At the time of the 1891 England Census Sydney E Geard, aged 26, born in Montacute Somerset, stone cutter, was with his parents in Montacute Somerset.
At the time of the 1901 England Census Sydney Geard, aged 26*, born in Montacute Somerset, mason, and wife Mabel Geard, aged 29, born in Cardiff Glamorgan, were living at 100 Glenroy St., Roath Glamorgan. With them was daughter Marjorie (5) of Cardiff.
* understated by 10 years
At the time of the 1911 England Census Sydney Geard, aged 46, born in Montacute Somerset, stone mason, and wife of 15 years Mabel Geard, aged 39, born in Cardiff Glamorgan (mother of 1 child), were living at 189 Arabella St., Roath Glamorgan. With them was daughter Marjorie (15) of Cardiff.
In the 1939 Register Sydney E Geard (b. 9 Feb 1865), smallholder (retired), and wife Mabel A Geard (b. 30 Dec 1872), unpaid domestic duties, were living at 134 Kimberley Road, Cardiff, Glamorgan. At the same address was [daughter] Marjorie M Geard (b. 31 Mar 1896), elementary school teacher.
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MONTACUTE
DEATH OF MR. S. E. GEARD.
A LINK WITH THE SAIL CLOTH INDUSTRY
His many friends heard with much regret of the death of Mr. Sydney Estcourt Geard, eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Geard, of Montacute, who died on Wednesday last week, aged 77 years. Mr. Geard, who had been ailing for several years, was greatly respected. He was a staunch Churchman and at Trent, where he carried on farming at Lye's Farm, Hummer, and at Cardiff, he was a regular attendant at church. He leaves a wife and daughter.
W.F., and old School chum, writes : —"Mr. Geard was one of the last in the village to use the handloom, one of the chief industries of village life in the nineteenth century. It became extinct owing to the introduction of steam and water power. At the age of ten after his school hours Mr. Geard used to sit at the loom and help his father in the business. At the age of twelve he could throw the shuttle as well as his father. His grandfather, who founded the business, used to travel to the seaports to sell his sailcloth, Poole, Bridport and Bristol being his chief ports. His only means of travelling was by stage waggon, which took two days to Bristol. Many of the old clippers were rigged with the sailcloth produced by Samuel Geard, of Montacute. The weaving industry suffered change and Mr. S. E. Geard left the business and became a stonemason, the major part of his life being spent in Cardiff. Later in life he made another change and was engaged in farming, but through ill-health he was compelled to give it up. He returned to Cardiff, where he was much respected by all who knew him."
THE FUNERAL
A large congregation attended the funeral service on Saturday at St. Margaret's Church, Roath, Cardiff, where Mr. Geard had been a sidesman and a regular communicant for many years. The officiating clergy were the Rev. Chancellor, S. T. Phillips (vicar) and the Revs. G. Snowden and R. J. Davis (curates).
The chief mourners were Mrs. S. E. Geard (wife), Miss Geard (daughter), Mrs. LeRay (sister-in-law), Miss Addie, Rev. R. P. Jones, Messrs. W. Thorne, W. Jewell, and A. Davies....
The Western Gazette, Friday, 27 Nov 1942, p. 3
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