THE HERBERT FAMILY by Nancy (Benbow) Herbert (abt. 1997) (Edits, updates and corrections – Roger Herbert June 2020)
JAMES HERBERT AND PHOEBE (GARDNER/TAYLOR) HERBERT
JAMES HERBERT married PHOEBE GARDNER (nee TAYLOR) who was a widow, on 19th February 1833. He was a widower and a farm labourer. She was born in Warmington in 1800/1801. In 1841 JAMES was aged 40 – PHOEBE 35. See 1841 Census.
JOHN HERBERT AND RHODA (SIMMS) HERBERT
JAMES AND PHOEBE’S son, JOHN HERBERT, was born on 14th August 1837 at Warmington. John was a farm labourer and marred RHODA SIMMS (born 1841) of BRAILES (date of marriage unknown) on 21St October 1862. They had a daughter LIZZY HERBERT born 27 May 1863 at Warmington. They moved to Birmingham and had another daughter FANNY HERBERT born 1864.
In the 1871 Census they lived at 10 Mill Street, West Bromwich. See censuses below.
| 1871 Census | at 10 Mill Street, West Bromwich | Age | |
| JOHN | Head | 33 | Labourer born Warmington |
| RHODA | Wife | 30 | Wife b. Brailes |
| LIZZIE | daughter | 8 | Scholar b. Warmington |
| FANNY | daughter | 6 | ” b. Birmingham |
| WILLIAM | son | 3 | son b. West Bromwich |
| CHARLES | SIMMS Visitor (Rhoda’s Brother) | 22 | Labourer (married) b. Brailes |
| 1881 Census | at 10 Mill Street, West Bromwich | ||
| JOHN | Head | 45 | General Labourer. b Warmington |
| WILLIAM | Son | 12 | Scholar b. West Bromwich |
| SUSAN | Daughter | 9 | “ |
| GEORGE | Son | 7 | “ |
| PHOEBE | Mother | 80 | b. Warmington |
| 1891 Census | at 10 Mill Street, West Bromwich | ||
| JOHN | Head | 54 | Straw Dealer b Warmington |
| RHODA | Wife | 50 | Dressmaker b. Brailes |
| GEORGE | Son | 17 | Gen Iron Caster b. West Bromwich |
| FREDERICK RICHARD | Grandson | 8 | Scholar b. West Bromwich |
| SUSAN | Daughter | 19 | Assistant Dressmaker b. West Bromwich |
FREDERICK RICHARD HERBERT
married ELSIE BRIDGMAN at the Congregational Church, Stratford-on-Avon on 14th March 1905 when they were both 22. He gave his Father’s name as JOHN HERBERT (deceased) but in fact JOHN was his Grandfather. His Mother was FANNY HERBERT.
She gave birth to him at 10 Mill Street, West Bromwich on 17th September. 1882. She was only 16 17 at the time and on his Birth Certificate his Father’s name is “unknown”. He was evidently brought up by his Grandparents and may not have known that FANNY was his Mother. If he did, he never told anyone, and FRED’S children always referred to FANNY as Aunt FANNY. (His father now traced by DNA = The REV. FREDERICK RICHARD ANDREWS). Read FANNY’S full story here.
On FRED and ELSIE’S Marriage Certificate his occupation and that of his “Father” is given as Hay and Straw Dealer. They then lived at 164 Moor Street, West Bromwich.
During the First World War FRED was in the Army and spent a long time in the trenches in France.
FRED and ELSIE lived at 5 Grange Road, West Bromwich.
FRED and ELSIE had five children :‑
WINIFRED born 27 December 1906 d. 7 July 1990
KATHLEEN b 22 November 1908 d Jan 2000
ARTHUR EDWARD b 22 February 1916 d Jun 1920
PHILIP RICHARD b 2 November 1921 d 29/30 June 1942
FREDERICK CLIFFORD b 29 November 1922 d 13 May 1990.
FRED bought a car just after the War and used to take all the children and his wife to Selsey for a month each Summer. He used to leave them there and return each weekend.
They also had holidays in I.O.W. and St. Asaph, N. Wales. They always had a live-in maid.
He was in partnership with WILLIAM HERBERT (his Uncle) but always referred to as his Brother. The partnership was called W & F Herbert, Wholesale Corn Merchants, Sandwell Road, West Bromwich and later at Town Corn Mills, Shaftesbury Street, Carters Green, West Bromwich.
WILLIAM drank and the partnership was dissolved about 1928. When WILLIAM died some years later FRED offered to pay for the funeral and when the bill arrived the flowers from the widow and various other members of his family were included!
OWEN HERBERT’S family ran a Corn and Seed shop and the Post Office at Carters Green.
LIZZIE and FANNY once ran a shop in Bull Street, West Bromwich, financed by FRED. He also bought them a house in Cordley Street, Carters Green. LIZZIE died first and when FANNY died in 1949/50 FRED sold the house.
FRED bought WILLSON & Hood Ltd. Corn Merchants, Market Place, Bridgnorth after the Second World War. He also bought the Maltings next to the River Severn and two cottages plus a quarry in Shropshire.
In 1953 he bought “Willowbrook”, Roughton, Worfield, Bridgnorth and he moved there with his wife ELSIE and eldest daughter WINIFRED in 1955. This was a lovely Georgian house with a large ornamental pool, kitchen garden, paddock, 5 garages, 3 loose boxes and stabling. The total area was 2 acres – 2 roods – 20 perches! He paid £6,000 for all this and spent vast sums having it renovated.
See sales particulars when this was sold by auction on May 26 1971 for just under £20,000.
In 1967 FRED sacked an employee of Willson & Hood who went back one night with a friend and set fire to the buildings in a number of places. It was reputed to be the biggest fire in Bridgnorth for over 70 years. The two men went to prison for three years, but it ruined FRED as he had not insured the premises sufficiently. He borrowed heavily from the Bank to rebuild although he was over 80 at the time. The builders were “cowboys” and he had to change to other builders in “mid—stream”. In the meantime he closed W. & F. Herbert in West Bromwich and sold Town Corn Mills. He then ran the two firms from Bridgnorth.
FRED was a short dapper man of about 5ft. 4 ins. He smoked quite heavily all his life until he was nearly 80 when he had an attack of asthma and gave up smoking overnight. He had his suits, shirts and shoes made to measure. He was a keen racegoer and in later life spent his holidays at Worthing so that he could go to Goodwood races each day, leaving his wife ELSIE alone at the hotel. She was stone deaf from the age of 40.
Her Mother HANNAH BRIDGMAN had also been deaf from middle age. ELSIE’S daughter WINIFRED also became deaf in her early 40’s. A relative, DR. NEVILLE McCARTHY who lived in Australia had to give up his practice as he too became stone deaf.
ELSIE died on 24th August 1968 in Queen Victoria Nursing home, Wolverhampton of cerebral thrombosis.
FRED died in August 1970 shortly before his 88 birthday.
Millichips, Solicitors, West Bromwich dealt with the Estate and kept the Death Certificate
It was found that the affairs were very muddled and Willson & Hood Ltd went bankrupt There were also insufficient funds left to pay all the debts of W & F Herbert but rather than let them go bankrupt and leave WINIFRED with nothing but her own bits and pieces of furniture, FRED’S son FREDERICK CLIFFORD who had been a partner for some 20 years until 1965, paid them out of his own money which was due to him on a Promissory Note of £11,500 – his share of the partnership CLIFF also owned shares in Wilson & Hood which should have realised some £7,000 but turned out to be worthless.
WINIFRED HERBERT born 27th January 1906 was a clever child and went to King Edward’s Grammar School, Handsworth, Birmingham. She became a Sports Teacher and at one time taught at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School. She later held a position at a private school in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
She was home in West Bromwich on holiday when the Second World War started in September 1939 and
she immediately joined the WRENS as an Officer.
There is a photograph of her in the HERBERT photo album with MARINA, DUCHESS of KENT inspecting some WRENS.
After the war she became the Welfare Officer at the London Polytechnic. At the same time she was Chairwoman of the All England Ladies Netball Association.
In 1955 she retired and went to “keep house” for her parents at “Willowbrook”, Roughton, Worfield, Bridgnorth.
When WINIFRED used to stay at Grange Road, West Bromwich for two weeks holiday, her Mother used to say “Peace at last thank goodness she has gone back to London” Whatever possessed them to give her a home is a mystery. The relationship between WINIFRED and her Mother and Father was a disaster. She was a very domineering woman and ruled the roost. By the time ELSIE died in 1968 they were hardly on speaking terms.
ELSIE made her daughter-in-law, NANCY wife of CLIFFORD, promise that she would never have WINIFRED to live with her, no matter what happened in the future as she would ruin her life just as she had ruined hers.
When “Willowbrook” was sold in 1971 to pay the debts, WINIFRED moved to a rented bungalow “Orchard House” Worfield. In 1979 she moved to a rented cottage by the river at Aberangell, Mid, Wales. In 1984 she moved to 55 St. Agnes Close, Moseley, Birmingham which was a flat in sheltered accommodation owned by the Harden Housing Association.
She died in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham from a burst aorta on 7th July 1990 and was cremated at Lodge Hill Cemetery on 23 July. Jagger, Son and Tilley were her Solicitors and they kept the Death Certificate
FRED gave WINIFRED £1,000 worth of Barclays Bank shares in 1949 and when she died in 1990 these shares comprised the bulk of her Estate which came to some £45,000 She was always complaining that she had no money and CLIFF once sent her £100 to mend the roof on the cottage in Wales.
She left £5,000 to NANCY HERBERT, a few smaller legacies and the remainder between her nephew ROGER HERBERT and her niece ANGELA RUTH OSBORNE.
KATHLEEN HERBERT was also a clever girl and went to King Edward’s Grammar School, Handsworth. She became a Dispenser and worked for DRS Garman (Father and son) at their Gt. Barr surgery. FRED bought a car and gave it to WINIFRED and KATHLEEN. This of course caused untold arguments.
There was always trouble between the girls and when KATHLEEN was 28 in 1936 she went home after morning surgery with Dr Garman Junior and he told ELSIE that he thought it would be more in keeping if KATHLEEN lived at his home with his Mother and Father They went down to Town Corn Mills and told the same story to FRED. Next day KATHLEEN sent a van to collect her belongings from 5 Grange Road. Three months later she was married to Dr. Garman Junior. They had a large white wedding with bridesmaids and the first her Mother and Father knew anything about it was when they saw a photograph of the wedding in the Birmingham Post.
They had two children – a girl and then a boy – names and dates of birth unknown.
No contact was made until 1990 when NANCY HERBERT telephoned to tell her that both WINIFRED and FREDERICK CLIFFORD had died within 7 weeks of each other. She was by this time 81 and lived with her husband in Leintwardine. She was very chatty and asked all about the family but did not ask to keep in touch and nothing further has been heard.
ARTHUR EDWARD HERBERT born 22nd February 1916 died from kidney failure after a severe attack of chicken pox.
PHILIP RICHARD HERBERT born 22nd November 1921 was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School. When he left he went to Seale Hayne Agricultural College, Newton Abbot. He was to join his Father, FRED in the family corn business – W. & F. Herbert.
When the Second World War broke out he joined the R.A.F. and became a Flight Sergeant No 959970
He was in a plane which came down in the Mediterranean on 27th April 1941 due to the fact that they ran out of petrol. He spent 10 days in an open boat with the other crew members before being picked up by a French cargo boat and taken to a French port and made a prisoner of war. He escaped and with lots of help made his way to Spain and got back to England. See “The Way Back” by Vincent Broome on pages 24 and 25. Also numerous letters and telegrams in the HERBERT file.
When he was fit again he flew many sorties over Germany and was lost over the North sea approximate 20 miles from a small town called Egmond off the Dutch Coast. This was on the night of 29/30 June 1942. He was the second pilot and they were returning from Bremen when they were shot down when they flew over a German Convoy. One man a Sergeant O’NEILL was saved. The plane dived into the sea and the front members of the crew were killed instantaneously.
See various letter, telegrams etc. plus a letter from King George VI from Buckingham Palace – also medals etc.
FREDERICK CLIFFORD HERBERT born 29th November 1922 thirteen months after PHILIP when his Mother ELSIE was 40 and his two sisters 16 and 14. FRED, their Father apparently went about the house as though there were no babies about.
When CLIFF was 7 he had his appendix removed and shortly afterwards his tonsils were removed by Dr. Wood in his surgery! He wore glasses from the age of 8.
CLIFF was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School and when the War started he went with the school to camp to pick plums. He was stung on the back of his tongue by a wasp whilst eating a jam sandwich. He had to eat outdoors whilst in the Army but never did so again after he was demobbed! He was 5ft. 7 ins.
When he left school, he went to work at a Chartered Accountants in Birmingham and stayed there until he was called up shortly after his 19 birthday. He was stationed at Nostell Priory, Yorks, in the stables. He rose to the rank of Sergeant and applied to become an Officer and was accepted but before he could start his training he was sent over with the D. Day+ landings in 1944.
In 1941 when he was called up he joined the 94th Field Regiment 43rd Wessex Division. He sailed from the Royal Docks, London on Sunday evening 11th June (D-Day +5) 1944 on a Liberty ship carrying heavy guns (25 pounders). The living quarters were down a ladder in the hold and conditions were appalling. It was too rough to land on ”Juno” Beach, Normandy until Friday 16th June and then they had to go over the side of the ship into the sea.
He was a Special Observer – radio assistance for forward gun positions – right in front line against crack S.S. Panzer Corps in line of Moaning Minnies fired by Germans in death valley. He was with Captain Kerr when they were both wounded on Hill 112 at Caen, one month after landing. A shell went over their heads and CLIFF was wounded in the back by shrapnel. He fell on his front and felt if he could take a deep breath he would live. He was picked up and put on a stretcher by two “Free Friends” – conscientious objectors who would not fight but went right into the battle areas to rescue any wounded soldiers of any nationality.
CLIFF spent the first night in a field hospital tent clearly marked with a Red Cross but the Germans flew over and machine-gunned it. He was brought back to England by boat and sent by train to Blackpool. For a few days until the shrapnel was removed he lost the use of his right arm. He was in hospital for three months and when he recovered he was sent with the Berkshire Yeomanry to India Java and Malaya. He had five deep scars above the waist and a piece of shrapnel was found in his chest in 1983 after he had suffered a heart attack. This piece could not be removed.
He was demobbed in October 1946 and much against his better judgment he went to work for his Father at the Town Corn Mills instead of going back to the Chartered Accountants. This he regretted all his life.
Immediately after he was demobbed he got in touch with NANCY BENBOW who lived with her parents at 29 Nicholls Street, West Bromwich and 11 weeks later asked her to marry him. They had met at the Wesleyan Tennis Club in Bratt Street, W.B. in 1939 and had seen each other from time to time during the war and he did come to NANCY’S 21st birthday party.
He was stationed in Kent for his 21st and had fish and chips out of newspaper.
They became engaged in January 1948 and CLIFF went to Seale Hayne Agricultural College at Newton Abbot for 6 months.
In 1949 CLIFF’S Father FRED gave him £1,000 and NANCY’S Father, SIDNEY BENBOW, gave her £1,000 and with this £2,000 they bought 87 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich. This was a large semi-detached three-storey Victorian type house built by NANCY’S Grandfather’s adoptive Father (JAMES COUSE) for one of his daughters.
The house was converted into two flats. NANCY and CLIFF lived in the two upper storeys and SYDNEY and EMILY BENBOW (her parents) lived on the ground floor.
SYDNEY died on 23rd May 1952 of carcinoma of the bladder having been a heavy smoker of cigarettes
all his life. He was a Master Tailor and owned a shop – 41 High Street, West Bromwich. He was cremated at Perry Barr.
NANCY and CLIFF were married at the Wesleyan Chapel, West Bromwich on 14th April 1949 and on their 40th wedding anniversary he told her that had he searched the world over he could not have found a better companion.
They had two children, ROGER born 16th December 1951 and ANGELA RUTH born 24th September 1953.
In August 1955 CLIFF had a very severe attack of renal colic and was in Hallam Hospital for two weeks. And in 1956 he had a large egg sized lump removed from the back of his neck. This was non-malignant. In 1957 he had a severe attack of shingles.
In 1953 FRED and CLIFF a partner in W. and F. Herbert and a director of Willson and Hood Ltd. They did not get on and in 1965 the partnership was dissolved.
CLIFF, NANCY, ROGER, ANGELA and EMILY BENBOW moved to 378 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham in January 1959. This was a large 4 bedroomed detached house with a big garden – some 1.798 sq. yds.
EMILY BENBOW died age 90 on 24th July 1971 and was cremated at West Bromwich Crematorium.
CLIFF went to work in the Accounts Dept. at Shell Oil Co. Edgbaston and when they moved to Manchester he worked in the Finance Dept. at Dudley Road, Hospital.
On Decimalisation Day – 17th Feb. 1971 he started work in the Finance Dept. at Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds at their Head Office in Smethwick, which later moved to Redditch. He stayed with them for 17 years until his retirement on his 65th birthday on 29th November 1987. For the next two years he worked two days a week at Jagger, Son & Tilley – Solicitors.
In 1976 – a drought year – CLIFF, NANCY and ANGELA moved to 14 Pale Lane, Harborne. CLIFF suffered periodically from skin irritations. CLIFF had his first slight heart attack in Aug. 1970: a second in November 1976 shortly after moving to Pale Lane: a third in 1981 ten days after returning from a holiday in Geneva and a fourth in 1983. After this attack he also had angina.
These were slight attacks although in 1981 he also had inflammation of the pericardium whilst in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. On each occasion he was in coronary care for 5 days and in hospital for two weeks and then home for three months.
In 1979 he started making dolls houses and room settings in 1/12th scale. Eventually he made 1/12th scale furniture which he used to sell to Miniaturist shops and at the Miniatura Fairs held each March and September. He was Secretary of the Midlands Miniaturists Association from 1982 to 1990 when he died of a massive heart attack whilst on holiday with NANCY at the Park Hotel, Bled, Slovenia, Yugoslavia on Sunday 13th May 1990.
He died within two minutes of collapsing in the bedroom. He was cremated on 25th May 1990 at Lodge Hill, Crematorium, Birmingham.
He appeared on B.B.C. TV on the “Pebble Mill at One” programme with the four storey Victorian dolls house he had made based on Charles Dickens house in Doughty Street, London. He was also interviewed on the radio. There is a video of the T.V. appearance and a tape of the radio interview,
ROGER HERBERT
born on 16th December 1951 son of NANCY and CLIFF, had his tonsils and adenoids removed at Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Birmingham when he was five and from the age of eight had to wear glasses.
He was educated at the Nursery School at Edgbaston High School for Girls, Edgbaston and when he was seven he went to Hallfield Preparatory School for Boys, Edgbaston. When he was thirteen he won a free place at King Edward’s School, Edgbaston. When he was 11 he had a very severe attack of chicken pox and was very ill indeed. By the time he left school he was 6ft 2 ins.
He was articled to C. Upfill Jagger, Son and Tilley, Solicitors, Newhall Street, Birmingham and rose to become Senior Partner.
He left in 1993 and became Managing Director of Lawnet, Warwick. This did not work out and he left in 1995 and became self-employed.
On 12th April 1980 he married FRANCES ANNE MACLEOD at the Registry Office at Newbury. She was an Art Teacher and they lived at Warwick. They moved to Belwell Lane, Sutton Coldfield when JAMES ROGER HERBERT born 19th February 1984 at Leamington Spa Hospital, was six weeks old. He went to Lichfield Cathedral School and is now a weekly boarder at the Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge. JAMES is a clever boy and won a scholarship. RACHAEL IRENE HERBERT was born on 24th April 1987 at the Birmingham Maternity Hospital. She is learning ballet and attends the Alice Ottley School, Worcester.
The marriage was very unhappy and ROGER left them in January 1990 and went to live with JANE O’OCONNOR at Coleshill.
He and FRANCES were divorced and she went to live with JAMES and RACHAEL at “Chestnuts” Ombersley Road, Bevere, Worcester.
ROGER and JANE were married at Gretna Green in 1992 and CATHRYN LAURA HERBERT was born on 13th April 1993 at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham and MATTHEW MICHAEL HERBERT was born on 26th July 1995 also at the Heartlands Hospital. They live at 16 Coton Road, Nether Whitacre. JANE suffers from anaphylaxis – an allergy to nuts. She is a teacher.
ANGELA RUTH HERBERT daughter of NANCY and CLIFF was born on 24th September 1953 at Hallam Hospital, West Bromwich
When she was six weeks old she caught a virus from her brother ROGER who was 22 months old. She was very ill indeed.
She was in the lounge which had a coal fire, when the Doctor came, he said she was not to be taken out of the room until he gave permission, which was three weeks later. She had to be held upright for three days and nights due to congestion in her lungs.
She was not taken outdoors for three months. However, she grew into a very healthy child and had no further trouble. In her early 20’s she had her wisdom teeth removed.
She was at the Nursery Dept and then in Preparatory and Senior Depts at the Edgbaston High School for Girls. She passed her 11+ and went to Lordswood Grammar–Technical School for Girls.
She did very well and gained a B.Sc. (Hons) Degree in Ophthalmic Optics at Aston University plus two Fellowship Exams (FBO.A. and F S M C ). She is 5ft 4 ins tall.
She married ROBERT DUDLEY OSBORNE (born 17th December 1951) on 3rd November 1984 at the Church of the Good Shepherd, The Hook, Upton-on-Severn. The reception was held at the Cottage in the Wood, Malvern. He was educated at Malvern College ROBERT gained a B SC in Accounting and Economics at Bristol University and a M.Sc.degree in Climatology and Applied Meteorology at Birmingham University. He was at one time Managing Director of Thermal Mapping but parted company with them and became self-employed. Both ROBERT and ANGELA are left-handed.
All NANCY and CLIFF’S six grandchildren have blond hair and blue eyes.
ANGELA and ROBERT had two children:-
BENJAMIN ROBERT OSBORNE born by caesarean section at Birmingham Maternity Hospital on 5th August 1986. He is a good swimmer and piano player.
SARAH LUCY OSBORNE born on 6th October 1990 also at Birmingham Maternity Hospital. She is a good swimmer, learns ballet and piano.
Both children attend the Blue Coat School, Harborne. They both have flat feet.
by NANCY HERBERT née BENBOW
1997