Herbert Charles Beavis

Herbert Charles Beavis was born in 1886, one of thirteen children (eight girls and five boys) to Frank Beavis and his wife Edith (nee Slaughter). Like his two brothers (Hector Beavisand Bernard Beavis), he had maritime connections (albeit tenuous).

The family lived in Morey’s Cottage, Steephill, on the Steephill Castle estate where Frank was a gardener employed by the owner, John Hambrough.

Herbert was also a gardener and in 1906, at the age of twenty, he began his employment with Ventnor Urban District Council, retiring after forty-five years unbroken service to the town, at the age of 65 – the normal retirement age for men in those days. Among his many jobs with the council, he was responsible for the safe berthing of the steamers that visited Ventnor pier from all parts of the Island and parts of the south coast of the mainland, usually on a daily basis, especially in the summer months.

Herbert married Rosie Ellen Lewis, from Whitwell in 1911 and they moved in to No.1 Lowtherville Road, Upper Ventnor where they lived until Herbert’s death in 1957 at the age of seventy-one.

Read PDF version here: Herbert Charles Beavis