Ernest George Gould
Ernest George Gould (1869-1930) of Gould Brothers
Born the son of George Daniel Gould
1881 Living at (?) House, Pinhoe, Exeter: George Gould (age 42 born Exeter), Coach Maker (Master). With his wife Emmeline Gould (age 43 born Exeter) and their four Children; Emmeline E. Gould (age 13 born Exeter); George E. Gould (age 12 born Exeter); Frederic Wm. Gould (age 10 born Exeter); and Charles N. Gould (age 8 born Exeter).[1]
1891 Living at Hillsdon, Pennsylvania, Exeter: George Gould (age 53 born born Exeter), Coach Builder - Employer. With his wife Emmeline Gould (age 54 born Exeter) and their three children; Emmeline Ellen Gould (age 23 born Exeter); Ernest Gould (age 22 born Exeter), Coach Builder (Assistant); and Charles Gould (age 18 born Exeter), Chemist (Apprentice).[2]
1901 Living at 22 St. Johns Road, Heavitree, Exeter: Ernest G. Gould (age 32 born Exeter), Carriage Manufacturer - Employer, With his wife Kathleen A. Gould (age 28 born Darlington) and their two children Monica Gould (age 2 born Transvaal) and Roland Gould (age 1 born Exeter). One servant.[3]
1905 Ernest Gould drove a Humber 10-12hp car from Exeter to Hyde Park and return without a stop and in sixteen hours.[4]
1906 Ernest George Gould, of Exeter, motor expert[5]
1908 'Mr. Ernest Gould, of Southernhay, Exeter, commences his annual 24 hours' reliability run on Friday evening next, starting from the London Hotel Square at 7 o'clock. For this year's trial a 25-35 h.p. Darracq has been selected...'[6]
1911 Living at 14 Devonshire Place, Exeter: Ernest George Gould (age 42 born Exeter), Motor manufacturer (master) - Employer. With his wife Kathleen Gould (age 38 born Darlington) and their two children Monica Gould (age 12 born Johannesburg, S. Africa) and Ronald Gould (age 11 born Exeter). One servant.[7]
1930 Died in Italy. 'Mr. Ernest Gould, a well-known motoring pioneer, who formerly carried on the business of Gould Bros, Exeter, has died at Rapallo, Italy, from pneumonia. He was 61. He served during the War with the Red Cross Organisation, using his own car; later he took a commission in the Caterpillar Section of the R.E. and was badly injured by the explosion of a big gun. He was awarded the Mons Star. The funeral took place at Rapallo on Tuesday. Mr. Ronald Gould (his only son) was the principal mourner. Mrs. Gould was unable to attend through indisposition. [8]
1930 Obituary.[9]
The death has occurred at Rapallo, Northern Italy, of Mr. Ernest Gould, who will be rembered among the older generation of Exonians as one of the motoring pioneers in the West of England. Mr. Gould had left Exeter for some years, and resided London.
During the autumn of last year, accompanied by his wife, he left England for the Continent, and last month was staying at Rapallo. About a week ago he contracted a cold. Pneumonia rapidly developed, and he passed away Saturday at the age of 61. Mrs. Gould (a sister-in-law of Mr. W. S. R. Force, member of the firm of auctioneers and estate agents, of St. Sidwell's, Exeter) was also indisposed at the time. Their son Mr. Ronald Gould (the senior partner in the firm of Messrs. Alexander, King and Gould, of Conduit-street, London), was cabled for, and proceeded to Rapallo Friday. Their married daughter, who was born in Johannesburg, is residing in Cairo.
A KRU6ER COMMISSION. Mr. Gould was the eldest son of the late Mr. G. D. Gould under whom, in 1885, he started apprenticeship to the coachbuilding trade, then being carried on in East Southernhay and at 1, Sidwell-street. He served seven years at the bench, and then proceeded to London, where he entered the establishment Messrs Windover and Co., Long Acre, and acquired an all round experience of the trade, attended exhibitions with carriage displays on behalf the firm throughout England, Ireland, and Scotland, and eventually worked his way to the position of manager. Mr. Gould had the distinction of being selected by Messrs. Windover, in 1896, for the purpose of proceeding to Johannesburg and opening a branch establishment. He arrived in the gold-mining city just before the famous Jameson Raid. The carriage showroom which he opened there was the first of its kind in the city. One of his chief commissions was supply the State chariot for the late President Kruger. Mr. Gould participated in the Diamond Jubilee procession at Johannesburg, and obtained the gold medal for a tableau representing England, Scotland, and Ireland.
He returned to England just before the South African War and took ever the management of the business at Southernhay. It was about this time that motor cars began to make their appearance. He was responsible for the starting of the first motor garage in Exeter. The motor business, started in a comparatively small way as a side line to the carriage building, gradually developed into very large and prosperous concern, and was formed into a limited liability company in 1907, with Mr. E. Gould as Managing director.
AERONAUTICS. Mr. Gould has won considerable distinction as a motor car driver. In 1903 he took a 5 h.p. two-speed car from London to Exeter in 16 hours, a performance that was considered at time to be exceedingly good. Three years later Mr. Gould achieved record by driving a 10-12 h.p. Humber from Exeter Post Office to Hyde Park Corner, London, and back in 16 hours. Mr. Gould made various other long-distance drives, and held the West of England record for 24 hours non-stop run, during which he accomplished 52o miles. The conquest of the air attracted the attention of Mr. Gould, who built two aeroplanes - a monoplane and a biplane - at the Southernhay works.
During the war Mr. Gould at first became associated with the Red Cross organisation, using his own car. Later he took up a commission, and served with the Caterpillar Section of the R.E. He was badly injured by the explosion of a big gun which rendered him permanently stone-deaf. He eventually disposed of his business to the present Company. In his younger days he was connected with local histrionic societies, and was an accomplished ventriloquist.