Laburnum Terrace

George Paradise Mallett of Gloucester Road, Thornbury

George Paradise Mallett lived in two houses in the terrace.

In 1881 he occupied number 18 Gloucester Road.
 

The special Drainage District Rate book of 1880 shows that George Mallett was a tenant of George Hodges by that time and an entry appears in John Hodges' account book showing that was still paying 9 shillings and 6 pence to him in March 1885.    By 1891 he had moved two houses up the road to number 14 Gloucester Road which was owned by the Williams family.

George had been baptised in Berkeley on 7th April 1847.  The baptism record shows that his parents were Henry Mallett from Stinchombe, a mason, and Elizabeth and they lived at Hogsdown, in Alkington just east of Berkeley.  Henry and Elizabeth had four other children.

By the time of the 1851 census, George was ‘packed away’ at a boarding school run by Joseph Gabb and his wife, Mary, in nearby Woodford.  George was aged 4; his brother Christopher aged 10 was also at the school.  There were 5 other scholars listed in the census, all aged between 4 and 12.  One of these was Joseph, the son of Joseph Gabb, the schoolmaster.

At the time of this census, George’s parents, Henry and Elizabeth were running a 10 acre farm at Hogsdown. Their daughter, Mary aged 12, Elizabeth’s mother, Elizabeth Dimery, an annuitant aged 84, a nephew, George Dimery aged 17 and a servant and a farm labourer were also living there.  We have been told that Henry died in October 1859.

In 1861 census, George, now aged 14, had moved to Thornbury and was living with his cousin, George Dimery, who was running the beerhouse which is now known as the Royal George.  It is not clear what George is doing there as there is no occupation mentioned or reference to him continuing his studies.   Perhaps this change of lifestyle was to do with his father's death.

In 1871, George was living in Castle Street.  He was aged 23, an assistant veterinary surgeon, working for George Godwin with whom he was living.

George Mallett had  been with Mr Godwin since June 1st 1869 as we have found the advertisement in the "Monthly Illustrated Journal" shown here on the right:

His appointment with Mr Godwin got off to a bad start as we have found another article in the same publication dated August 1869 which says; "On Friday morning, 23rd of July, as Messrs Godwin and Mallett, veterinary surgeons of Thornbury were driving in the gig just below the residence of Dr Long.  The pony, by some inexplicable means, fell, throwing out both the occupants of the vehicle.  Mr Godwin must have been jerked over his companion in falling, as both were thrown out the right side.  He was taken up insensible and conveyed to his home, but soon recovered though much bruised and shaken.  Mr Mallett was fortunately uninjured."  Mallett had only been in the job for a few weeks so perhaps he was not very good at driving the gig!

By 1881 he had become a vet and had moved to his own house in Gloucester Road and was sharing this with his mother who married again in 1863, this time to John Morgan a widowed bailiff from Thornbury.  Visiting them there was Mary A Godwin, presumably the daughter-in-law of his previous employer, George Godwin.

George didn’t stay long in number 18.  By the 1891 census, number 18 appears to be uninhabited and George and his mother had moved two doors up the terrace to live at number 14.  The 1889 Kelly’s shows George Paradise Mallett MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon, Gloucester Road. 

It is clear from the directory entries that George used his house for the business,  thus the accommodation must have been arranged for his treatment of animals.

In the early part of 1899 George married Ellen White from Cam.  They married in Bristol.  By 1901 George and Ellen were living in Nibley Green, near Wotton-under-Edge.  Living with them was a niece, Laura Hooper, aged 15 who came from Ruarth in Glamorgan. 

Although George was clearly living in Nibley Green, he appears to have maintained his business in Thornbury.  He is listed in 1897 and 1902 Kelly's Directories, and 1905 Wrights Directory as being a veterinary surgeon in Gloucester Road.  He is also listed in electoral register 1902 and 1903 as being an occupier of a house in Gloucester Road.  This probably explains the fact that in 1901 census, number 14 Gloucester Road is occupied just by Mary Sanigar, a servant.  It looks likely that George continued to use number 14 for his business and Mary looked after it in his absence.

The Kelly's Gloucestershire Directories for 1906, 1910 and 1914 list Mrs Mallet under the private residents of North Nibley with her address shown as Road Green.  We have found that Ellen was buried with her sister, Caroline Jane White in Cam.  The monumental inscription shows that Caroline was also living at Road Green, North Nibley and she died in 1898.  Ellen died on 4 December 1918 aged 78 years.  George Mallet was buried with them, having died on 9th July 1921 aged 74.

This page was last updated: 03/10/2008