The Cottages opposite Laburnum Terrace

Number 1 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

In the 1840 Tithe Survey, the house thought to be number 1 was occupied by Ann Phillips.   In the 1841 census, it was occupied by Ann, a shopkeeper aged 48, Mary Phillips aged 46, and Elizabeth Phillips aged 40.  None of them were born in Gloucestershire.  Nothing else is known about them.

Edward Howell - In 1851 the house was occupied by a widower, Edward Howell - the name is difficult to read.  Edward was a farrier aged 45 and born in Stroud.  Also living there was his daughter, Hannah a dressmaker aged 18, born in Rodborough and a servant, Susan Rudd aged 39 with a visitor, Sarah A Rudd aged 3.  Edward had moved to the area with his wife, Ann, from Stroudwater in the early 1840's.  Ann died on 15th March 1846 aged 36 years.  The cause of her death is apparently difficult to read but it looks if it was 'enlargement of the liver and dropsy.

We have been told that Edward's full name was Edward James Howell, a veterinary surgeon.  Edward seems to have a mixed career.  In the 1841 census he was listed as a school master when the family were living at Eastington.  He is listed as being a vet in the 1849, 1852 and 1856 Thornbury Trade Directories.  In the 1856 listing he is shown as living in St Mary Street.  He died in March 1856 when he had become a colt breaker as well as a farrier.  His death certificate shows shows he suffered a fracture to his skull after being thrown from a colt at Old Down.

In 1858 on 9th January there was a notice of the sale of the late Edward Howell's premises.  The owner of the property had been Mr J. H. Wyld who was now bankrupt.  The notice describes the dwelling house, shop, yard and stable that Edwin Howell must have been using and says that the premises are now used by Edward Howell's representatives at £8 per annum.

William Amos - In 1861, another widower, William Amos, had moved in.  He was aged 33 and born in Bristol.  William was a bootmaker employing 3 men, one of whom, William Garland, was lodging with William.  William had  five children: William Newton Treleven aged 13 and Clara aged 10, both born in Winterbourne, Lydia aged 7 born in Alveston, Henry G aged 3 and James H aged 2, both born in Thornbury.  William's wife had been Anna Maria - she died in October 1859 aged 30 years.  William Amos appeared in 1868 as still trading in Colwell Street Road (Gloucester Road) although he seemed to have had major changes to his life in the 60's.  By 1871, he had re-married, this time to Betsy Frost from Somerset, they had yet another child, a daughter, Clara Anna and moved to Hackney in London where William became a missionary at the Wood Street Mission House.  In 1875, when William  Newton Trevelen Amos married, he gave his address as Bedminster, Bristol.  It was nice to see that after all this time away from Thornbury he still married a local girl, Eliza Wathen, the daughter of William Wathen, a brewer.

Henry Williams - In 1871 the house was occupied by Henry Williams, a cordwainer aged 24 born in Thornbury.  Henry was born in 1846, the son of  James Williams, brushmaker of 62 High Street and his wife, Sarah (nee Stacey).    Henry is the brother of Anna Maria Williams who married Walter William Pitcher - she and Walter were living opposite in the house now known as number 12 Gloucester Road. 

In the 1861 census Henry aged 14 had started work as an errand boy.  In 1871 Henry was  living with his wife, Emma, aged 22 and children, Emily aged 3, Alice Maria aged 2 and Ernest Henry aged 1 month.   All the family were born in Thornbury, but Henry and Emma Ball had their marriage registered in Bristol in 1867.  Emma (shown in the photo on the right) was baptised in 1848 as Charlotte Emma Ball, the daughter of Daniel Ball, a labourer and his wife, Eleanor.  There were 2 lodgers living in the house with the Williams in 1871.  They were Thomas Nelmes, another cordwainer aged 23 from Thornbury and Fanny Salmon, a widowed sick nurse aged 57 from Evercreech in Somerset. 

In 1876 the Rate Book shows that another tenant, John Vizard, had moved in so we assume that it was around this time that, Henry Williams moved to Pullins Green, Oldbury on Severn where he was living in the 1881 Census.  Here he was employing James Buck, aged 17 as an apprentice in his cordwaining business.  Henry's family had grown considerably: he and Emma had added 5 more children: Sarah A. aged 8, Florence M. aged 6, Eleanor aged 4, Frederick aged 2 and Francis J. aged 10 months.  There was no sign of Alice Maria in the household. 

The newspaper article shown on the left was printed in the Bristol Mercury on 8th September 1888.  By 1891 Henry and his wife, now using her first name, Charlotte, were running the post office and a boot and shoemaking business.  They had a son, Edwin Percy aged 5.  By 1901, Henry was continuing the post office, but had become a farmer instead of shoemaking.  Charlotte died in 1922, Henry in 1930.  Both are buried at Oldbury.

John Vizard - the Rate Book of 1876 shows that the tenant is John Vizzard but at this time we do not know more about him.

William Harris - by 1880, the house was occupied by William Harris, and the 1881 census shows that he was a general labourer, born in Thornbury and aged 47.  He was living with Esther, his wife aged 42, their son, Joseph, aged 16 who was working as a blacksmith's apprentice and two borders, Percy Hall aged 8 and Stanley Hall aged 7.  Both the boarders were born in Thornbury.  William had married Esther Ann Davis, the daughter of James Davis, a Thornbury shoemaker in January 1865.  At the time of his marriage William was a soldier, the son of Joseph Harris, labourer.

William and the family appear to have moved away for a short time.  The 1885 Special Drainage District Rate Book clearly shows the tenant as William Batten and the 1887 Rate Book has the name of Walter Hooper clearly shown as the tenant for this house.  The name is crossed through and replaced by William Harris.  Normally this means that Walter Hooper has recently vacated the premises and replaced by William Harris.

William Harris appears in the 1890 Voters List, qualifying for the vote through his occupation of the house in Gloucester  Road.  The 1891 census shows that the house had just 4 rooms.  These rooms were still occupied by William and Hester Harris.  They had one lodger, Charles Lynham, a tailor aged 21 from Berrow in Somerset.  The family seem to have moved elsewhere by 1893 as he does not appear in the Voters List for that year.  The 1911 census shows Hester, then a widow aged 72 living in one of the Staffords almshouses in St Mary Street.

Henry Allen - The next family which we have traced to the house is that of Henry Allen.  This family was to remain in the house until it was demolished 65 years later.  Click here to see more about the Allen family.

Click here to go to: No3, No5, No7, No9, or No11

This page was last updated: 04/06/2011