Gertrude was born in Stockport in 1848. In 1881 Gertrude was living in Colwell, Ledbury with her husband, Roland, and their 6 month old son, Gilbert. Roland was a barrister and originally from Truro. They had seven staff in the house.
By 1891 Gertrude and Roland had moved to Richards Castle, Shropshire in a household with nine servants. They had six children: Gilbert (1881), James (1883), Olive (1885), Edith (1886), Arthur (1888) and Gertrude (1890). By 1901 they had moved again to Oakhurst, a large house on the road from Oswestry to Selattyn. Oakhurst Road was probably named after the house.
In 1911 four of their children were living at home; Gilbert, a barrister, Olive, Edith and Gertrude. They have eight servants. One of whom, Susan Gregory, had worked for them for more than 20 years.
During the war, Gertrude Venables was in charge of the National Egg Collection for Oswestry and the surrounding area. She would coordinate the collection of eggs from local people and arrange for transportation to the central collection point, where eggs would be distributed to hospitals around the country.
Gertrude’s children would also contribute to the war effort. Daughter Edith became a VAD and son Gilbert Rowland enlisted with the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He was killed in action on 7 March 1915. His commanding officer wrote to Gertrude and Rowland saying of Gilbert: “he had made himself very popular here as he was always cheery and in good spirits…We can all sympathise with you as he was making himself an excellent companion”.
Gertrude remained in Shropshire and died in April 1927, aged 79.