Brislington Community Museum

Garratt Postcard saying 'See our exhibits'.

This publisher produced real photograph postcards of Brislington, including a series celebrating St Anne's Wood, including its holy well, soon after its opening as a public park in 1924.

John William Garratt was born to Jane and William Garratt in July 1865 and baptised the following month in the parish church of Leeds, Yorkshire. At the baptism his father's occupation was recorded as a county court clerk, and the census of 1871, which shows the family at the same location and includes the arrival of a baby girl, records he worked as clerk in a registrar's office.

The 1881 census shows John had moved into his uncle's household in Dewsbury, south of Leeds. His uncle, also called John was a self-employed photographer employing one boy - presumably his nephew John, now aged 15, who the census shows was employed as a photographic printer.

In 1891 the census shows John, 25, had moved to the parish of St James, Bristol, where he was a lodger working as a photographer. In January 1893, in All Saints, the parish church of Heaton Norris, Lancashire, he married Mary Eccles, a 27-year old spinster from Saltford, Lancashire, whose late father had worked as a gardener.

The 1901 census shows the couple living in Station Road, Ashley Down, Bristol, where John was self-employed, working from home as a photographer. A decade later, the 1911 census shows the couple at the same address with a young daughter who had been born in Stapleton, Bristol. John was still self-employed and working from home as a photographer. The 1939 register shows the three members of this family still living together at the same address: John was still a professional photographer, his wife was occupied with domestic duties (unpaid), and their daughter was a school teacher.

In 1946, while still living at the same address, John Garratt died, leaving an estate valued for probate at more than £1,700.


Brislington postcards

St Anne's Wood - In St. Anne's Wood Nr. Bristol. See our exhibit.

St Anne's Wood - Waterfalls St. Anne's Wood Brislington Bristol. Published online at Bristol Archives. Series number 765.

St Anne's Wood - St, Anne's Park Near Bristol,. Published online at Bristol Archives. A variant credited to Composite Photograph is published online at Bristol Archives. Series number 763.

St Anne's Well (St Anne's Wood) - The Holy Well St. Anne's Wood Bristol. See our exhibit.

St Anne's Well (St Anne's Wood) - The Holy Well St. Anne's Wood Bristol. See our exhibit.

Church of St Luke - BRISLINGTON CHURCH BRISTOL. See our exhibit.

Brislington Hill (Bath Road, A4) - BRISLINGTON HILL. BRISLINGTON. See our exhibit.



Ken Taylor


Our research indicates we're free to publish these exhibits (if a breach of copyright etc may have occured please let us know so we can take appropriate action).