Laburnum Terrace

No. 20 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

We have no precise knowledge as to when number 20 was built.  It may have been built originally as an extension to No. 22.  This idea is supported by the fact that the present owner of number 22 has said that within his house he has found two areas in the party wall that look like doorways into number 20.  We think John Hodges bought No. 22 in 1832 as we have discovered a reference to an indenture between John Hodges and James Ford dated 23rd & 24th August 1832.  We have not been able to trace a copy of this indenture.

The 1840 Tithe Map shows that the property at Plot 249 covers what is now Nos 20 & 22 Gloucester Road and describes it as “a house, stables and garden and covers 18 perches.”  The significant word here is “House”.  This would appear to be confirmation that in 1840 the two houses were joined.

Plot 249 is shown as being owned by John Hodges and occupied by Charles Ford.  This may be the same Charles Ford who is shown in the 1841 census as the beer-house keeper in what is now ‘The Royal George’.

It is interesting to note that there is no front garden to Plot 249.  The road outside this plot is wider, and may suggest a turning area.  It is also interesting to note the presence of two sets of stables, one in Plot 249, the other in Plot 250 on the opposite side of the road.

It is not easy to link the houses shown in the 1841 census with the existing houses.  There are only three houses listed in the terrace.  We believe the first house listed is likely to be the house described as Plot 249 on the Tithe Map (i.e. now known as 20 & 22 Gloucester Road).

If we accept that the house which is now number 20 was then part of number 22, it would seem that this house was occupied by John Hodges, the carpenter and builder who came to own the whole terrace, and his wife Sarah.  Their son, George also a journeyman carpenter, and their young daughter, Emma, were living there as well.   They seem to have had a  lodger Richard Cowle aged 25 a carpenter journeyman, whom we suspect was an employee of John Hodges.

The second house (No. 18) is vacant and the third house is occupied by John Hodges’ son, James and his family.

In the 1851 census, the detail shown is even harder to interpret with any confidence and we hesitate to make any assumptions as to who was occupying which house.  At this time, John Hodges appears to be sharing Gloucester House with his daughter, Emma and her husband, John Williams.  There are only two other families listed, one of these being that of George Hodges, the other, Sarah Nicholls, a landed proprietor from Littleton.


Click on the following links  to see more details of the OWNERS of No. 20 and the families who occupied the property as TENANTS

This page was last updated: 09/04/2007