Dennis Price

Dennis Price was one of the Tetbury Wassailers and is shown in the photograph of the Tetbury wassailers held at the Library of Congress. The Price and Wilkins families (see Reg Wilkins) lived on the south west side of Tetbury, fairly close to each other.Dennis Price was the son of Tom and Elizabeth Price of Tetbury. His father, like his grandfather, William, before him was a lime burner. William was born in Minchinhampton about 1820 but was living in Tetbury by at least 1851 with his wife, Charlotte, his son, Tom, born about 1848, and his four daughters: Bridget, Jemima, Mary and Hannah, born between 1841 and 1851. In 1860 William was a tenant at Garstons, Tetbury, owned by John Cook Snr and a year later Thomas had three brothers: William, aged 7, James aged 5 and Charles aged 9 months and another sister, Charlotte aged 2. William was still a lime burner. Thomas married Elizabeth and by 1871 they were living in Cutwell Lane, Tetbury with two children, Thomas W.E. aged 1 and Dennis aged 2 months. Thomas was then a lime burner and all his family had been born in Tetbury. The family continued to live in Cutwell Lane, Tetbury and Dennis had another brother, Oliver, who died in 1887 aged 13.By 1891 Dennis’ father was an employer as a lime burner and quarryman and Dennis had followed the same trade. He was still living at home but his brother, Thomas, had become a blacksmith, married Clara M. and was living at Cutwell Lane, Tetbury. Clara was born in Sherston Magna, Wilts and her brother Walter as an errand boy was staying with them at the time of the 1891 Census.In 1892 in Tetbury Dennis married Ellen who was born in Alderton. By 1901 Dennis was a lime burner living in Cotton Lane next door to his mother and father, still also a lime burner and quarryman. Dennis and Ellen had three children: Oliver born 1893, Mabel born 28 January 1895 and Eva born about 1897, all born in Tetbury. His brother, Thomas had, however, moved away and had a more modern occupation, working as a gas fitter. He and his wife, Clara were living with others at 120 Patney Road, Handsworth, Staffordshire, .Thomas and Clara continued to live in Handsworth and by 1911 he was a self-employed plumber-gas fitter with three children recorded as Gordon Ewart Clare (sic) Price, born about1903, Gwendalin Freda May Price born about 1907 and Elsie Olive Price born about 1908.

By 1911 Dennis had become a farmer on Cutwell farm, Tetbury, helped by his son, Oliver, and daughters Mabel and Eva who were doing dairy work. Dennis and Ellen had had two more daughters: Sybil F E, born about 1903 and Kitty L. born about 1906 and another son, Thomas G, born about 1911. They had had a total of nine children all born in Tetbury and of whom seven were still living. Also living on the farm was a seventeen-year-old farm labourer, Mark Smith. Dennis’ father, Thomas, was still living in Cotton Lane, working as a self-employed lime burner. He and his wife had had three children of whom two (Dennis and Thomas W.) were still living. Thomas died on 29 July 1934 and probate was given to his widow, Elizabeth Price. Elizabeth who died three years later on Christmas Day 1937 when probate was given to her son, Dennis.

In 1932 Dennis remarried to Ethel Clarissa May Spurling, born in Norfolk in 1900 but whose family had been living in Tetbury since about 1913. They had a daughter, Rosemary Olive in 1928 in the Cirencester Registration District.

Dennis’ son, Thomas George was married in Tetbury in 1934 to Alice A. Cook. Alice may have been the Alice Ann otherwise Ann Price from 11 St Mark Street Gloucester who died at Gloucester Royal Hospital on 26 January 1963 when probate was given to Vera Alice Ann Green a widow. Her effects were £735.

Dennis’ son Oliver signed on to the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars for 4 years at the outbreak of WW1 on 18 January 1914. At the time he was 20 years 5 months and a farmer in the employ of D. Price, Cutwell Farm, Tetbury. Oliver died on 31 July 1917 in Tetbury when probate was given to his father indicating that he had probably not married.

Dennis’ daughter Mabel married Frank Spiers in 1922 in the Cirencester registration District. They had a son, Thomas in 1922 who married and had one daughter. Thomas died in Beckenham, Kent in 1966. Mabel died in 1985 in the Cirencester Registration District. Mabel and Frank also had a daughter, Barbara Ellen in 1922 who married William Arthur Wilkie in 1947.They had three sons. Of those one had three sons and another had one son and one daughter. William Wilkie died in October 1990 in Gloucester .Barbara Ellen died in 1984 in Cirencester.

Dennis Price of Cutwell Farm, Tetbury died 25 November 1947 when probate was given to Ethel ‘Clrissa’ May Price, his widow, and George Price, farm labourer, his son. Ethel who had been living at 16 Cottons Lane died 1 June 1963 at Tetbury Hospital when probate was given to her daughter, Rosemary Olive Price, spinster and Dennis Price, gardener.

Of the other members of the Price family, Dennis’ Uncle William had moved to Bath by 1881 with his wife, Fanny. They had had at least six children, all born in Bath: William, Mabel, Sydney, Elsie, Stanley and Ellen between 1878 and 1887. By 1891 they were living at 5 Westmoreland Hill, Lyncombe, Bath and William was a railway porter. His son, William was a check clerk. As they were no longer living in Tetbury it seems less likely that they were involved in the Wassail.

 

[Notes by Carol Davies with thanks to the Wilkie Family Tree on Ancestry.com]