Antell

Updated April 2024

Abel Antell was born in 1896 at Whin Cottage, Furzehill near Barbrook. He had two older brothers Herbert (b1891) and Percy (b1895). During the First World War, Abe served in the Royal Navy and after the war returned to the Barbrook area working in agriculture.

Gertrude Florence Ridd was born on the 25th of November, 1898 at Desolate in Countisbury. She left school when she was 14 to look after her younger siblings – her mother having died leaving a total of 10 children. The 1921 census reveals Gertie, 22, working for the Rawles of Furzehill near Barbrook.

Abel Antell and Gertrude Ridd married on the 14th of February 1925. Abe was age 28 and Gertrude 26 and lived at Dean Cottages above Barbrook.  They were married at Barnstaple Registry Office.  They had two sons, Billy (b1925) and Edwin (b1934) but sadly, Billy died in 1938, aged only 12 years old when the family were still living in Barbrook.

Abe and Gert are recorded at Hoar Oak Cottage in the 1939 Register – taken instead of a census just before WWII.   They lived at Hoar Oak until 1958 when the cottage and 25 acres around it were purchased for inclusion in the newly created Exmoor National Park.  Abe and Gert were moved out and went to Black Pitts Cottage and then later moved to Fellingscott near Brendon.

Abe died in 1980 and Gert in 1987.  They are both buried in Brendon churchyard.

Abe and Gert Antell at back entrance to Hoar Oak Cottage. Circa 1958 Cat Ref: HOC.Antell.PH.1.1 Photo courtesy of Dorothy Bawden
Abe and Gert Antell at back entrance to Hoar Oak Cottage. Circa 1958 Cat Ref: HOC.Antell.PH.1.1 Photo courtesy of Dorothy Bawden
Hoar Oak Cottage in the 1950s when Abe and Gert Antell lived there. Note black (tarred) corrugated iron cladding. A method for trying to reduce the internal damp. Photo courtesy of Sandra Hughes.
Hoar Oak Cottage in the 1950s when Abe and Gert Antell lived there. Note black (tarred) corrugated iron cladding. A method for trying to reduce the internal damp. Photo courtesy of Sandra Hughes.

An Antell descendant, Jasmine Hughes, prepared an 80 page document titled The Antells of Exmoor.  Thanks to the generosity of her niece, Sandra, this document is available as a digital or print copy – contact info@hoaroakcottage.org.  More recently it has also been uploaded onto the Antell One Name Study and can be accessed through this link:  https://antell.one-name.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1996-The-Antells-of-Exmoor-Jasmine-Hughes-compressed.pdf

The Antells of Exmoor by Jasmine Hughes. Sample Page

The chapter on Gertrude Antell in The Women of Hoar Oak Cottage contains more details about Gertie and her life.

To get a copy go to:

Thanks to so many people the Antell Archive of documents, photos etc is one of the largest in the Hoar Oak Cottage Archive collection.  You can currently see what has been uploaded on https://hoaroakcottage.org/antell-photo-archive/

More to come in the future.