The Cottages opposite Laburnum Terrace

Number 5 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

In the 1840 Tithe Survey, the house thought to be number 5 was occupied by Isaac Roberts who owned the whole row of cottages.  We have been unable to identify which of the various Isaac Roberts lived here.  In the 1841 census there is an Isaac Roberts, a porter at the workhouse and another living in Falfield.  Both these seem unlikely.  At the time of the Tithe Survey the house was occupied by Mary Lanfear.

Mary Lanfear - at the time of the 1841 census Mary was living in Gillingstool Hill.  She is a charwoman aged 40, with Mary Ann aged 20, Louise aged 12, Rosina aged 11, Charles aged 1 and George aged 10 months.   It is possible that Mary was the widowed Mary who married Henry Sargent, a carpenter, in 1847.  In which case Mary was the daughter of Thomas Limbrick, a labourer.  The marriage record for Mary's son, Charles Lanfear in 1861 shows that his father, presumably Mary's first husband, was Nicholas Lanfear.   We know that little George was Mary's grandson, the illegitimate son of Mary Ann.

In the 1841 and 1851 census, the house appears to be unoccupied. 

William Spencer - In 1861, the house was occupied by William Spencer, aged 39, a gardener born in Kington Langley, Wiltshire and his wife, Elizabeth aged 47 born in Bishops Tawton, Devon.  Also living there were their 3 children, Thomas F aged 10 born in Weston, Emma G aged 7 and Ellen A aged 4, both born in Alderley and a visitor, Helen Pullen, a groom aged 15.

In 1871, the house was yet again unoccupied!  The 1876 Special Drainage District rate book just tells us that the occupier at that time had the surname of Harris.

Mary Rumbold - The 1880 Rate Book and the 1881 census shows that the house was occupied by Mary Rumbold, a widow aged 54 working as a seamstress.  In 1851, Mary had been living with her husband and three other children next door at number 3.  In 1861 they had moved to Castle Street.  John Rumbold, Mary's husband was buried in the United Reformed Church burial ground on 14th June 1875.  Some time after that  Mary had moved because by the 1881 census she was  living with her unmarried daughter, Mary Catherine, aged 34 who was also working as a seamstress.  The 1885 and 1887 Rate Books show that Mrs Rumbold was still in the house.  Mary Catherine died in 1889 aged 43 years.  

Mary Jane Collings - by 1891 the house was occupied by a Mary J Collings, a pauper aged 31 born in Thornbury. living with her 3 children, Florence Mary W. aged 5, and George E. aged 3, both born in Thornbury and Arthur E. aged less than 1 year born in South Wales.

Mary is described as a wife, but there is no sign of her husband.  Mary Jane Bevan had married George Wheeler Collings in Thornbury in 1884.  Mary was the daughter of Edwin and Elizabeth Bevan from 32 Castle Street.  Edwin was a mason.  In 1881 Mary had been working in Kingston upon Thames in London as a general servant.  We find no sign of George Wheeler Collings in Thornbury.  A 'possible' contender is the George W. Collings who would be the right age being born in 1859.  In 1891, he is working as a 'clerk in holy orders' in the Holy Trinity Vicarage in Stroud.  Although he may appear an unlikely partner for Mary, he is shown as being married and not living with his wife.  This George was born in Droitwich, Worcestershire.  In 1901, Mary was still in the house working as a seamstress plain needleworker.  Her two sons, Ernest G aged 13, an errand boy and Arthur E aged 10 were living with her.  There was also a boarder, James H Allway a 25 year old tailor from Thornbury.  In the 1911 census Mary Jane had moved to live in 11 Gloucester Road.

Louisa Savery - In 1910 the rate book says that Louisa Savery is the tenant. The 1911 census shows Louisa was a widow aged 74 living on an allowance from her family.  She was born in Oldbury and had been married to Mark Savery, the ironmonger at 13 The Plain.  Click here to read more

Florence Dixon - The last will and testament of Mary Ann Wilmott written in 1914 refers to the occupant of the house as being 'Hannah Dixon'.  We believe this is a mistake and it was Florence who is listed in the electoral registers for Gloucester Road from 1918 to 1932.  She was shown as living in this house in 1924 when the whole row of cottages were put up for sale and listed as living there in the 1926 Rate Book.  She died in 1934 aged 63. The photo on the right shows Florence with her grandson, George.  Click here to read more about Florence

Reginald Maurice Poulton - The next family we have traced is that of Reginald Poulton.  In 1935, the names of Reginald and Elizabeth Emily Poulton first appear in the electoral registers.  Reg was a master gardener, the son of Maurice John Poulton, a Thornbury chimney sweep.  He had married Elizabeth Emily Fox in the Gloucester area in 1933.  They had 2 children, Diane Elizabeth born on 3rd December 1934 and Ingram John born in 1938.  When Diane was admitted to the Council School in 1938, her address was at Gloucester Road.  John told us he was born in 5 Gloucester Road and lived there for about two and half years.  By 1946 Reg had moved to Castle Street.  He seems to be living in number 42 Castle Street with the Eddington family.  By 1958 there is no sign of Reginald nor Elizabeth in Thornbury.  Reginald died in March 1982 aged 71 years.

R. Roberts - a document relating to the Wilmott properties shows that a person called 'R. Roberts' was living in this house about 1942 when the document was written.  We do not know any more.

Mary Louise Clutterbuck - The next occupant of the house was Mary Louise Clutterbuck (shown in the photo on the right).  She is listed as living there in the 1946 electoral register.  Her grandson, Henry Smith, told us that he was living opposite in 16 Gloucester Road when she moved to the house then known as number 3.  Mary had moved from 13 St Mary Street where she had a small greengrocers shop. 

Henry and Mabel Woodward - The next family shown in the electoral registers is that of Henry and Mabel D. Woodward who moved to Gloucester Road from Woodford.  They first appear in 1952.  Mabel died in Thornbury Hospital on 12th January 1959 aged 74 and she was buried at Mangotsfield.  Within a year or two Henry had moved with his two children to a house in Whitewall Lane.

 Mabel Davies - In 1962, a Mabel Davies is shown in the electoral registers as living in the house.  She is not there in 1965 and there are no further occupants until the house is demolished.

Click here to go to: No1, No3,  No7, No9, or No11

This page was last updated: 05/12/2011