In the 1970s and 80s West Swindon was built as a cluster of village centres – it seemed to be a plan particularly favoured by Swindonians. In the 1840s there was the Railway Village followed by development in Even Swindon and then a satellite suburb Gorse Hill built in the late 1890s and 1900s. And it seemed that once people put down roots they seldom moved away. Take, for example, Nellie Bull, daughter of George and Maria Bull.

This image of Beatrice Street taken in around 1910 is available to view with a selection of Gorse Hill photos at Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Nellie and her brother George grew up in spanking, brand new Gorse Hill in the 1890s. In 1891 they lived at 70 Hinton Street, built in 1890 by entrepreneur James Hinton, Swindon Mayor in 1903/4 who also once owned the land on which the cemetery was built. By 1901 the family had moved to 119 Beatrice Street, another new build, and it was here that William George Bacon came to lodge with them. On Christmas Day that same year he and Nellie were married at St. Mark’s Church.

The young couple continued to live with Nellie’s parents in Beatrice Street where their baby daughter Nellie Gladys was baptised at St. Barnabas’ Church in 1902. They were still living at 119 Beatrice Street when Berty was born two years later, although he was baptised at St. Luke’s Church, Barton Hill, Bristol. By 1909 the family were at 7 Suffolk Street, just around the corner, when George Stanley was baptised at St. John’s the Evangelist. In 1939 William and Nellie were living at 33 Beatrice Street with their daughter Nellie and her husband Percival and Anna (Maria) Bull.

This stylish headstone with discreet art deco features marks Nellie and William’s last resting place, the only time they left Gorse Hill. William James Bacon died on June 18, 1948 at his home, 33 Beatrice Street. Nellie died March 2, 1956 at 33 Beatrice Street.

If you’d like to know more about Swindon’s 1980s West Swindon development – West Swindon – What the eye doesn’t see by Angela Atkinson, Roger Ogle and me is available from Hobnob Press, Bert’s Books, Amazon and other Swindon bookstores.