Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Albert Bollen

Solicitor of Kingston

 

Albert Bollen was born on 13 January 1840 in Yeovil and was baptised on 12 February 1840 at St John's church. He was the son of Thomas Bollen (1807-1869) and Elizabeth née Roscilly (1800-1883). He had an older sister, Frances Susan (b1835). In the 1841 census, both Thomas and Elizabeth gave their occupations as servants, although on Albert’s entry of baptism in St John's parish register, Thomas states his occupation as a leather dresser of Kingston. Frances was aged six and Albert was one year old.

The following census, in 1851, listed Thomas Bollen as a married servant living in Preston Road while Elizabeth and the two children, together with two lodgers and two visitors, were living in Kingston. It is thought that they were living in York Cottage.

York Cottage was a large two storey, three bay house in Kingston, immediately next door to the Duke of York public house. The house had a stucco front above road level with rusticated quoins and sash windows. In the 1948 Ministry of Town and Country Planning Provisional List of Buildings of Architectural Interest in the Yeovil Municipal Borough it was a Grade III building and the List noted that it had an "Elaborate mid-19th century metal trellis porch with design of vine leaves." York Cottage is clearly shown on Watts', Day's and Madeley's maps of Yeovil of 1831.

An advertisement, the first of many, in the 19 April 1859 edition of the Western Flying Post, (see Gallery) named 19-year-old Albert, working out of the Emigration Office, Kingston, as the Yeovil agent of the Wesleyan and General Assurance Society. By 1860, he was also the Yeovil agent for the Norfolk and Farmers' Cattle Insurance Society. Shortly thereafter he became the Yeovil agent for the Indisputable Life Assurance Company of Scotland.

In the 1861 census, Thomas gave his occupation as a private lodging house keeper - presumably at York Cottage - where he lived with Elizabeth, Albert and a domestic servant. Frances had married George Wills and set up home in Crewkerne, but 21-year-old Albert was still living at home and gave his occupation as a solicitor’s clerk. Also living at York Cottage were  William Shorland, retired surgeon, and his wife Anna.

On 29 August 1867, at St Anne's church, Radipole, Dorset, 27-year-old Albert married 36-year-old Mary Ann Jessop (1831-1877), the daughter of gentleman and retired solicitor Edward Jessop, by license. The church allowed them to avoid the delay and publicity of calling banns on three successive Sundays by providing, for a fee, a marriage license. Albert gave his occupation as a solicitor's clerk and that of his father Thomas as a glover. The Jessop family originally came from Dudley, Worcestershire although Mary Ann had been born in Birmingham. In the 1861 census, the Jessop family were living just outside Bath, Somerset.

 Albert and Mary Ann did not have children. Sadly, on 30 September 1877, Mary Ann died at home in Kingston. There is some discrepancy over her age at death; I calculate she was aged 46, St John's parish register recorded her age as 50 and the Taunton Chronicle and Western Advertiser gave her age as 58. 37-year-old Albert did not remarry.

In fact, Albert had been studying law under the tutelage of Yeovil solicitor William Glyde - the successor to Edwin Tomkins (died 1861). The law practice was at 44 Princes Street. In the 29 November 1872 edition of the Western Gazette (see Gallery), it was noted that Albert had passed the first examinations on his road to becoming a solicitor. A further notice was published in the 12 May 1876 edition of the Western Gazette (see Gallery), stating that Albert had passed the final examination at the hall of the Incorporated Law Society in London.

Certainly by 1877, Albert had started his own law practice at 75 South Street (see Gallery). His workload, until his death, appears to have been not just local, but stretching from Bristol to Tiverton. His practice was primarily concerned with property law and for many years he advertised weekly offering mortgages from £20 to £1,000 (around £2,300 to £112,000 at today's value). He also carried out a lot of probate work.

Elizabeth Bollen was still in York Cottage as an 82-year old in 1881 (she died in 1883), together with a domestic servant. Albert was, on the night of the census, visiting his sister Frances and her husband George Wills at their farm, Combe Farm, in Crewkerne.

In the 1891 census, Albert was in residence at York Cottage, with his sister Frances, together with a domestic servant and the servant's young daughter. Albert was recorded as a 51-year-old widowed solicitor and Frances was recorded as a 53-year-old married woman "Living on her own means". Frances' husband, George Wills, was recorded as the farmer living at Key Farm on the Dorchester Road.

Albert Bollen died on 10 June 1895, at home after a long illness. He was buried on 13 June 1895, in Yeovil Cemetery.

 

 

Day's map of 1831 showing Kingston (marked here as Lower Kingston) - I've annotated a few buildings of interest that were there at the time, including York Cottage.

 

This map, based on the 1886 Ordnance Survey, shows York Place just right of centre with Kingston in the top right corner. The long building marked 'PH' right of centre is the Duke of York and the rectangular building marked 'PH' at top right was the White Lion. York Cottage is the large building at top centre, next to the Duke of York.

 

 

The entry of Albert's baptism of 12 February 1840 in St John's parish register.

 

An advertisement (the first of many) in the 19 April 1859 edition of the Western Flying Post, naming Albert as the Yeovil agent of the Wesleyan and General Assurance Society.

 

The entry of Albert and Mary Ann's marriage, by license, of 29 August 1867 at St Anne's church, Radipole, Dorset.

 

The announcement in the 29 November 1872 edition of the Western Gazette, that Albert had passed the first examinations on his road to becoming a solicitor.

 

The announcement in the 12 May 1876 edition of the Western Gazette, that Albert had passed his final examinations.

 

Certainly by the time of this advertisement in the 27 April 1877 edition of the Western Gazette, Albert had set up his own solicitor's practice in South Street.

 

This photograph features in my book 'Yeovil From Old Photographs'

The western end of South Street photographed before 1879 by Adam Gosney. It shows the Greyhound Hotel at extreme right (before being rebuilt in its present form), the Cow Inn next door, the Globe and Crown opposite and the Three Choughs Hotel in the far distance at the end of South Street. Between the Cow Inn and the Choughs was the two-storey King's Arms (2) in the far distance as well as a couple of un-named beerhouses. Then the three-storey Market House Inn and then another un-named beerhouse. Just think, what an ideal pub crawl. Note the horse-drawn omnibus parked outside the Greyhound.

Albert Bollen's law firm's premises are believed (based on the 1881 census) to have been in the white building at left, next to the Globe & Crown (and seen beneath its sign) and before the building with the black porch that was Perry's Family & Commercial Temperance.

 

The report on the death of Alfred Bollen in the 14 June 1895 edition of the Western Chronicle.

Although this report claims that Albert married the daughter of his former employer William Glyde, I could find no record of what would have been Albert's second marriage.

 

The notice of auction of Albert's furniture and effects from the 12 July 1895 edition of the Western Gazette.