Grimsayer

By Grimsayer

Henry Stodden Cowls (and me!)

This is my maternal grandfather - who died in November1962 when I would have been five. Judging by this photo, I suspect it was taken late in 1961 on the front at Penzance. I apologise for the poor quality but it is a screenshot from a digitized cine film so has been through several processes!
He ran a net manufacturing business in Porthleven, a business started I think by his great grandfather. Henry Cowls. In 1881 the census described Henry as a fisherman, in 1891 a 'general dealer in fishing tackle' and eventually in 1901 as a 'net manufacturer'. He died soon after in 1902 and his son Thomas Stodden Cowls took over until his death in 1922. My grandfather would then have taken over aged 19 , a young age fro such responsibilty.
Stodden appears in the family as the maiden name of Henry Cowls' wife and one of my cousins still has it four generations later.
Neighbours arrived back from overseas tralve yesterday - it was good to catch up with them in the evening over a glass of red.

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