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Almond Cottage
Almond Cottage is a brick and slate cottage with a hooded porch and a charming asymmetric arrangement of windows. It was originally built about 1885 by Col. James Thorpe for his butler Mr Charles Gomer. We know that the house has been called Almond Cottage since at least 1950 when it was listed as such in a trade directory.
There is a "Bench Mark" point on the NW corner of the house.
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Charles Gomer
We don't know when Charles Gomer first entered Col. Thorpe's employment, but he first appears as butler in London on the 1881 Thorpe census return. His daughter Edith was born in Coddington circa 1882, so he was likely to be based here from that time.
In the 1891 census we learn that he was aged 42, and born in Wimborne, Dorset. His household consisted of his wife Elizabeth aged 38 (born in Harewood) and their children all born in Coddington - Edith aged 9, Charles aged 7, Elizabeth aged 4 and Thomas aged 1.
In 1892 and 1901 Charles is listed as the Col. Thorpe's butler in trade directories. On Census night 1901 Charles Gomer was a boarder at 59 Lyall Mews, St George Hanover Sq, London. He would be staying there and working at Col. James Thorpe's London house 59 Eaton Place, St George Hanover Sq, Knightsbridge London. His wife and child were at home in "Almond Cottage". James Thorpe died on 13th July 1902, and we don't know whether or not Charles continued as butler in Coddington to John Somerled Thorpe, nor when he retired.
Mr Charles Gomer, presumably Charles jnr. born around 1884, is listed in a 1916 trade directory as gardener to Captn John S Thorpe, JP. Two of Charles Gomer's sons served in the WWI: Charles in the Army Service Corps (formerly Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) and Thomas in the "Cyclist Corps".
Almond cottage was not amongst the Estate lots offered for sale in 1918.
Charles Gomer Snr. died aged 84 on the 17th June 1932.
Miss Elizabeth Gomer
In 1899 Elizabeth Gomer aged 12 became an infant class school monitor at Coddington Village School. The school staff for 1898 were Joseph Chauntry Hunt (Master), Kate Abson and Harriet Farmer (Assistant Mistresses) and Harriet Booth (Monitoress). Kate Abson left to marry Edward Brownlow and her replacement Mrs Gertrude Draper only lasted a few months before she resigned and was replaced by Harriet Farmer. It was at this point that Elizabeth Gomer became a monitor, joining Harriet Booth an experienced monitor appointed in 1895.
Elizabeth obviously prospered in education, because she became a teacher at Coddington National School and taught there for most of the first half of the 20th century. She never married and is listed in Coddington trade directories of 1938, 1942 and 1950 (her house identified by name as "Almond Cottage"). During the Gomers' time the house may also have been called "Cherry Tree Cottage".
The Gomers purchased the house and the adjacent field west of the house at some unknown date. Elizabeth died aged 65 on 23rd January, 1956.
Miss Gomer was a strict teacher and Coddington residents still have vivid memories of her today - see some of their accounts in our oral histories.
After Miss Gomer
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