17 St Mary’s Street, Ely

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George William Comins, 17 St Mary's Street Ely

History of 17 St Mary St Ely

George Comins, b 1838, Ely

1881 St Mary’s Street

This house had been built by a doctor and used as a surgery. It had eleven rooms, two staircases, cellar, stables and a yard for carriages. The small gatehouse to the right of the front gate was joined to the main building by a lass roof. This provided for the firm’s offices.

Ely map c.1884

George Comins, 43, auctioneer and valuer, b Sutton

Lettice E, 47, b Sutton

George D D, 14, b Ely

Lettice E M, 13, b Ely

Grace M, 8, b Ely

Mary E Drage, niece, 24, b Sutton

Susannah Cornwell, 20, cook, b Soham

Mary Ann Houghton, 20, servant, b Bourn

George Comins died in April 1887.

1891

Lettice Comins, widow, 58, b Sutton

George G D Comins, 24, auctioneer and land agent, b Ely

Lettice E Comins, 23, b Ely

Grace M Comins, 18, b Ely

Susan Palmer, 21, servant, b Prickwillow

Elizabeth Larter, 14, servant, b Suffolk

George Dobode Drage Comins had attended the The King’s School, Ely. On leaving school he was apprenticed to the firm of Ventom, Bull and Cooper, 35 Old Jewry, London for seven years from 1885. This was cut short by the death of his father and he was recalled to run the family business.

1901

Lettice Elizabeth Comins, 69, living on own means, b Sutton

George Dobode Drage Comins, 34, auctioneer, b Ely

Grace Mable, 27, b Ely

Elizabeth Creak, 27, kitchenmaid, b Ely

Florence Mable Creak, 16, housemaid, b Ely

1911

George Dobode Drage Comins, 44, auctioneer valuer land agent, b Ely

Winifred, 32, b Staffs

Percy Wilfred Powles, stepson, 3, b Ely

Daisy Ellen Lawrence, 16, servant, b Norfolk

George met and married Winifred in 1910. She was Winifred Powles from Lowestoft.

1914-1918

Winifred joined the British Red Cross.

1935-1938

Winifred was a Nursing Commandant

1939

George Dobode Drage Comins, b 1886, auctioneer retired

Winifred Powles née Dix, b 1881 [born 1879 Stafford, Staffs]

George William Drage, b 1911, auctioneer

Lettice W, b 1914,

Dorothy Peacock, b 1922, domestic servant

Queenie Boswell, b 1926,

Dennis L Boswell, b 1930,

1939-1945

Winifred ran a mobile Red Cross unit during WWII.

George D D Comins died in October 1942. The business was taken over by George William Drage Comins. he had suffered from meningitis and polio as a child so used a walking stick all his life.

George Comins retired from his business in 1982. He passed away in 1997.

George William Drage Comins was the son of George Dobode Drage Comins b.1866 and Winifred Dix b 1879. He married Ruth Elaine Norton.

George W D Comins was the son of George Comins b 1838 and Lettice Elizabeth Drage b 1832. George and Lettice were born in Sutton.

George Comins b 1838 was the son of George Comins b 1806 d 1857 and Frances Green b 1801.

The book ‘Shires Sales and Pigs‘ by Clare Hastings, pub. 2002, tells the story of the Comins family. George Comins the elder was a draper from Sutton, b 1803/1806. According to Shires, Sales and Pigs, he was born in Spilsby, Lincs; at some point th family moved to Sutton and set up as a grocer. George died in 1857. In the 1841 census he is described as a shopkeeper.

In 1851 George Comins Jnr and his brother are at school in 6 Castle Street, Cambridge.

George Comins junior moved to Ely in 1856 to set up an auctioneering firm in Market Street.

In 1861 he is still living in Sutton but as a boarder, aged 23, at the house of John Harries, brewer and publican. He is described as a commission agent.

In 1863 he married Lettice, daughter of Sutton farmer William Drage. In 1851 the Drage family were living on the High Street in Sutton. William is described as a landed proprietor.

In 1871 George and family are living on Market Street. George 33 is an auctioneer. As well as his wife Lettice, their children George and Lettice are living with them, and their niece, Mary Drage, who is 14. There are three servants.

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