Laburnum Terrace

Owners of No. 16 Gloucester Road

The house was originally owned by John Hodges who built the house.  In 1865, John sold the house to his son, George who was living at Laburnum House, 6 Gloucester Road.  However the special drainage rate book of 1876 shows John Hodges as the occupier and the owner of the house.  However by 1880 the next Special Drainage Rate book does show George Hodges as the owner with Alexander Sutherland as the tenant.  George died in 1905.

The Trustees of George Hodges
On George’s death, ownership of No. 8 was transferred to his Trustees, his four surviving daughters, Sarah Ann Hodges, Fanny Staley Hodges, Emma Jane Hodges and Laura Evelyn Balls and one of his two surviving sons, Austin Edgar Hodges.

Over the years, these Trustees gradually died off and new ones were appointed to ensure that the Estate was managed properly.  The first trustee, Emma Jane Fry (nee Hodges), died on 14th January 1925.  This was followed in quick succession by Sarah Anne Hodges who died 18th July 1925 and Laura Evelyn Balls who died 5th December 1925.  Fanny Staley Hodges was appointed as her executrix and when she died 9th November 1927, Gladys Evelyn Balls, the daughter of Laura Evelyn Balls and Percy J.W. Balls, watchmaker and hairdresser, was appointed as executrix.

Austin Edgar Hodges died 1st November 1945.  He had moved to Walton on Thames and in 1901 he had been a dairyman there.  On his death, he appointed his son, Geoffrey Stephen Hodges, as executor.

Geoffrey Stephen Hodges and John Hodges were appointed as trustees on 25th March 1947.  Geoffrey Stephen Hodges died 8th October 1953.  He had been living in Weybridge, Surrey.

In 1954 the surviving executors were Gladys Evelyn Ball and John Hodges.  At that time: George Hodges’s estate comprised:

• 1, 2, 5 and 6 Laburnum Terrace together with gardens in occupation of Percy Hand, Mrs Organ, L C Smith and George Excell. (These are now 8, 10, 16 and 18 Gloucester Road)
  
  

• land at Gloucester Road in the hands of Charles G. Smith
  
  

• five dwelling houses at Pullins Green.  These were in the occupation of Mrs Higgins, George Ord, P Wilkinson, Frank Biddle, and Hubert Bayliss
  
  

• a dwelling house and land in St John Street in occupation of Miss Green
  
  

• two cottages at Raglan Castle, Thornbury which were in the occupation of Elias Smith and Miss Davis.

The Selman family - bought the house in late 1950's and lived there until 1988.  Click here to see more about the Selman family.

Duncan Moncrieff - who acquired the house in early 1989.   He was a builder, and he with the help of his brother, Cameron, and their friends, gutted the inside of the house and made extensive modernisations and changes.  He demolished the old kitchen and bathroom and built a two storey extension.  He installed French windows to the back bedroom and dining room, installed central heating and removed the old fireplaces.  Most woodwork and all plaster work were replaced at this time.  On completion, Duncan named the house 'Laburnum Cottage' which it has retained ever since.

Sadly after all this work, Duncan did not live in the house very long.  He had been very ambitious with his plans for the house and this proved very expensive.  He went to work in Germany and let the house to three young men for about a year.  When Duncan returned from Germany, his parents came to live in the house with him, but eventually he had to sell the house.  He continues to live in Thornbury.

Lindsay and Clinton T Lloyd - Clinton and Lindsay bought the house in December 1996.  Clinton (shown on the right) was a South African who studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, qualifying in 1990.  He moved to England where he worked at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, specialising in adult cardiac surgery.  His wife, Lindsay was from Scotland and she was a nurse.

They sold the house and moved away in January 2000 when Clinton got a job at Southampton University Hospital.  They now live in Plymouth area with their three sons.

Melvin Kitchen & Deborah Dear - the current owners who bought the house in 2000.  Melvin and Deborah both worked in the MOD at Filton.

Click here to see information on the TENANTS of number 16.

This page was last updated: 04/06/2011