Family History 1.1

Our Gaze ancestors

Gaze Family Tree

 

John                                                      m                            Elizabeth

1657-1730                                                                            1669-1730

 

William                                                 m                            Mary

1697-1770                                                                            1704-1794

 

John (carpenter)                              m                            Mary DUVIS

1745-1800                                                           

                                                                                                         John COLLINS (shoemaker)

John (wheelwright)                        m                            Elizabeth COLLINS

1772-1812                                                                            1773-1818

 

John (collar/harness-maker)       m                            Olive SWEETSUR

1794-1855                                                                            1789-1858

 

Charles (collar/harness-maker) m                            Alice CLARK

1832-1918                                                                            1829-1914

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Fred (wool merchant)                    m                            Julia GOODWIN

1867-1947                                                                            1867-1951

                                                                                                                                               

Noel (solicitor)                                  m                            Mary BIGELOW

1902-1966                                                                            1905-1977

The family tree takes us back to the seventeenth century, and to the village of Hucclecote on the outskirts of Gloucester. The Gazes were farmers, like most others in the village, but at some stage over the next century or so, some of them decided to go into contracting, especially transport, using bullock wagons and horse wagons to carry heavy loads.

By 1800, Bristol was the second city of Britain, after London, so our branch of the family moved down the road to the big town and carried on their business there. However, John Gaze, my great-great-great-grandfather, obviously found the going hard in Bristol, so in 1807 he shifted the family to London, where they ended up living in Hyde Street, Holborn. I hope they had a better trip than the people in this sketch, published that year:

If you look at a modern map of London, or go there, you will not find Hyde Street. It was between Museum Street and Holborn near the Town Hall, to the east of the eastern end of Oxford Street.

Oxford Street follows the route of a Roman road, the via Trinobantina, which linked Hampshire with Colchester and became one of the major routes in and out of the city.

Between the 12th century and 1782 it was variously known as Tyburn Road (after the River Tyburn that ran just to the south of it, and now flows underneath it), Uxbridge Road (this name is still used for the portion of the London-Oxford road between Shepherds Bush and Uxbridge), Worcester Road and Oxford Road. It became notorious as the route taken by prisoners on their final journey from Newgate Prison to the gallows at Tyburn near Marble Arch. By about 1729, the road had become known as Oxford Street.

In the late 18th century, many of the surrounding fields were purchased by the Earl of Oxford, and the area was developed. It became popular with entertainers including bear-baiters and masquerades, and for entertainment buildings such as the Pantheon. During the 19th century, the area became known for its shops.
-Waymarking.com

The eastern end was an area with several coach-builders, and some saddlers and other leather-goods merchants, so it is no wonder our family decided to settle nearby. To the north was largely open country, which belonged to the Dukes of Bedford, and was known as Bloomsbury. This area was later developed around Bedford Square.
 

The family set up a livery stables, operating hire vehicles, horses for riding, heavy wagons for cartage. Different members of the family specialised in the skilled trades needed to operate this kind of business: coach-building, saddlery, and so on.