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Brentford Councillors - John Meyers

Introduction

Janet McNamara has researched details of the men who served as Brentford Local Board Members and Councillors, see intro page for more details of early local government structure.

John Meyers

Mr Meyers was a member of the first Brentford Local Board in 1874.

The 1872 local directory shows that he was a Market Gardener in Boston Park Road and in 1887/8 was at The Lindens, Boston Road.

He was baptised at St Lawrence’s Church on May 25th 1834. His parents were Henry (1803-1873) and Jane (Heath 1803-1872).

The 1841 census shows him as a 7 year old living in the Market Place with Charlotte Duffield (25) and Ellen Franklin (23) who are both shown as servants. The next property is The Butts. His parents Henry (market gardener) and Jane with children Henry (11), Jane (9), Fanny (?) and a female servant (15) are at Upper Butts. The handwriting is very faint on ancestry.

In 1851 he was a market gardener aged 17 with his parents, Henry and Jane and family Henry (21), Jane (19), Jessey (6) and a servant in Boston Road. Henry and John appear to be working for their father.

On March 19th 1856 he married Martha Sarah Knight.

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In the 1861 census he was 27 and Martha Sarah aged 25. She had been born in Poole Dorsetshire. They had a son Henry (4) scholar and 2month old twins, Alfred Edward and Frank Ernest. They had a house maid and John described himself as ’Market Gardener in connection with father’. They were living at Meyers Cottage in Boston Road near the Kings Arms.

In 1861 his father, Henry was in Boston Road described as ‘Market Gardener, Farmer, Florist and Valuer about 20acres employing 11 men, 2 women and 2 boys’.

In 1871 the address was Boston Road. John was a market gardener aged 36. Martha was 35 and sons Henry, Alfred and Frank were scholars. There were 2 other children Sydney and Annie aged 4 and 1 servant. Father Henry was in Park Road (?now Boston Park Road).

In 1872 in the sale of land around Brook Road Henry was shown as the occupier of Lots 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 north of what is now Grove Road and east to the Brook.

Henry died in 1873 aged 70. The Will of Henry Meyers late of Park Lodge, Boston Road, Ealing in the County of Middlesex market gardener who died 9th March 1873 at Park Lodge was proved at the Principal Registry by Henry Orion Meyers of Harlington in the said County and John Meyers of Boston Road market gardeners the sons the Executors. Effects under £12,000. Resworn July 1874 under £14.000.

John was elected to the Local Board in October 1874.

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In 1881 their address was The Lindens, Boston Road and John was employing 12 men, 2 women and 2 boys. The household consisted of John and Martha, son Frank U aged 20, Annie aged 10, William (8), Maude (6) and Walter (4). All the children were described as scholars and a ‘governess to the children’ was resident.

In 1891 he was the Executor for Stephen Walker who was also a Member of the Local Board and a partner in the Montgomrey Timber Company.

The family are still at The Lindens in the 1891 census. Their neighbour was the artist Auguste Ballin and John was ‘Gardener and Florist’ aged 59. Martha is shown as aged 55 and Frank (30) as a Florist. Amy (presumably Annie) was 20 with no occupation shown. Maud (16) and Walter (14) were both scholars and there were 2 domestic servants.

In 1894, as Secretary of the British School, he signed a certificate.

John Meyers celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in 1906, by which time he and his wife had moved away from Brentford.

The 1911 census shows he and his family living in a 14-room house at 35 Cambridge Road, Hove, Sussex. His occupation: retired fruit grower. They had two servants. Sharing their home were his son, Walter Knight Meyers, a surveyor in privare practice, his wife Caroline, two small children and another servant.

John Meyers died shortly after the 1911 census, his death registered in Steyning in the April-June quarter of 1911. He was 77. There is a death registration of Martha S Meyers, age 88 at Kingston, Surrey in 1920 and an Administration confirms this is John's widow. She was living at 5 St Albans Road, Kingston upon Thames and left effects valued at £266 16s 4d. Frank Ernest Meyers, gentleman, was her administrator.

Frank Ernest Meyers is in the 1920/21 directory at Pevensey House, 119, Windmill Road.

On ancestry.co.uk there is information about the family descended from John’s sister Jessey, and the 1906 Golden Wedding article provides information about other family members.

Other material

Janet sent an article from the Middlesex Independent, 24 March 1906, describing the recent Golden Wedding celebration of John Meyers and his wife.

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Page published June 2011; updated November 2011