The Sutton Family Day Picture Gallery
The Sutton Family Day Picture Gallery
Ethel Beatrice Sutton taken about 1910
at the time of her engagement to Edward Colston Shepherd
Ethel Beatrice Sutton Ancestor Tree
Ethel Beatrice Sutton Descendant Tree
My paternal grandmother Ethel Beatrice Sutton was born on the 28th February 1881, in St. James' Parish Bristol. She was the fourth child of eleven. Edward George Bernard, Isabelle Adelaide, Mabel Maud, Ethel Beatrice, Florence Lilian, George Lionel Vivian, Theresa Daisy, Ivy Blanche, Leslie Harold Clifford, Austin Ivor Spencer and Vera Kathleen, born to George Sutton and Isabella Meehan.
Ethel Beatrice came from a large and loving family. They lived in Bristol moving from St. James to Hotwells and on to Bishopston, finally acquiring a large villa house in Cromwell Road, which in the late 19th century was on the outskirts of the city of Bristol. The six sisters, for Vera was not born at this time, became known as the "Belles of Bishopston". Numerous Beaux visited the house, hoping to gain an introduction to one of the girls. Her favourite brother Austin was killed in the First World War.
Ethel Beatrice was a clever and talented young lady. Her ambition was to become an opera singer and she took singing and piano lessons. She was very accomplished and had a series of photographs taken "décolletée" for her professional portfolio. Despite being brought up in a time when women were not encouraged to pursue their own careers, Ethel Beatrice was allowed to travel to London and later to France, staying with family. She never became an opera singer, instead she trained as a Post Office Telegraphist and clerk. This enabled her to become Post Mistress of the Totterdown Post Office when she married. Ethel Beatrice left home before her 21st birthday and lived in Ashley Down and Fishponds. She would say in later years, the reason she left home was to escape looking after the babies.
On 29th April 1911 Ethel Beatrice married Edward Colston Shepherd in David Thomas Memorial Church, Belmont Road, Bishopston, Bristol. They had 3 children, Reginald Colston, Leonard Colston and John Colston. When they married they opened their own stationery shop and Post Office in Totterdown. The couple worked hard and it became very successful, later selling books, toys, jewellery and luggage as well as stationery. Situated on the Wells Road by the tram terminus, it was well known in the area as Shepherds of Totterdown.
In the early 1920's they were able to move from accommodation above the shop to a house in Knowle, overlooking Redcatch Park. Sadly Ethel Beatrice was widowed in the early hours of Christmas Eve 1932. Now she had sole responsibility for her shop, her home and her three sons, the youngest just 7 years old. Edward Colston died on the busiest day of the year. Ethel Beatrice opened the shop and carried on the business as usual. She counted herself fortunate to have the support of her father-in-law, Alfred Shepherd, who was living with them, who saw to all the necessary arrangements regarding the funeral.
Ethel Beatrice was 91 when she died in May 1972 at a nursing home in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. She possessed a strong Christian faith and was a founder member of the Bristol Holiness Mission, later to become the Bristol Church of the Nazarene.
email: philary@blueyonder.co.uk