George Broadis (1820 -65)
was an elusive man who appears to have led a wandering life and to have left little trace in the official records. No baptism or marriage record can be found, nor can he be found in 1861 census.

There were only 2 families with the surname Broadis in Brize Norton at the time George was born. Robert and Elizabeth Broadis had a son Charles baptised on 25 June 1820 This would suggest that George was probably the son of the other couple John Broadis/Broddes and Sarah Eden who had 2 sons - Edward (on 7 December 1817) and Charles (on 23 February 1823) baptised in Brize Norton. John Broddes, born in 1793 in Windrush, Gloucs., was a cordwainer, an occupation which was often peripatetic and so it is possible that George was born in the 5 year gap between Edward and Charles possible in another community or even county.  John and Sarah had 9 children, 4 sons and 5 daughters of whom George was the only one who took up wandering musical life style.

The 1841 census (HO107/404/23/7/9) shows George had already left home.  Lodging at the Lanways Inn in Marthyr Worthy, Hampshire he is described as an  Agricultural Labourer aged 20.

The 1851 census entry (HO107/1731 f 365 p 7) records:
 George Broadis, aged 30, described as 'Hawker, fidler, etc'  born in Brize Norton and wife with Matilda, aged thirty, whose birthplace is given as Fairford, Gloucestershire, and two children, Sarah, aged four, and George, aged one year. The family are living in the same house as George’s sister Charlotte and her husband Richard Hunt.

A third daughter Mary Ann, was born to Matilda and George in late 1851.

Matilda's death is recorded in the St Britius, Brize Norton Burial Register on 29 July 1853, and the entry has the note "Reputed wife of George Brodis"  suggesting she and George didn't marry. The fact that all 3 of their children were baptized in Brize Norton as the illegitimate children of Matilda with no father mentioned further supports the belief  that George and Matilda did not marry.

Following Matilda’s death George seems to have taken up with Charlotte James by whom he appears to have had a least 3 more children. Again there is no indication that he married Charlotte. Their daughter Ann Selina was born in 1855, a son Walter was born and died in 1857. Walter was christened as the son of Charlotte James, a single woman but buried under the name Broadis. In 1864 another daughter Charlotte was registered under the name Broadis.

George appears to have spent much of his adult life as the proprietor of a travelling dancing booth. As a hawker he would doubtless have owned a cart and horse, and his lifestyle would have been peripatetic. The description of the fair at Bampton in 1859 includes the following mention of George:

...we must not omit to notice the temple dedicated to Terpschicore [sic], erected by one Mr. Brodiss, where the sons and daughters of Agricola exhibited their salutatory powers to the strains of an old cracked fiddle and a miserable-sounding tambourine, to their hearts' content, time being kept by the stamping of the iron clad extremities of the rustics... (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 3 September 1859, p 5)

A Dancing booth was a canvas tent with a wooden floor made of strips about 6 feet wide. A line of men would face a line of women and dance to the music of a fiddler or dulcimer player with dances often lasting an hour. Such booths were common at fairs and feasts in the 19th century with as many as 20 booths at some of the larger fairs. They were widespread within Oxfordshire and the border areas of the neighbouring counties during the 19th century.

George seems to have had several brushes with the law on his travels. On December 30 1857 he appeared at the Assizes in Woodstock: 

George Broadhurst of Brize Norton, was charged by Jaz. Edwards, Superintendent Constable, with having, on the 26th November last, at the parish of Handborough, upon the turnpike road, being then and there the owner of a van, drawn by one horse, prevented the free passage of a carriage of the Duke of Marlborough; convicted in fine 1s and costs 10s; paid. (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 3 Jan 1857)

He also faced charges of being drunk and riotous on more than 1 occasion:

PETTY SESSIONS. CHADLINGTON DIVISION. - Chipping Norton, May 4. ...George Brodest was charged by Police-constable Daniels with being drunk and riotous at Chadlington ; defendant did not appear ; fined 1s. and costs 16s. 6d. ; distress warrant granted. Jackson's Oxford Journal, 7 May 1864, page 3. Oxford Times, 14 May 1864, page 7.

CHADLINGTON DIVISION PETTY SESSIONS, TOWN HALL, CHIPPING NORTON, MAY 4.  George Brodest was charged by police constable Davis with being drunk and riotous at Chadlington. Defendant did not appear. - Fined 1s., costs 15s. 6d. Distress warrant granted. (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 7 May 1864, page 3.)
( also - Oxford Chronicle, 7 May 1864, page 7,  Oxford Times, 14 May 1864, page 7.)

 
His son, George junior, seems to have been of a similar character to his father:
Bampton East Division Petty Sessions, Witney Thursday  George Broadist, jun., of Brize Norton, was charged with turning a horse into a clover field, the property of Mr Dutton, of Curbridge, on the 21st inst, and doing damage; he was fined, including costs, 7s (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 6 May 1865, page 8)
 George Broadist, jun., of Brize Norton, was charged by John Dutton with wilful damage to clover growing in enclosed land at Minster, by turning in a horse for the purpose of feeding. - Fined 2d., damage 10d., costs 7s. - Paid. (Oxford Chronicle & Berks & Bucks Gazette, 13 May 1865, page 8.)
Aston Police Court, Yesterday
Indecency in Adderley Park - George Brodis, carman, 2, Cartwright Place, Inkerman Street, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for indecent conduct in Adderley Park on Sunday  (Birmingham Daily Post Wed 5th Aug 1891, p 25)

George  senior met a tragic end as is shown by these newspaper reports.  Having accompanied the sweeps around Burford on May Day  he returned to his caravan  which somehow caught fire. George was dreadfully burnt and died a week later.  He is buried at Brize Norton and the entry in the Parish register reads:

"1865 May 11 Brodist George 45 no settled abode; burnt at Burford"

The following is are newspaper reports on the inquest into George’s death

An inquest was held at Burford, on the 10th inst, before F. Westell, Esq., Coroner, on the body of a man named Geo. Broadist, who was described as a traveller, aged 45 years. The deceased travelled with a shooting gallery and dancing booth, and on the night of the 2nd inst. he went to his van for the purpose of sleeping; soon after he got there the van was observed to be on fire, and the deceased standing near it in his shirt, very severely burnt, all his hair being completely scorched off his head; an alarm was given, and assistance promptly rendered, when he was conveyed to a neighbour's house, and attended by a medical man, where, notwithstanding the severeness of his burns, he survived till the 9th inst. A woman, who travelled with him, gave evidence to show that there was no fire in the van when he went to it; there were only some matches and candles, and it is presumed that while endeavouring to obtain a light he set himself and van on fire. Verdict, "Accidentally burnt to death." ( Jackson's Oxford Journal, 20 May 1865, page 6.)


BURFORD. MELANCHOLY DEATH. - On the 11th inst. an inquest was held before F. Westell, Esq., at the Swan Inn, on the body of George Brodist, the well-known owner of a dancing-booth that frequented all our local fairs. From the evidence of Richard Forrest it appeared that the deceased had been round the town on the 2nd of May with the sweeps, who, with a "jack-in-the-green," fiddler, &c., paraded the streets, and that, after the day's work was over, he let his fiddle [sic] to be used in the "White Horse," for the amusement of the company (the woman with whom he lived waiting for it), and went to the back lane to his van. On Forrest's coming out of the Swan he saw a light over the opposite houses, and soon met Brodist with nothing on but the remains of his shirt, and the hair all burnt off his head. He was taken to Smith's, the sweep. The foreman asked Forrest if deceased was drunk? Forrest - No, sir, he was just right. Foreman - What do you mean by being just right? Forrest - Why, just as he ought to be, Sir. Foreman - Had he been drinking? Forrest - Yes, but he was not drunk. Foreman - Well, was he in his usual state? Forrest - No, sir, he was just right; he had enough, and went to his van without anyone helping him.

From the evidence of Charlotte James (who appeared to be in much mental agony and suffering from a tumour in the back, said to be the effects of a kick from deceased), it appeared that on the night in question a quantity of children's clothes were hung up in the van to dry, and that, although there was no fire in the van, there was a box of matches and candle, which she supposed he must have lighted and thus set the place on fire, which, in addition to bed, &c., contained 3 lbs. of powder and guns, belonging to their shooting gallery.

The deceased lingered in dreadful agony up till the 9th inst. Verdict, "Accidental death."

After the inquest the foreman, with the consent of the jury, had the woman into the room, and expressed the deep regret they all felt at the life they had led, and the awful end of deceased; expressing a hope that such a course would be abandoned, and presented on behalf of his brother jurymen the 8s. allowed for refreshment.
( Oxford Chronicle & Berks & Bucks Gazette, 20 May 1865, page 7.)



The following newspaper reports suggest that George was well known in the area around Bampton in Oxfordshire and within the fiddling community:

FILKINS- Some time since we noticed the melancholy death by fire of George Broadis, the proprietor of the celebrated Brize-Norton dancing booth, he being one of the first who established a booth of that description in this neighbourhood, and he was, up to the time of his miserable end, patronised beyond all competitors; the remains of his van have been purchased by Mr. Moss, of Filkins, and it was a lamentable sight to see nothing but the wheels remaining, and these charred with the fire; a serious loss is sustained by six poor orphan children, left without a vestige of clothing or furniture of any description; surely this is a case for the benevolent to take in hand.
(Jackson's Oxford Journal, 27 May 1865, page 6)

FILKINS... Melancholy Death. - The well-known fiddler, George Brodie [sic], accompanied the sweeps on May-day, and on returning to his van he accidentally set it on fire. He was dreadfully burnt, and having been taken to the house of the master-sweep, (Smith, of Burford,) he lingered until Wednesday last, when he expired. (Faringdon Advertiser, 13 May 1865, page 4)

(some of the information in these notes came from an article on George written by Keith Chandler which can be found at www.mustrad.org.uk)



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