See also
| Husband: | Lewis Laurence PITTS (1912-1999) | |
| Wife: | Audrey Eileen WHEELER (1910-2000) | |
| Children: | Stephen L. PITTS (1942-1997) | |
| LIVING | ||
| Marriage | Q2 1940 | Crediton , Devon, England |
| Name: | Lewis Laurence PITTS1 | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | Nicholas Samuel PITTS (1884-1948) | |
| Mother: | Emma Kathleen WRIGHT (1878-1954) | |
| Birth | 2 Jul 1912 | Lapford, Devon, England |
| Occupation | Holiday Park Manager | |
| Census | 19 Jun 1921 (age 8 yrs 11 mns) | Sandford, Devon, England2 |
| West Sandford | ||
| Residence | 25 Mar 1939 (age 26) | Morchard Bishop, Devon, England |
| Polson | ||
| Census | 29 Sep 1939 (age 27) | Crediton , Devon, England3 |
| 57 East Street, Flat | ||
| Occupation | 29 Sep 1939 (age 27) | motor driver (incapacitated); Crediton , Devon, England3 |
| Death | 29 Sep 1999 (age 87) | Exeter, Devon, England |
| Name: | Audrey Eileen WHEELER1 | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Henry Ralph WHEELER (1878-1952) | |
| Mother: | Bertha MADGE (1884-1943) | |
| Birth | 13 Jun 1910 | Exeter, Devon, England4,5 |
| Baptism | 17 Jul 1910 (age 0) | Crediton , Devon, England |
| Census | 2 Apr 1911 (age 1) | Exeter, Devon, England6 |
| 1 Mount Cottages, Longbrook Street, Exeter | ||
| Census | 19 Jun 1921 (age 11 yrs 0 mns) | Crediton , Devon, England7 |
| 1 Tolleys Education: Whole Time |
||
| Census | 29 Sep 1939 (age 29) | Crediton , Devon, England3 |
| 57 East Street, Flat | ||
| Occupation | 29 Sep 1939 (age 29) | cafe waitress; Crediton , Devon, England3 |
| Death | 28 Mar 2000 (age 89) | East Devon Registration District, Devon, England |
| Name: | Stephen L. PITTS1 | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Spouse 1: | LIVING | |
| Spouse 2: | LIVING | |
| Birth | 25 Aug 1942 | Crediton , Devon, England |
| Death | 17 Feb 1997 (age 54) | |
| Cause: Suicide Eulogy given by Steve 's friend John Owen at Steve's funeral STEVEN LAURENCE PITTS DIED 17TH FEBRUARY 1997 Steven Laurence Pitts known to all his friends, associates and even to those who had never met him but merely heard of his legendary exploits, as Steve. Steve was born in Crediton in 1942, the son of Laurie and Audrey Pitts. He moved to Exmouth in 1952 with his sister Myra when his father became the manager of the Sandy Bay Caravan Park and lived with his parents in a house called the Upper Deck. He was educated first at Littleham School and then Exmouth Grammar School, leaving as soon as possible! Whilst he was highly intelligent, academic studies were not his forte but he excelled at cricket. On leaving school he was articled to Whitton & Laing, the Chartered Surveyors in Queen Street, Exeter but again studying was not to his liking and he left when his articles finished to earn money and get on with life. It was Christmas time 1959 or 1960 that I first met him in the Queens Hotel in Exeter where he was with other revellers who were wearing party hats but Steve had the trimmings from the Christmas cake on his head. Before catching the train home he managed to fall down an embankment, ending up in the Catacombs. He worked variously for three firms of Estate Agents bettering himself each time and finally becoming the Branch Manager of a multi office practice in East Devon, namely Purnell, Daniel and Morell (now long gone). He always wanted to be self employed and this he managed to achieve, setting up his business in Market Street, Exmouth. He had a style of advertising which was based on Gerald Brooks, the Home Counties Estate Agents, which was explicit and controversial but Steve always popularised the style. A small link house would be described as suitable for dwarfs, an overgrown garden would be described as suitable for Kalahari Bush Men and the broken down thatched cottage could be purchased for 3,000 Matabele Gumbo Beads!! He was so successful that he managed to move to a prime site in Rolle Street, buying the freehold. There his windows were fitted out with an enormous range of properties. He once had a photograph of the Parthenon described as “ideally situated 3,500 miles from the Exmouth sea front and in need of considerable repair”. During this time he was supported by his daughter Emma, his wife Jennie and twin sons Rupert and Shamus. He was then living in Littleham Road but his love of the country pursuits led him to buy his beloved Marley Hayes, an imposing gentleman’s mid-war residence standing in 14 acres of garden, paddock and woodlands. Prior to an earlier collapse in the property market he really showed his entrepreneurial skills. Having sold his Estate Agency business he started first by buying Seabrook House in Countess Wear and obtaining planning permission for 14 day patients from Exminster Hospital and running this for several years with a manager. This he sold and purchased, with his friend Brian, the Castle Hotel at Bradninch and ran it successfully as a Pub and Eating House for several years. After selling this business he leased a vacant shop in Topsham and started the Bookmakers business of S P Racing, again with the aid of a manager. Selling this he purchased a franchise to create instant cobbled paths, drives and decorative surroundings. Thinking the property market was about to revive he sold the cobbled business and moved back into the Estate Agency business, setting up again in Rolle Street close to where he had been many years before. Regrettably, as we all know, the property market did not revive and for the first time he closed the doors on a business which had not been a success. Everyone will have their own memories of Steve. For my part, I have spent many hours in his company and never been bored – embarrassed yes – bored never! His great loves were country pursuits, horse racing, sea and river fishing and hunting – although I do not think he was interested in the final result, it was a way to meet the country characters he loved with their dialects, particularly Exmoor and Dartmoor. We often used to laugh about the Saturday afternoon when we were out with the Stoke Hill Beagles when a follower asked “av ee seede the air? Yeah hers quat down in the arish” which translated means “have you seen the hare? Yes it is resting in the stubble”. At an Industrial Tribunal the defence counsel asked a witness where he was at the time of the accident to be informed that he was “crookied down in the linhay”. The local Clerk explained that he was kneeling down in a nearby barn. One of the most enjoyable days that I spent with Steve was when we went to Ascot to see his horse, Lady Sweetapples, run. I am not a racing man but the atmosphere and being in the owners’ enclosure and in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and the Queen Mother, was truly memorable. Another time he took the late W/Cdr Pat Sutton and myself to the Badminton Horse Trials. There we spent the day at a portable dining table eating and drinking in the car park, and then came home. I did not see Badminton House nor a horse jump. When I, unwisely, pointed out that we could have done the same thing on Woodbury Common, I was rebuked in no uncertain terms for not having a sense of the occasion! Latterly, as the Sunday morning gatherers will know, he became quite a wine buff. He would phone me most Sunday mornings at about 10am to say he was “drawing corks at 11:00 and come on over”. Regrettably I usually declined. One of his later pursuits was to paint water colours of local scenes and these were very good and he sold many of them through various sources. He was a great character in his own right and certainly coined the phrases “Old Bean” and “Slurp” long before Floyd on TV. He used to love to read the obituaries in the Daily Telegraph and, whilst this may sound morbid, they are more about life than death and this reiterates his love for the characters in life. It was only last week that he lent me a book “A Celebration of Eccentric Lives” and in it are several paragraphs underlined, mainly of colourful aristocrats whose idiosyncrasies in life illustrates that P G Woodhouse’s characters were not as fantastic as some would believe. I think his favourite was the 3rd Lord Moynihan whose listed interests in Who’s Who were Professional Negotiator, international diplomatic courier, currency manipulator and an authority on Rock and Roll – What he was, of course, was a bongo drummer, brothel keeper, drug smuggler and police informer. Everyone will have their own particular experiences, memories and anecdotes some of which will be best remembered outside these precincts. It has been said that he wanted to live his life to the full and when he could not do this, he did not want his life. I will close with the following lines:- He stood on the outside looking in And all he saw was trouble and sin Arguing, grumbling, jealousy and greed And he turned his back For he felt no need – of these He stood on the inside looking out From there he saw what life was about Forgiveness, kindness, contentment, love And so he turned his face For he felt great need – of these John L Owen 27th February 1997 |
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| Name: | LIVING1 | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | LIVING | |
Laurie was in the Royal Engineers during the war. In 1949 Laurie and Audrey were living with Emma Kathleen at 13 East Street, Crediton. They continued to live with Gran at 13 East Street in the early Fifties, which was to become my home for 10 or 11 years from about 1953
Sat 25 Mar 1939. Laurie was on a motorcycle at the top of White Hart Hill, Crediton, when he was struck from behind by a car driven by Morris Dodderidge of 21 Victoria Park Road, Exeter. He had just purchased the motorcycle from Vigers garage in Charlotte Street. The force of the collision pushed Laurie 17 ft 9 ins towards Exeter. He received serious injuries to his left leg and was taken to the RD&E hospital by Fred Vigers. Laurie had been stationary in front of the garage. At the time of the incident Dodderidge was asked by Gilbert Luxton "What the Devil did he think he was up to?", he said that he had not seen Laurie. Then when questioned by PC Bicknell, he told him that that Laurie had been travelling towards Exeter and had suddenly swerved in front of him. On Wednesday May 10th 1939 Dodderidge appeared before Crediton Magistrates charged with driving without due care and attention. Laurie had collected a motorbike from a gagrage and taking it to the road in front of the showroom had been looking down at it. He swore that he had been stationary. Dodderidge drove into the back of him. In court Dodderidge claimed that Laurie had been in the road at least two feet from the kerb, travelling towards Exeter. He had tried unsuccessfully to brake.
Dodderidge was found guilty of driving without due care and attention, was fined £2 and costs and had his licence endorsed. At the time of the accident he had taken his test only a week previously and was taking the car home for the first time.
At the time of Audrey's birth her family were living at 1 Mount Cottages, Longbrook Street, Exeter
| 1 | www.heardfamilyhistory.org.uk. This GEDCOM is predominantly the work of Nick Heard, but it incorporates the collaborated work of many other family historians. You are welcome to use the information herein but please acknowledge the source. Every effort has been made to ensure the data is accurate, but any use you make of it is entirely at your own risk. (c) Nick Heard 2009 |
| 2 | Text From Source: Census England 1921 Address: West Sandford Place: Sandford, Devon, England Name,Relation,Age,Sex,Married,Where Born,Nationality,Education,Occupation,Employment,Place of Work,Chd <16,Children's Ages Nicholas Samuel Pitts,Head,36y 7m,M,Married,Stokenham, Devon, England,,,Farmer,Employer,At home,2,5 & 8 Emma Kathleen Pitts,Wife,43y 2m,F,Married,Sandford, Devon, England,,,Home duties,,,, Lewis Laurence Pitts,Son,8y 11m,M,Both Alive,Lapford, Devon, England,,Whole-time,,,,, Sadie Clarice Pitts,Daughter,5,F,Both Alive,Lapford, Devon, England,,Whole-time,,,,, |
| 3 | Text From Source: Register England & Wales 1939 Address: 57 East Street, Flat Place: Crediton, Devon, England Name of person,Status,Gender,Birthdate,Condition,Occupation,Comments Whieldon, Nyda Beryl,,F,16 Jan 1912,M,Unpaid domestic duties, Wheeler, Nora,,F,1 Jun 1919,M,tobacconist and manageress, Pitts, Audrey Eileen,,F,13 Jun 1910,M,cafe waitress, Whieldon, Brian Anthony,,M,1938,S,CLOSED ENTRY,CLOSED ENTRY Pitts, Lewis Laurence,,M,2 Jul 1912,M,motor driver (incapacitated), |
| 4 | Exeter 5b 61. Cit. Date: "sep Q 1910". |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Text From Source: Name Related Cond Age Occupation Birth Place Henry Wheeler Head Mar 34 Railway Porter L&SW Rly Sidbury, Devon, England Bertha Wheeler Wife Mar 26 Crediton , Devon, England Winifred Gladys Wheeler Dau Unm 2 Exeter,Devon, England Audrey Eileen Wheeler Dau Unm 1 Exmouth, Devon, England |
| RG14/12670 RG78/728 RD271 SD1 ED2 SN251. Cit. Date: 2 April 1911. Assessment: Secondary evidence. |
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| 7 | Text From Source: Census England 1921 Address: 1 Tolleys Place: Crediton, Devon, England Name,Relation,Age,Sex,Marr/Orph'd,Birthplace,Nationality,Education,Occupation,Employment,Place of Work,Chd <16,Children's Ages Henry Wheeler,Head,42y 6m,M,Married,Sidbury, Devon, England,,,General labourer,Walter Greenslade, wood merchant,Newton St Cyres,6,2,4,6,8,11.12 Bertha Wheeler,Wife,37y 5m,F,Married,Crediton, Devon, England,,,home duties,,,, Winifred Wheeler,Daughter,12y 3m,F,Both Alive,Exeter, Devon, England,,Whole Time,,,,, Audrey Wheeler,Daughter,11y 0m,F,Both Alive,Exeter, Devon, England,,Whole Time,,,,, Nida Wheeler,Daughter,8y 5m,F,Both Alive,Crediton, Devon, England,,Whole Time,,,,, Marjorie Wheeler,Daughter,6y 10m,F,Both Alive,Crediton, Devon, England,,Whole Time,,,,, Harry Wheeler,Son,4y 9m,M,Both Alive,Crediton, Devon, England,,Whole Time,,,,, Nora Wheeler,Daughter,2,F,Both Alive,Crediton, Devon, England,,,,,,, |