1948.

Sidney Curtis (b.1896). The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Redditch on the 23rd November 1896. At the 1901 cenus, aged 5, he was living at home. He married Beatrice Edkins and they had three children: Sidney, Cedric and Nina.

Jesse Curtis (1898-1980). Jesse Claude. The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Redditch on the 22nd July 1898. At the 1901 census, aged 2, he was living at home. He married Ruth Pratley and they had one son: Basil.

Bessie Curtis (1900-1969). The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born in Redditch on the 27th July 1900. At the 1901 census, aged 2 months, she was living at home. She married Victor (Joe) Canadine in 1919 and they had two daughters: Betty and Jill.

Victor was the son of Alfred Rushgrove and Anne Canadine and was born in Redditch in 1894. He died as a result of a road accident in Redditch in 1959.

George Curtis (1901-1961). George William. The son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born in Redditch on the 8th August 1901. He married Lilian Wright on the 4th September 1926 at St. George's church, Reddtich. He was a batchelor aged 26 and she was a spinster aged 25. Lilian's occupation was described as: Clerk. Her father was Albert Wright (deceased) a Fish hook maker. The witnesses were: Jesse Claude Curtis and Bessie Lilian Holmes.

Lilian Wright was born on the 3rd Decmeber 1899 at Lodge Road, Upper Beoley. Her mother was Elizabeth Wright (formerly Mills).

They had two daughters: Joy and Della.

George died from Tuberculosis whilst he was having treatment at Davos in Switzerland in 1961. At his death his occupation was described as: Filer

Doris Curtis (1903-1993). The daughter of Robert and Elizabeth. She was born in Redditch on the 17th January 1903. She married Pat Harber a police sergeant. They did not have any children. Pat died in 1950.

Stoke Prior Police Station[25]

The Police House in Stoke Prior was built in about 1936 at a cost to the police authority of £400. Previously the police station was a cottage in Stoke Works. For the last five years of the life of the old station in Stoke Works, the village constable was Leonard Patrick Harber and for PC Harber and his wife Dorism the prospect of moving into a new detached police house (situated about half a mile way in Stoke Prior) was of considerable appeal.

Recalling the events some fifty five years later, Mrs Harber remembers witnessing, with much excitement, the very first work setting down the house foundations. They moved into the new house and remained there for about ten years, including all the war years.

Gerald Curtis (b.1908). The adopted son of Robert and Elizabeth. He was born on the 18th August 1908. He was an adopted son (Gerald Taylor). He married Iris Batchelor and they had one daughter: Janet Taylor.[26]